diff --git a/core/os/os_darwin.odin b/core/os/os_darwin.odin
index a011fa58a..1f7e21723 100644
--- a/core/os/os_darwin.odin
+++ b/core/os/os_darwin.odin
@@ -344,9 +344,8 @@ get_last_error_string :: proc() -> string {
 }
 
 open :: proc(path: string, flags: int = O_RDWR, mode: int = 0) -> (Handle, Errno) {
-	cstr := strings.clone_to_cstring(path)
+	cstr := strings.clone_to_cstring(path, context.temp_allocator)
 	handle := _unix_open(cstr, i32(flags), u16(mode))
-	delete(cstr)
 	if handle == -1 {
 		return INVALID_HANDLE, 1
 	}
diff --git a/core/os/os_freebsd.odin b/core/os/os_freebsd.odin
index 82317532d..3f5174c1b 100644
--- a/core/os/os_freebsd.odin
+++ b/core/os/os_freebsd.odin
@@ -267,9 +267,8 @@ get_last_error :: proc() -> int {
 }
 
 open :: proc(path: string, flags: int = O_RDONLY, mode: int = 0) -> (Handle, Errno) {
-	cstr := strings.clone_to_cstring(path);
+	cstr := strings.clone_to_cstring(path, context.temp_allocator);
 	handle := _unix_open(cstr, c.int(flags), c.int(mode));
-	delete(cstr);
 	if handle == -1 {
 		return INVALID_HANDLE, Errno(get_last_error());
 	}
@@ -342,9 +341,7 @@ last_write_time_by_name :: proc(name: string) -> (File_Time, Errno) {
 }
 
 stat :: proc(path: string) -> (OS_Stat, Errno) {
-	cstr := strings.clone_to_cstring(path);
-	defer delete(cstr);
-
+	cstr := strings.clone_to_cstring(path, context.temp_allocator);
 	s: OS_Stat;
 	result := _unix_stat(cstr, &s);
 	if result == -1 {
@@ -363,8 +360,7 @@ fstat :: proc(fd: Handle) -> (OS_Stat, Errno) {
 }
 
 access :: proc(path: string, mask: int) -> (bool, Errno) {
-	cstr := strings.clone_to_cstring(path);
-	defer delete(cstr);
+	cstr := strings.clone_to_cstring(path, context.temp_allocator);
 	result := _unix_access(cstr, c.int(mask));
 	if result == -1 {
 		return false, Errno(get_last_error());
@@ -388,8 +384,7 @@ heap_free :: proc(ptr: rawptr) {
 }
 
 getenv :: proc(name: string) -> (string, bool) {
-	path_str := strings.clone_to_cstring(name);
-	defer delete(path_str);
+	path_str := strings.clone_to_cstring(name, context.temp_allocator);
 	cstr := _unix_getenv(path_str);
 	if cstr == nil {
 		return "", false;
@@ -432,15 +427,13 @@ current_thread_id :: proc "contextless" () -> int {
 }
 
 dlopen :: proc(filename: string, flags: int) -> rawptr {
-	cstr := strings.clone_to_cstring(filename);
-	defer delete(cstr);
+	cstr := strings.clone_to_cstring(filename, context.temp_allocator);
 	handle := _unix_dlopen(cstr, c.int(flags));
 	return handle;
 }
 dlsym :: proc(handle: rawptr, symbol: string) -> rawptr {
 	assert(handle != nil);
-	cstr := strings.clone_to_cstring(symbol);
-	defer delete(cstr);
+	cstr := strings.clone_to_cstring(symbol, context.temp_allocator);
 	proc_handle := _unix_dlsym(handle, cstr);
 	return proc_handle;
 }
diff --git a/core/os/os_linux.odin b/core/os/os_linux.odin
index 4edfa46da..200d6d68d 100644
--- a/core/os/os_linux.odin
+++ b/core/os/os_linux.odin
@@ -460,9 +460,8 @@ fork :: proc() -> (Pid, Errno) {
 }
 
 open :: proc(path: string, flags: int = O_RDONLY, mode: int = 0) -> (Handle, Errno) {
-	cstr := strings.clone_to_cstring(path)
+	cstr := strings.clone_to_cstring(path, context.temp_allocator)
 	handle := _unix_open(cstr, flags, mode)
-	defer delete(cstr)
 	if handle < 0 {
 		return INVALID_HANDLE, _get_errno(int(handle))
 	}
@@ -610,8 +609,7 @@ last_write_time_by_name :: proc(name: string) -> (File_Time, Errno) {
 
