diff --git a/src/settings.cpp b/src/settings.cpp
index 13855d27d9..5a1db8cf26 100644
--- a/src/settings.cpp
+++ b/src/settings.cpp
@@ -1877,16 +1877,16 @@ void SyncCompanySettings()
  * @param force_newgame force the newgame settings
  * @note Strings WILL NOT be synced over the network
  */
-bool SetSettingValue(const StringSettingDesc *sd, std::string value, bool force_newgame)
+bool SetSettingValue(const StringSettingDesc *sd, std::string_view value, bool force_newgame)
 {
 	assert(sd->flags.Test(SettingFlag::NoNetworkSync));
 
-	if (GetVarMemType(sd->save.conv) == SLE_VAR_STRQ && value.compare("(null)") == 0) {
-		value.clear();
+	if (GetVarMemType(sd->save.conv) == SLE_VAR_STRQ && value == "(null)") {
+		value = {};
 	}
 
 	const void *object = (_game_mode == GM_MENU || force_newgame) ? &_settings_newgame : &_settings_game;
-	sd->AsStringSetting()->ChangeValue(object, value);
+	sd->AsStringSetting()->ChangeValue(object, std::string{value});
 	return true;
 }
 
@@ -1896,7 +1896,7 @@ bool SetSettingValue(const StringSettingDesc *sd, std::string value, bool force_
  * @param object The object the setting is in.
  * @param newval The new value for the setting.
  */
-void StringSettingDesc::ChangeValue(const void *object, std::string &newval) const
+void StringSettingDesc::ChangeValue(const void *object, std::string &&newval) const
 {
 	this->MakeValueValid(newval);
 	if (this->pre_check != nullptr && !this->pre_check(newval)) return;
diff --git a/src/settings_internal.h b/src/settings_internal.h
index 4c91f95b97..8c500ac230 100644
--- a/src/settings_internal.h
+++ b/src/settings_internal.h
@@ -334,7 +334,7 @@ struct StringSettingDesc : SettingDesc {
 	PostChangeCallback *post_callback; ///< Callback when the setting has been changed.
 
 	bool IsStringSetting() const override { return true; }
-	void ChangeValue(const void *object, std::string &newval) const;
+	void ChangeValue(const void *object, std::string &&newval) const;
 
 	std::string FormatValue(const void *object) const override;
 	void ParseValue(const IniItem *item, void *object) const override;
@@ -392,7 +392,7 @@ const SettingDesc *GetSettingFromName(const std::string_view name);
 void GetSaveLoadFromSettingTable(SettingTable settings, std::vector<SaveLoad> &saveloads);
 SettingTable GetSaveLoadSettingTable();
 bool SetSettingValue(const IntSettingDesc *sd, int32_t value, bool force_newgame = false);
-bool SetSettingValue(const StringSettingDesc *sd, const std::string value, bool force_newgame = false);
+bool SetSettingValue(const StringSettingDesc *sd, std::string_view value, bool force_newgame = false);
 
 std::vector<const SettingDesc *> GetFilteredSettingCollection(std::function<bool(const SettingDesc &desc)> func);