diff --git a/helix-loader/src/persistence.rs b/helix-loader/src/persistence.rs
index 926e0d4da..73e9d05bb 100644
--- a/helix-loader/src/persistence.rs
+++ b/helix-loader/src/persistence.rs
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ use std::{
     path::PathBuf,
 };
 
-pub fn push_history<T: Serialize>(filepath: PathBuf, entry: T) {
+pub fn push_history<T: Serialize>(filepath: PathBuf, entry: &T) {
     let file = OpenOptions::new()
         .append(true)
         .create(true)
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ pub fn push_history<T: Serialize>(filepath: PathBuf, entry: T) {
         .unwrap();
 
     // TODO: do something about this unwrap
-    serialize_into(file, &entry).unwrap();
+    serialize_into(file, entry).unwrap();
 }
 
 pub fn read_history<T: for<'a> Deserialize<'a>>(filepath: PathBuf) -> Vec<T> {
diff --git a/helix-view/src/editor.rs b/helix-view/src/editor.rs
index 906dc4fa4..9c65f08e6 100644
--- a/helix-view/src/editor.rs
+++ b/helix-view/src/editor.rs
@@ -1765,7 +1765,11 @@ impl Editor {
             // We need to persist ViewPositions on documents a la PR #7568, then fetch that here.
             if doc.selections().contains_key(&id) {
                 if let Some(path) = doc.path() {
-                    file_locs.push((path.clone(), offset, doc.selection(id).clone()));
+                    file_locs.push(FileHistoryEntry::new(
+                        path.clone(),
+                        offset,
+                        doc.selection(id).clone(),
+                    ));
                 }
             }
 
@@ -1774,13 +1778,9 @@ impl Editor {
         }
 
         for loc in file_locs {
-            // TODO: can the arg here be a reference? would save cloning
-            persistence::push_file_history(FileHistoryEntry::new(
-                loc.0.clone(),
-                loc.1,
-                loc.2.clone(),
-            ));
-            self.old_file_locs.insert(loc.0, (loc.1, loc.2));
+            persistence::push_file_history(&loc);
+            self.old_file_locs
+                .insert(loc.path, (loc.view_position, loc.selection));
         }
 
         self.tree.remove(id);
@@ -1820,7 +1820,11 @@ impl Editor {
 
                 if view.doc == doc_id {
                     if let Some(path) = doc.path() {
-                        file_locs.push((path.clone(), view.offset, doc.selection(view.id).clone()));
+                        file_locs.push(FileHistoryEntry::new(
+                            path.clone(),
+                            view.offset,
+                            doc.selection(view.id).clone(),
+                        ));
                     };
 
                     // something was previously open in the view, switch to previous doc
@@ -1837,13 +1841,9 @@ impl Editor {
             .collect();
 
         for loc in file_locs {
-            // TODO: can the arg here be a reference? would save cloning
-            persistence::push_file_history(FileHistoryEntry::new(
-                loc.0.clone(),
-                loc.1,
-                loc.2.clone(),
-            ));
-            self.old_file_locs.insert(loc.0, (loc.1, loc.2));
+            persistence::push_file_history(&loc);
+            self.old_file_locs
+                .insert(loc.path, (loc.view_position, loc.selection));
         }
 
         for action in actions {
diff --git a/helix-view/src/persistence.rs b/helix-view/src/persistence.rs
index d4a00cf04..bb02d7714 100644
--- a/helix-view/src/persistence.rs
+++ b/helix-view/src/persistence.rs
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ impl FileHistoryEntry {
     }
 }
 
-pub fn push_file_history(entry: FileHistoryEntry) {
+pub fn push_file_history(entry: &FileHistoryEntry) {
     push_history(file_histfile(), entry)
 }
 
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ pub fn read_file_history() -> Vec<FileHistoryEntry> {
     read_history(file_histfile())
 }
 
-pub fn push_reg_history(register: char, line: &str) {
+pub fn push_reg_history(register: char, line: &String) {
     let filepath = match register {
         ':' => command_histfile(),
         '/' => search_histfile(),