diff --git a/src/indexer.cc b/src/indexer.cc
index c030de12..c2f86e95 100644
--- a/src/indexer.cc
+++ b/src/indexer.cc
@@ -434,6 +434,25 @@ std::string GetDocumentContentInRange(CXTranslationUnit cx_tu,
   return result;
 }
 
+void SetUsePreflight(IndexFile* db, ClangCursor lex_parent) {
+  switch (GetSymbolKind(lex_parent.get_kind())) {
+  default:
+    break;
+  case SymbolKind::Func: {
+    (void)db->ToFuncId(lex_parent.cx_cursor);
+    break;
+  }
+  case SymbolKind::Type: {
+    (void)db->ToTypeId(lex_parent.cx_cursor);
+    break;
+  }
+  case SymbolKind::Var: {
+    (void)db->ToVarId(lex_parent.cx_cursor);
+    break;
+  }
+  }
+}
+
 void SetUse(IndexFile* db, Maybe<Use>* def, Range range, ClangCursor lex_parent, Role role) {
   switch (GetSymbolKind(lex_parent.get_kind())) {
   default:
@@ -561,8 +580,8 @@ void SetVarDetail(IndexVar* var,
     def.detailed_name = param->PrettyPrintCursor(cursor.cx_cursor, false);
     def.hover = std::move(qualified_name);
 #else
-    def.detailed_name = std::move(type_name);
-    ConcatTypeAndName(def.detailed_name, qualified_name);
+    ConcatTypeAndName(type_name, qualified_name);
+    def.detailed_name = type_name;
     // Append the textual initializer, bit field, constructor to |hover|.
     // Omit |hover| for these types:
     // int (*a)(); int (&a)(); int (&&a)(); int a[1]; auto x = ...
@@ -580,7 +599,7 @@ void SetVarDetail(IndexVar* var,
       optional<int> spell_end = fc.ToOffset(cursor.get_spelling_range().end);
       optional<int> extent_end = fc.ToOffset(cursor.get_extent().end);
       if (extent_end && *spell_end < *extent_end)
-        def.hover = def.detailed_name +
+        def.hover = std::string(def.detailed_name.c_str()) +
                     fc.content.substr(*spell_end, *extent_end - *spell_end);
     }
 #endif
@@ -1210,21 +1229,22 @@ ClangCursor::VisitResult VisitMacroDefinitionAndExpansions(ClangCursor cursor,
       else
         decl_usr = cursor.get_referenced().get_usr_hash();
 
+      SetUsePreflight(db, parent);
       IndexVar* var_def = db->Resolve(db->ToVarId(decl_usr));
       if (cursor.get_kind() == CXCursor_MacroDefinition) {
         CXSourceRange cx_extent = clang_getCursorExtent(cursor.cx_cursor);
         var_def->def.detailed_name = cursor.get_display_name();
         var_def->def.short_name_offset = 0;
-        var_def->def.short_name_size = int(var_def->def.detailed_name.size());
+        var_def->def.short_name_size =
+            int16_t(strlen(var_def->def.detailed_name.c_str()));
         var_def->def.hover =
             "#define " + GetDocumentContentInRange(param->tu->cx_tu, cx_extent);
         var_def->def.kind = ClangSymbolKind::Macro;
         var_def->def.comments = cursor.get_comments();
-        ClangCursor lex_parent;
-        SetUse(db, &var_def->def.spell, decl_loc_spelling, lex_parent,
+        SetUse(db, &var_def->def.spell, decl_loc_spelling, parent,
                Role::Definition);
         SetUse(db, &var_def->def.extent,
-               ResolveCXSourceRange(cx_extent, nullptr), lex_parent, Role::None);
+               ResolveCXSourceRange(cx_extent, nullptr), parent, Role::None);
       } else
         UniqueAddUse(db, var_def->uses, decl_loc_spelling, parent);
 