 @private
 _stat :: proc(path: string) -> (OS_Stat, Errno) {
-	cstr := strings.clone_to_cstring(path)
-	defer delete(cstr)
+	cstr := strings.clone_to_cstring(path, context.temp_allocator)
 
 	// deliberately uninitialized; the syscall fills this buffer for us
 	s: OS_Stat = ---
@@ -624,8 +622,7 @@ _stat :: proc(path: string) -> (OS_Stat, Errno) {
 
 @private
 _lstat :: proc(path: string) -> (OS_Stat, Errno) {
-	cstr := strings.clone_to_cstring(path)
-	defer delete(cstr)
+	cstr := strings.clone_to_cstring(path, context.temp_allocator)
 
 	// deliberately uninitialized; the syscall fills this buffer for us
 	s: OS_Stat = ---
@@ -692,8 +689,7 @@ _readdir :: proc(dirp: Dir) -> (entry: Dirent, err: Errno, end_of_stream: bool)
 
 @private
 _readlink :: proc(path: string) -> (string, Errno) {
-	path_cstr := strings.clone_to_cstring(path)
-	defer delete(path_cstr)
+	path_cstr := strings.clone_to_cstring(path, context.temp_allocator)
 
 	bufsz : uint = 256
 	buf := make([]byte, bufsz)
@@ -729,8 +725,7 @@ absolute_path_from_relative :: proc(rel: string) -> (path: string, err: Errno) {
 		rel = "."
 	}
 
-	rel_cstr := strings.clone_to_cstring(rel)
-	defer delete(rel_cstr)
+	rel_cstr := strings.clone_to_cstring(rel, context.temp_allocator)
 
 	path_ptr := _unix_realpath(rel_cstr, nil)
 	if path_ptr == nil {
@@ -745,8 +740,7 @@ absolute_path_from_relative :: proc(rel: string) -> (path: string, err: Errno) {
 }
 
 access :: proc(path: string, mask: int) -> (bool, Errno) {
-	cstr := strings.clone_to_cstring(path)
-	defer delete(cstr)
+	cstr := strings.clone_to_cstring(path, context.temp_allocator)
 	result := _unix_access(cstr, mask)
 	if result < 0 {
 		return false, _get_errno(result)
@@ -770,8 +764,7 @@ heap_free :: proc(ptr: rawptr) {
 }
 
 getenv :: proc(name: string) -> (string, bool) {
-	path_str := strings.clone_to_cstring(name)
-	defer delete(path_str)
+	path_str := strings.clone_to_cstring(name, context.temp_allocator)
 	cstr := _unix_getenv(path_str)
 	if cstr == nil {
 		return "", false
@@ -817,15 +810,13 @@ current_thread_id :: proc "contextless" () -> int {
 }
 
 dlopen :: proc(filename: string, flags: int) -> rawptr {
-	cstr := strings.clone_to_cstring(filename)
-	defer delete(cstr)
+	cstr := strings.clone_to_cstring(filename, context.temp_allocator)
 	handle := _unix_dlopen(cstr, c.int(flags))
 	return handle
 }
 dlsym :: proc(handle: rawptr, symbol: string) -> rawptr {
 	assert(handle != nil)
-	cstr := strings.clone_to_cstring(symbol)
-	defer delete(cstr)
+	cstr := strings.clone_to_cstring(symbol, context.temp_allocator)
 	proc_handle := _unix_dlsym(handle, cstr)
 	return proc_handle
 }
diff --git a/core/sys/darwin/xnu_system_call_helpers.odin b/core/sys/darwin/xnu_system_call_helpers.odin
index 5b060cfd3..94fe0bf47 100644
--- a/core/sys/darwin/xnu_system_call_helpers.odin
+++ b/core/sys/darwin/xnu_system_call_helpers.odin
@@ -91,8 +91,7 @@ sys_open :: proc(path: string, oflag: Open_Flags, mode: Permission) -> (c.int, b
 	
