diff --git a/src/emu/diimage.cpp b/src/emu/diimage.cpp
index 04c18a17dde..e163f420de4 100644
--- a/src/emu/diimage.cpp
+++ b/src/emu/diimage.cpp
@@ -1018,7 +1018,7 @@ bool device_image_interface::schedule_postload_hard_reset_if_needed()
 //  load - load an image into MAME
 //-------------------------------------------------
 
-image_init_result device_image_interface::load(const char *path)
+image_init_result device_image_interface::load(const std::string &path)
 {
 	return load_internal(path, false, 0, nullptr, false);
 }
diff --git a/src/emu/diimage.h b/src/emu/diimage.h
index 6ac5f3214b3..81a079e50a7 100644
--- a/src/emu/diimage.h
+++ b/src/emu/diimage.h
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ public:
 	const formatlist_type &formatlist() const { return m_formatlist; }
 
 	// loads an image file
-	image_init_result load(const char *path);
+	image_init_result load(const std::string &path);
 
 	// loads a softlist item by name
 	image_init_result load_software(const std::string &softlist_name);
diff --git a/src/emu/image.cpp b/src/emu/image.cpp
index 7d7f8f6b359..c218cc1d65e 100644
--- a/src/emu/image.cpp
+++ b/src/emu/image.cpp
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ image_manager::image_manager(running_machine &machine)
 			// try to load this image
 			image_init_result result = is_softlist_part
 				? image.load_software(image_name)
-				: image.load(image_name.c_str());
+				: image.load(image_name);
 
 			// did the image load fail?
 			if (result != image_init_result::PASS)
diff --git a/src/frontend/mame/ui/floppycntrl.cpp b/src/frontend/mame/ui/floppycntrl.cpp
index b086be8709e..d18da1aee92 100644
--- a/src/frontend/mame/ui/floppycntrl.cpp
+++ b/src/frontend/mame/ui/floppycntrl.cpp
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ void menu_control_floppy_image::do_load_create()
 		}
 		fd->setup_write(output_format);
 	} else {
-		image_init_result err = fd->load(input_filename.c_str());
+		image_init_result err = fd->load(input_filename);
 		if ((err == image_init_result::PASS) && (output_filename.compare("") != 0))
 			err = fd->reopen_for_write(output_filename.c_str()) ? image_init_result::FAIL : image_init_result::PASS;
 		if (err != image_init_result::PASS) {
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ void menu_control_floppy_image::do_load_create()
 	}
 }
 
-void menu_control_floppy_image::hook_load(std::string filename, bool softlist)
+void menu_control_floppy_image::hook_load(const std::string &filename, bool softlist)
 {
 	if (softlist)
 	{
diff --git a/src/frontend/mame/ui/floppycntrl.h b/src/frontend/mame/ui/floppycntrl.h
index b32af471b2a..b935ef44934 100644
--- a/src/frontend/mame/ui/floppycntrl.h
+++ b/src/frontend/mame/ui/floppycntrl.h
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ private:
 	virtual void handle() override;
 
 	void do_load_create();
-	virtual void hook_load(std::string filename, bool softlist) override;
+	virtual void hook_load(const std::string &filename, bool softlist) override;
 };
 
 } // namespace ui
diff --git a/src/frontend/mame/ui/imgcntrl.cpp b/src/frontend/mame/ui/imgcntrl.cpp
index 1812977c9bf..2cedb40a828 100644
--- a/src/frontend/mame/ui/imgcntrl.cpp
+++ b/src/frontend/mame/ui/imgcntrl.cpp
@@ -153,10 +153,10 @@ void menu_control_device_image::load_software_part()
 //  hook_load
 //-------------------------------------------------
 
-void menu_control_device_image::hook_load(std::string name, bool softlist)
+void menu_control_device_image::hook_load(const std::string &name, bool softlist)
 {
 	if (m_image.is_reset_on_load()) m_image.set_init_phase();
-	m_image.load(name.c_str());
+	m_image.load(name);
 	stack_pop();
 }
 
diff --git a/src/frontend/mame/ui/imgcntrl.h b/src/frontend/mame/ui/imgcntrl.h
index e93d09ccc2e..7b45ec5cbe0 100644
--- a/src/frontend/mame/ui/imgcntrl.h
+++ b/src/frontend/mame/ui/imgcntrl.h
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ protected:
 	bool                            m_create_ok;
 
 	// methods
-	virtual void hook_load(std::string filename, bool softlist);
+	virtual void hook_load(const std::string &filename, bool softlist);
 	virtual void handle() override;
 
 private: