diff --git a/src/strgen/strgen.h b/src/strgen/strgen.h
index e146b4612e..88b64c9469 100644
--- a/src/strgen/strgen.h
+++ b/src/strgen/strgen.h
@@ -39,16 +39,16 @@ struct LangString {
 
 /** Information about the currently known strings. */
 struct StringData {
-	std::vector<std::unique_ptr<LangString>> strings; ///< List of all known strings.
-	std::unordered_map<std::string_view, LangString *> name_to_string; ///< Lookup table for the strings.
+	std::vector<std::shared_ptr<LangString>> strings; ///< List of all known strings.
+	std::unordered_map<std::string, std::shared_ptr<LangString>> name_to_string; ///< Lookup table for the strings.
 	size_t tabs;          ///< The number of 'tabs' of strings.
 	size_t max_strings;   ///< The maximum number of strings.
 	size_t next_string_id;///< The next string ID to allocate.
 
 	StringData(size_t tabs);
 	void FreeTranslation();
-	void Add(std::unique_ptr<LangString> ls);
-	LangString *Find(const std::string_view s);
+	void Add(std::shared_ptr<LangString> ls);
+	LangString *Find(const std::string &s);
 	uint VersionHashStr(uint hash, const char *s) const;
 	uint Version() const;
 	uint CountInUse(uint tab) const;
diff --git a/src/strgen/strgen_base.cpp b/src/strgen/strgen_base.cpp
index d30c973f6a..b369415834 100644
--- a/src/strgen/strgen_base.cpp
+++ b/src/strgen/strgen_base.cpp
@@ -85,10 +85,10 @@ void StringData::FreeTranslation()
  * @param s  The name of the string.
  * @param ls The string to add.
  */
-void StringData::Add(std::unique_ptr<LangString> ls)
+void StringData::Add(std::shared_ptr<LangString> ls)
 {
-	this->name_to_string[ls->name] = ls.get();
-	this->strings[ls->index].swap(ls);
+	this->name_to_string[ls->name] = ls;
+	this->strings[ls->index] = std::move(ls);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -96,12 +96,12 @@ void StringData::Add(std::unique_ptr<LangString> ls)
  * @param s The string name to search on.
  * @return The LangString or nullptr if it is not known.
  */
-LangString *StringData::Find(const std::string_view s)
+LangString *StringData::Find(const std::string &s)
 {
 	auto it = this->name_to_string.find(s);
 	if (it == this->name_to_string.end()) return nullptr;
 
-	return it->second;
+	return it->second.get();
 }
 
 /**