 	cmode: u32 = 0
 	cflags: u32 = 0
-	cpath: cstring = strings.clone_to_cstring(path)
-	defer delete(cpath)
+	cpath: cstring = strings.clone_to_cstring(path, context.temp_allocator)
 
 	cflags = _sys_permission_mode(mode)
 
@@ -124,39 +123,32 @@ sys_open :: proc(path: string, oflag: Open_Flags, mode: Permission) -> (c.int, b
 }
 
 sys_mkdir :: proc(path: string, mode: Permission) -> bool {
-	cpath: cstring = strings.clone_to_cstring(path)
-	defer delete(cpath)
+	cpath: cstring = strings.clone_to_cstring(path, context.temp_allocator)
 	cflags := _sys_permission_mode(mode)
 	return syscall_mkdir(cpath, cflags) != -1
 }
 
 sys_mkdir_at :: proc(fd: c.int, path: string, mode: Permission) -> bool {
-	cpath: cstring = strings.clone_to_cstring(path)
-	defer delete(cpath)
+	cpath: cstring = strings.clone_to_cstring(path, context.temp_allocator)
 	cflags := _sys_permission_mode(mode)
 	return syscall_mkdir_at(fd, cpath, cflags) != -1
 }
 
 sys_rmdir :: proc(path: string, mode: Permission) -> bool {
-	cpath: cstring = strings.clone_to_cstring(path)
-	defer delete(cpath)
+	cpath: cstring = strings.clone_to_cstring(path, context.temp_allocator)
 	cflags := _sys_permission_mode(mode)
 	return syscall_rmdir(cpath, cflags) != -1
 }
 
 sys_rename :: proc(path: string, new_path: string) -> bool {
-	cpath: cstring = strings.clone_to_cstring(path)
-	defer delete(cpath)
-	cnpath: cstring = strings.clone_to_cstring(new_path)
-	defer delete(cnpath)
+	cpath: cstring = strings.clone_to_cstring(path, context.temp_allocator)
+	cnpath: cstring = strings.clone_to_cstring(new_path, context.temp_allocator)
 	return syscall_rename(cpath, cnpath) != -1
 }
 
 sys_rename_at :: proc(fd: c.int, path: string, to_fd: c.int, new_path: string) -> bool {
-	cpath: cstring = strings.clone_to_cstring(path)
-	defer delete(cpath)
-	cnpath: cstring = strings.clone_to_cstring(new_path)
-	defer delete(cnpath)
+	cpath: cstring = strings.clone_to_cstring(path, context.temp_allocator)
+	cnpath: cstring = strings.clone_to_cstring(new_path, context.temp_allocator)
 	return syscall_rename_at(fd, cpath, to_fd, cnpath) != -1
 }
 
@@ -165,14 +157,12 @@ sys_lseek :: proc(fd: c.int, offset: i64, whence: Offset_From) -> i64 {
 }
 
 sys_chmod :: proc(path: string, mode: Permission) -> bool {
-	cpath: cstring = strings.clone_to_cstring(path)
-	defer delete(cpath)
+	cpath: cstring = strings.clone_to_cstring(path, context.temp_allocator)
 	cmode := _sys_permission_mode(mode)
 	return syscall_chmod(cpath, cmode) != -1
 }
 
 sys_lstat :: proc(path: string, status: ^stat) -> bool {
-	cpath: cstring = strings.clone_to_cstring(path)
-	defer delete(cpath)
+	cpath: cstring = strings.clone_to_cstring(path, context.temp_allocator)
 	return syscall_lstat(cpath, status) != -1
 }