diff --git a/src/builtins/history.rs b/src/builtins/history.rs
index 8f99a518b..04158f4d0 100644
--- a/src/builtins/history.rs
+++ b/src/builtins/history.rs
@@ -307,8 +307,8 @@ pub fn history(parser: &Parser, streams: &mut IoStreams, args: &mut [&wstr]) ->
                 return STATUS_INVALID_ARGS;
             }
 
-            for &delete_string in args {
-                history.remove(delete_string.to_owned());
+            for delete_string in args {
+                history.remove(delete_string);
             }
         }
         HistCmd::HIST_CLEAR => {
diff --git a/src/history.rs b/src/history.rs
index e94a8e830..63910b885 100644
--- a/src/history.rs
+++ b/src/history.rs
@@ -1015,9 +1015,9 @@ fn is_empty(&mut self) -> bool {
     }
 
     /// Remove a history item.
-    fn remove(&mut self, str_to_remove: WString) {
+    fn remove(&mut self, str_to_remove: &wstr) {
         // Add to our list of deleted items.
-        self.deleted_items.insert(str_to_remove.clone(), false);
+        self.deleted_items.insert(str_to_remove.to_owned(), false);
 
         for idx in (0..self.new_items.len()).rev() {
             let matched = self.new_items[idx].str() == str_to_remove;
@@ -1528,7 +1528,7 @@ pub fn is_empty(&self) -> bool {
     }
 
     /// Remove a history item.
-    pub fn remove(&self, s: WString) {
+    pub fn remove(&self, s: &wstr) {
         self.imp().remove(s)
     }
 
diff --git a/src/reader.rs b/src/reader.rs
index 32f7fe097..4bce967db 100644
--- a/src/reader.rs
+++ b/src/reader.rs
@@ -2566,8 +2566,7 @@ fn handle_readline_command(&mut self, c: ReadlineCmd) {
             rl::HistoryPagerDelete => {
                 // Also applies to ordinary history search.
                 if !self.history_search.is_at_end() {
-                    self.history
-                        .remove(self.history_search.current_result().to_owned());
+                    self.history.remove(self.history_search.current_result());
                     self.history.save();
                     self.history_search.handle_deletion();
                     self.update_command_line_from_history_search();
@@ -2582,7 +2581,7 @@ fn handle_readline_command(&mut self, c: ReadlineCmd) {
                 if let Some(completion) =
                     self.pager.selected_completion(&self.current_page_rendering)
                 {
-                    self.history.remove(completion.completion.clone());
+                    self.history.remove(&completion.completion);
                     self.history.save();
                     self.fill_history_pager(
                         HistoryPagerInvocation::Refresh,
diff --git a/src/tests/history.rs b/src/tests/history.rs
index 543875250..8b27f418a 100644
--- a/src/tests/history.rs
+++ b/src/tests/history.rs
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ macro_rules! test_history_matches {
     // Test item removal case-sensitive.
     let mut searcher = HistorySearch::new(history.clone(), L!("Alpha").to_owned());
     test_history_matches!(searcher, vec![L!("Alpha")]);
-    history.remove(L!("Alpha").to_owned());
+    history.remove(L!("Alpha"));
     let mut searcher = HistorySearch::new(history.clone(), L!("Alpha").to_owned());
     test_history_matches!(searcher, vec![]);