diff --git a/rust/onnxruntime/src/environment.rs b/rust/onnxruntime/src/environment.rs
index fcc5d90d6da25..68baf44cc5f37 100644
--- a/rust/onnxruntime/src/environment.rs
+++ b/rust/onnxruntime/src/environment.rs
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ lazy_static! {
 
 #[derive(Debug)]
 pub(crate) struct EnvironmentSingleton {
-    name: String,
+    name: Option<CString>,
     pub(crate) env_ptr: *mut sys::OrtEnv,
 }
 
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ impl Drop for EnvironmentSingleton {
 impl Default for EnvironmentSingleton {
     fn default() -> Self {
         EnvironmentSingleton {
-            name: String::from("uninitialized"),
+            name: None,
             env_ptr: std::ptr::null_mut(),
         }
     }
@@ -88,7 +88,15 @@ impl Environment {
     /// Return the name of the current environment
     #[must_use]
     pub fn name(&self) -> String {
-        self.env.lock().unwrap().name.to_string()
+        self.env
+            .lock()
+            .unwrap()
+            .name
+            .as_ref()
+            .unwrap()
+            .to_str()
+            .unwrap()
+            .to_string()
     }
 
     pub(crate) fn env(&self) -> Arc<Mutex<EnvironmentSingleton>> {
@@ -96,7 +104,7 @@ impl Environment {
     }
 
     #[tracing::instrument]
-    fn new(name: String, log_level: LoggingLevel) -> Result<Environment> {
+    fn new(name: &str, log_level: LoggingLevel) -> Result<Environment> {
         // NOTE: Because 'G_ENV' is a lazy_static, locking it will, initially, create
         //      a new Arc<Mutex<EnvironmentSingleton>> with a strong count of 1.
         //      Cloning it to embed it inside the 'Environment' to return
@@ -114,7 +122,7 @@ impl Environment {
             // FIXME: What should go here?
             let logger_param: *mut std::ffi::c_void = std::ptr::null_mut();
 
-            let cname = CString::new(name.clone()).unwrap();
+            let cname = CString::new(name).unwrap();
 
             let create_env_with_custom_logger = g_ort().CreateEnvWithCustomLogger.unwrap();
             let status = {
@@ -137,7 +145,7 @@ impl Environment {
             );
 
             *g_env_ptr = env_ptr;
-            environment_guard.name = name;
+            environment_guard.name = Some(cname);
 
             // NOTE: Cloning the lazy_static 'G_ENV' will increase its strong count by one.
             //       If this 'Environment' is the only one in the process, the strong count
@@ -147,7 +155,7 @@ impl Environment {
             Ok(Environment { env: G_ENV.clone() })
         } else {
             warn!(
-                name = environment_guard.name.as_str(),
+                name = environment_guard.name.as_ref().unwrap().to_str().unwrap(),
                 env_ptr = format!("{:?}", environment_guard.env_ptr).as_str(),
                 "Environment already initialized, reusing it.",
             );
@@ -239,7 +247,7 @@ impl EnvBuilder {
 
     /// Commit the configuration to a new [`Environment`](environment/struct.Environment.html)
     pub fn build(self) -> Result<Environment> {
-        Environment::new(self.name, self.log_level)
+        Environment::new(&self.name, self.log_level)
     }
 }
 
@@ -324,13 +332,12 @@ mod tests {
     fn concurrent_environment_creations() {
         let _concurrent_run_lock_guard = CONCURRENT_TEST_RUN.single_test_run();
 
-        let initial_name = String::from("concurrent_environment_creation");
-        let main_env = Environment::new(initial_name.clone(), LoggingLevel::Warning).unwrap();
+        let initial_name = "concurrent_environment_creation";
+        let main_env = Environment::new(initial_name, LoggingLevel::Warning).unwrap();
         let main_env_ptr = main_env.env().lock().unwrap().env_ptr as usize;
 
         let children: Vec<_> = (0..10)
             .map(|t| {
-                let initial_name_cloned = initial_name.clone();
                 std::thread::spawn(move || {
                     let name = format!("concurrent_environment_creation: {}", t);
                     let env = Environment::builder()
@@ -339,7 +346,7 @@ mod tests {
                         .build()
                         .unwrap();
 
-                    assert_eq!(env.name(), initial_name_cloned);
+                    assert_eq!(env.name(), initial_name.to_string());
                     assert_eq!(env.env().lock().unwrap().env_ptr as usize, main_env_ptr);
                 })
             })