diff --git a/src/builtins/fish_indent.rs b/src/builtins/fish_indent.rs
index bb48c7617..5d921d7c6 100644
--- a/src/builtins/fish_indent.rs
+++ b/src/builtins/fish_indent.rs
@@ -11,7 +11,8 @@
 use super::prelude::*;
 use crate::ast::{self, Ast, Kind, Leaf, Node, NodeVisitor, SourceRangeList, Traversal};
 use crate::common::{
-    PROGRAM_NAME, UnescapeFlags, UnescapeStringStyle, bytes2wcstring, unescape_string, wcs2bytes,
+    PROGRAM_NAME, UnescapeFlags, UnescapeStringStyle, bytes2wcstring, get_program_name,
+    unescape_string, wcs2bytes,
 };
 use crate::env::EnvStack;
 use crate::env::env_init;
@@ -960,7 +961,7 @@ enum OutputType {
             'v' => {
                 streams.out.appendln(wgettext_fmt!(
                     "%s, version %s",
-                    PROGRAM_NAME.get().unwrap(),
+                    get_program_name(),
                     crate::BUILD_VERSION
                 ));
                 return Ok(SUCCESS);
@@ -988,7 +989,7 @@ enum OutputType {
             if output_type == OutputType::File {
                 streams.err.appendln(wgettext_fmt!(
                     "Expected file path to read/write for -w:\n\n $ %s -w foo.fish",
-                    PROGRAM_NAME.get().unwrap()
+                    get_program_name()
                 ));
                 return Err(STATUS_CMD_ERROR);
             }
diff --git a/src/builtins/fish_key_reader.rs b/src/builtins/fish_key_reader.rs
index 8bfde4593..94f017352 100644
--- a/src/builtins/fish_key_reader.rs
+++ b/src/builtins/fish_key_reader.rs
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 
 use crate::{
     builtins::shared::BUILTIN_ERR_UNKNOWN,
-    common::{PROGRAM_NAME, bytes2wcstring, shell_modes},
+    common::{PROGRAM_NAME, bytes2wcstring, get_program_name, shell_modes},
     env::{EnvStack, Environment, env_init},
     future_feature_flags,
     input_common::{
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ fn parse_flags(
             'v' => {
                 streams.out.appendln(wgettext_fmt!(
                     "%s, version %s",
-                    PROGRAM_NAME.get().unwrap(),
+                    get_program_name(),
                     crate::BUILD_VERSION
                 ));
                 return ControlFlow::Break(Ok(SUCCESS));
diff --git a/src/builtins/status.rs b/src/builtins/status.rs
index 26481784a..40c565a32 100644
--- a/src/builtins/status.rs
+++ b/src/builtins/status.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 use std::os::unix::prelude::*;
 
 use super::prelude::*;
-use crate::common::{PROGRAM_NAME, bytes2wcstring};
+use crate::common::{bytes2wcstring, get_program_name};
 use crate::env::config_paths::get_fish_path;
 use crate::future_feature_flags::{self as features, feature_test};
 use crate::proc::{
@@ -708,7 +708,7 @@ pub fn status(parser: &Parser, streams: &mut IoStreams, args: &mut [&wstr]) -> B
                     if !command.is_empty() {
                         streams.out.appendln(command);
                     } else {
-                        streams.out.appendln(*PROGRAM_NAME.get().unwrap());
+                        streams.out.appendln(get_program_name());
                     }
                 }
                 STATUS_CURRENT_COMMANDLINE => {
diff --git a/src/builtins/test.rs b/src/builtins/test.rs
index 9d8a544be..5834e1f70 100644
--- a/src/builtins/test.rs
+++ b/src/builtins/test.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 use super::prelude::*;
-use crate::common;
 use crate::future_feature_flags::{FeatureFlag, feature_test};
 use crate::should_flog;
 
diff --git a/src/common.rs b/src/common.rs
index 90d2b7c9d..d8637c826 100644
--- a/src/common.rs
+++ b/src/common.rs
@@ -1062,6 +1062,10 @@ pub fn get_obfuscation_read_char() -> char {
 /// Name of the current program. Should be set at startup. Used by the debug function.
 pub static PROGRAM_NAME: OnceCell<&'static wstr> = OnceCell::new();
 
