diff --git a/src/nuclide.cpp b/src/nuclide.cpp
index 0a0e400578..59c6311672 100644
--- a/src/nuclide.cpp
+++ b/src/nuclide.cpp
@@ -944,7 +944,7 @@ extern "C" int openmc_load_nuclide(const char* name, const double* temps, int n)
     // Get filename for library containing nuclide
     int idx = it->second;
     const auto& filename = data::libraries[idx].path_;
-    write_message(6, "Reading {} from {}", std::string{name}, filename);
+    write_message(6, "Reading {} from {}", name, filename);
 
     // Open file and make sure version is sufficient
     hid_t file_id = file_open(filename, 'r');
diff --git a/src/particle.cpp b/src/particle.cpp
index 3916eacba4..a983b66004 100644
--- a/src/particle.cpp
+++ b/src/particle.cpp
@@ -410,7 +410,7 @@ Particle::cross_surface()
   // TODO: off-by-one
   const auto& surf {model::surfaces[i_surface - 1].get()};
   if (settings::verbosity >= 10 || trace_) {
-    write_message(fmt::format("    Crossing surface {}", surf->id_));
+    write_message("    Crossing surface {}", surf->id_);
   }
 
   if (surf->bc_ == Surface::BoundaryType::VACUUM && (settings::run_mode != RunMode::PLOTTING)) {
@@ -437,7 +437,7 @@ Particle::cross_surface()
 
     // Display message
     if (settings::verbosity >= 10 || trace_) {
-      write_message(fmt::format("    Leaked out of surface {}", surf->id_));
+      write_message("    Leaked out of surface {}", surf->id_);
     }
     return;
 
@@ -502,7 +502,7 @@ Particle::cross_surface()
 
     // Diagnostic message
     if (settings::verbosity >= 10 || trace_) {
-      write_message(fmt::format("    Reflected from surface {}", surf->id_));
+      write_message("    Reflected from surface {}", surf->id_);
     }
     return;
 
@@ -556,8 +556,7 @@ Particle::cross_surface()
 
     // Diagnostic message
     if (settings::verbosity >= 10 || trace_) {
-      write_message(fmt::format("    Hit periodic boundary on surface {}",
-        surf->id_));
+      write_message("    Hit periodic boundary on surface {}", surf->id_);
     }
     return;
   }
diff --git a/src/simulation.cpp b/src/simulation.cpp
index def9cee5d7..c8115ae37d 100644
--- a/src/simulation.cpp
+++ b/src/simulation.cpp
@@ -501,7 +501,7 @@ void initialize_history(Particle& p, int64_t index_source)
 
   // Display message if high verbosity or trace is on
   if (settings::verbosity >= 9 || p.trace_) {
-    write_message(fmt::format("Simulating Particle {}", p.id_));
+    write_message("Simulating Particle {}", p.id_);
   }
 
   // Add paricle's starting weight to count for normalizing tallies later