diff --git a/src/cargo/util/interning.rs b/src/cargo/util/interning.rs
index 584fdf623821..4f43b2773747 100644
--- a/src/cargo/util/interning.rs
+++ b/src/cargo/util/interning.rs
@@ -12,10 +12,6 @@ use std::str;
 use std::sync::Mutex;
 use std::sync::OnceLock;
 
-fn leak(s: String) -> &'static str {
-    Box::leak(s.into_boxed_str())
-}
-
 static STRING_CACHE: OnceLock<Mutex<HashSet<&'static str>>> = OnceLock::new();
 
 #[derive(Clone, Copy)]
@@ -64,11 +60,11 @@ impl Eq for InternedString {}
 impl InternedString {
     pub fn new(str: &str) -> InternedString {
         let mut cache = STRING_CACHE
-            .get_or_init(|| Default::default())
+            .get_or_init(Default::default)
             .lock()
             .unwrap();
         let s = cache.get(str).cloned().unwrap_or_else(|| {
-            let s = leak(str.to_string());
+            let s = str.to_string().leak();
             cache.insert(s);
             s
         });