diff --git a/build.cc b/build.cc
index 40c5010..61f1323 100644
--- a/build.cc
+++ b/build.cc
@@ -206,9 +206,9 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
         return 0;
     }
 
-    auto default_lib = std::string{OSTD_SHARED_LIB.string()};
+    std::string default_lib = OSTD_SHARED_LIB;
     if (build_static) {
-        default_lib = std::string{OSTD_STATIC_LIB.string()};
+        default_lib = OSTD_STATIC_LIB;
     }
 
     auto strip = from_env_or("STRIP", "strip");
@@ -335,8 +335,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 
         args.push_back("-c");
         args.push_back("-o");
-        args.push_back(std::string{outp.string()});
-        args.push_back(std::string{ifs});
+        args.push_back(outp);
+        args.push_back(ifs);
 
         exec_v(args);
 
@@ -366,8 +366,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 
         args.push_back("-c");
         args.push_back("-o");
-        args.push_back(std::string{outp.string()});
-        args.push_back(std::string{ifs});
+        args.push_back(outp);
+        args.push_back(ifs);
 
         exec_v(args);
 
@@ -383,9 +383,9 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
         add_args(args, cxxflags);
 
         args.push_back("-o");
-        args.push_back(std::string{output.string()});
+        args.push_back(output);
         for (auto &p: files) {
-            args.push_back(std::string{p.string()});
+            args.push_back(p);
         }
         args.insert(args.cend(), flags.begin(), flags.end());
 
@@ -396,7 +396,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
         if (build_cfg == "release") {
             args.clear();
             args.push_back(strip);
-            args.push_back(std::string{output.string()});
+            args.push_back(output);
             exec_v(args);
         }
     };
@@ -414,9 +414,9 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
             echo_q("AR: %s", output);
 
             args.push_back("rcs");
-            args.push_back(std::string{output.string()});
+            args.push_back(output);
             for (auto &p: files) {
-                args.push_back(std::string{p.string()});
+                args.push_back(p);
             }
 
             exec_v(args);
@@ -562,7 +562,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
     }
 
     if (build_testsuite) {
-        exec_v({ "./test_runner", std::string{TEST_DIR.string()} });
+        exec_v({ "./test_runner", TEST_DIR });
     }
 
     io_msgs.close();
diff --git a/ostd/path.hh b/ostd/path.hh
index eca90f6..1e721f9 100644
--- a/ostd/path.hh
+++ b/ostd/path.hh
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ struct path {
                 return path{anchor(), p_fmt};
             }
         } else {
-            sep = ostd::find_last(string(), separator());
+            sep = ostd::find_last(string_range{p_path}, separator());
             if (sep.empty()) {
                 return *this;
             }
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ struct path {
         if (is_absolute()) {
             return (string() != anchor());
         }
-        return !ostd::find(string(), separator()).empty();
+        return !ostd::find(string_range{p_path}, separator()).empty();
     }
 
     detail::path_parent_range parents() const;
@@ -406,7 +406,15 @@ struct path {
         );
     }
 
-    string_range string() const noexcept {
+    std::string const &string() const noexcept {
+        return p_path;
+    }
+
+    operator std::string() const {
+        return p_path;
+    }
+
+    operator string_range() const noexcept {
         return p_path;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/posix/path.cc b/src/posix/path.cc
index e45ab56..79fdd0e 100644
--- a/src/posix/path.cc
+++ b/src/posix/path.cc
@@ -289,7 +289,7 @@ OSTD_EXPORT path weakly_canonical(path const &p) {
     }
     /* cp refers to an existing section, canonicalize */
     path ret = canonical(cp);
-    auto pstr = p.string();
+    string_range pstr = p;
     /*a append the unresolved rest */
     ret.append(pstr.slice(cp.string().size(), pstr.size()));
     return ret;