+pub fn get_program_name() -> &'static wstr {
+    PROGRAM_NAME.get().unwrap()
+}
+
 /// MS Windows tty devices do not currently have either a read or write timestamp - those respective
 /// fields of `struct stat` are always set to the current time, which means we can't rely on them.
 /// In this case, we assume no external program has written to the terminal behind our back, making
diff --git a/src/env/config_paths.rs b/src/env/config_paths.rs
index 7776a97cc..45ed91542 100644
--- a/src/env/config_paths.rs
+++ b/src/env/config_paths.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-use crate::common::{BUILD_DIR, PROGRAM_NAME};
+use crate::common::{BUILD_DIR, get_program_name};
 use crate::{FLOG, FLOGF};
 use fish_build_helper::workspace_root;
 use once_cell::sync::OnceCell;
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ pub fn get_fish_path() -> &'static PathBuf {
 
 fn compute_fish_path() -> PathBuf {
     let Ok(path) = std::env::current_exe() else {
-        assert!(PROGRAM_NAME.get().unwrap() == "fish");
+        assert!(get_program_name() == "fish");
         return PathBuf::from("fish");
     };
     assert!(path.is_absolute());
diff --git a/src/panic.rs b/src/panic.rs
index e0638fb4b..f0b76927e 100644
--- a/src/panic.rs
+++ b/src/panic.rs
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 use once_cell::sync::OnceCell;
 
 use crate::{
-    common::{PROGRAM_NAME, read_blocked},
+    common::{get_program_name, read_blocked},
     nix::isatty,
     threads::{asan_maybe_exit, is_main_thread},
 };
@@ -34,10 +34,7 @@ pub fn panic_handler(main: impl FnOnce() -> i32 + UnwindSafe) -> ! {
             if let Some(at_exit) = AT_EXIT.get() {
                 (at_exit)();
             }
-            eprintf!(
-                "%s crashed, please report a bug.",
-                PROGRAM_NAME.get().unwrap(),
-            );
+            eprintf!("%s crashed, please report a bug.", get_program_name());
             if !is_main_thread() {
                 eprintf!("\n");
                 std::thread::sleep(Duration::from_secs(1));
diff --git a/src/reader.rs b/src/reader.rs
index c5c58a9e2..0a1a9f2b2 100644
--- a/src/reader.rs
+++ b/src/reader.rs
@@ -54,9 +54,9 @@
 use crate::builtins::shared::STATUS_CMD_OK;
 use crate::common::ScopeGuarding;
 use crate::common::{
-    EscapeFlags, EscapeStringStyle, PROGRAM_NAME, ScopeGuard, UTF8_BOM_WCHAR, bytes2wcstring,
-    escape, escape_string, exit_without_destructors, get_ellipsis_char, get_obfuscation_read_char,
-    restore_term_foreground_process_group_for_exit, shell_modes, write_loop,
+    EscapeFlags, EscapeStringStyle, ScopeGuard, UTF8_BOM_WCHAR, bytes2wcstring, escape,
+    escape_string, exit_without_destructors, get_ellipsis_char, get_obfuscation_read_char,
+    get_program_name, restore_term_foreground_process_group_for_exit, shell_modes, write_loop,
 };
 use crate::complete::{
     CompleteFlags, Completion, CompletionList, CompletionRequestOptions, complete, complete_load,
@@ -306,7 +306,7 @@ pub fn terminal_init(vars: &dyn Environment, inputfd: RawFd) -> InputEventQueue
                 break;
             }
             CharEvent::QueryResult(Timeout) => {
-                let program = PROGRAM_NAME.get().unwrap();
+                let program = get_program_name();
                 FLOG!(
                     warning,
                     wgettext_fmt!(
@@ -5875,13 +5875,11 @@ fn reader_run_command(parser: &Parser, cmd: &wstr) -> EvalRes {
     term_steal(eval_res.status.is_success());
 
     // Provide value for `status current-command`
-    parser.libdata_mut().status_vars.command = (*PROGRAM_NAME.get().unwrap()).to_owned();
+    parser.libdata_mut().status_vars.command = get_program_name().to_owned();
     // Also provide a value for the deprecated fish 2.0 $_ variable
-    parser.vars().set_one(
-        L!("_"),
-        EnvMode::GLOBAL,
-        (*PROGRAM_NAME.get().unwrap()).to_owned(),
-    );
+    parser
+        .vars()
+        .set_one(L!("_"), EnvMode::GLOBAL, get_program_name().to_owned());
     // Provide value for `status current-commandline`
     parser.libdata_mut().status_vars.commandline = L!("").to_owned();