@@ -1257,6 +1277,7 @@ ClangCursor::VisitResult TemplateVisitor(ClangCursor cursor,
     case CXCursor_DeclRefExpr: {
       ClangCursor ref_cursor = clang_getCursorReferenced(cursor.cx_cursor);
       if (ref_cursor.get_kind() == CXCursor_NonTypeTemplateParameter) {
+        SetUsePreflight(db, parent);
         IndexVar* ref_var =
             db->Resolve(db->ToVarId(ref_cursor.get_usr_hash()));
         if (ref_var->def.detailed_name.empty()) {
@@ -1305,6 +1326,7 @@ ClangCursor::VisitResult TemplateVisitor(ClangCursor cursor,
     case CXCursor_TemplateRef: {
       ClangCursor ref_cursor = clang_getCursorReferenced(cursor.cx_cursor);
       if (ref_cursor.get_kind() == CXCursor_TemplateTemplateParameter) {
+        SetUsePreflight(db, parent);
         IndexType* ref_index =
             db->Resolve(db->ToTypeId(ref_cursor.get_usr_hash()));
         // TODO It seems difficult to get references to template template
@@ -1321,7 +1343,8 @@ ClangCursor::VisitResult TemplateVisitor(ClangCursor cursor,
           ref_index->def.detailed_name = ref_cursor.get_spelling();
 #endif
           ref_index->def.short_name_offset = 0;
-          ref_index->def.short_name_size = ref_index->def.detailed_name.size();
+          ref_index->def.short_name_size =
+              int16_t(strlen(ref_index->def.detailed_name.c_str()));
           ref_index->def.kind = ClangSymbolKind::Parameter;
         }
         UniqueAddUseSpell(db, ref_index->uses, cursor);
@@ -1331,6 +1354,7 @@ ClangCursor::VisitResult TemplateVisitor(ClangCursor cursor,
     case CXCursor_TypeRef: {
       ClangCursor ref_cursor = clang_getCursorReferenced(cursor.cx_cursor);
       if (ref_cursor.get_kind() == CXCursor_TemplateTypeParameter) {
+        SetUsePreflight(db, parent);
         IndexType* ref_index =
             db->Resolve(db->ToTypeId(ref_cursor.get_usr_hash()));
         // TODO It seems difficult to get a FunctionTemplate's template
@@ -1347,7 +1371,8 @@ ClangCursor::VisitResult TemplateVisitor(ClangCursor cursor,
           ref_index->def.detailed_name = ref_cursor.get_spelling();
 #endif
           ref_index->def.short_name_offset = 0;
-          ref_index->def.short_name_size = ref_index->def.detailed_name.size();
+          ref_index->def.short_name_size =
+              int16_t(strlen(ref_index->def.detailed_name.c_str()));
           ref_index->def.kind = ClangSymbolKind::Parameter;
         }
         UniqueAddUseSpell(db, ref_index->uses, cursor);
@@ -1455,6 +1480,7 @@ void OnIndexDeclaration(CXClientData client_data, const CXIdxDeclInfo* decl) {
 
   NamespaceHelper* ns = &param->ns;
   ClangCursor lex_parent(fromContainer(decl->lexicalContainer));
+  SetUsePreflight(db, lex_parent);
 
   switch (decl->entityInfo->kind) {
     case CXIdxEntity_CXXNamespace: {
@@ -1745,7 +1771,7 @@ void OnIndexDeclaration(CXClientData client_data, const CXIdxDeclInfo* decl) {
         if (extent_start && spell_start && spell_end && extent_end) {
           type->def.hover =
               fc.content.substr(*extent_start, *spell_start - *extent_start) +
-              type->def.detailed_name +
+              type->def.detailed_name.c_str() +
               fc.content.substr(*spell_end, *extent_end - *spell_end);
         }
       }
@@ -1935,6 +1961,7 @@ void OnIndexReference(CXClientData client_data, const CXIdxEntityRefInfo* ref) {
 
   ClangCursor cursor(ref->cursor);
   ClangCursor lex_parent(fromContainer(ref->container));
+  SetUsePreflight(db, lex_parent);
 
   switch (ref->referencedEntity->kind) {
     case CXIdxEntity_CXXNamespaceAlias:
diff --git a/src/indexer.h b/src/indexer.h
index 20a25427..4d61cd86 100644
--- a/src/indexer.h
+++ b/src/indexer.h
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 #include "file_contents.h"
 #include "language_server_api.h"
 #include "maybe.h"
+#include "ntstring.h"
 #include "performance.h"
 #include "position.h"
 #include "serializer.h"
@@ -160,8 +161,8 @@ template <typename F>
 struct TypeDefDefinitionData {
   // General metadata.
   std::string detailed_name;
-  std::string hover;
-  std::string comments;
+  NTString hover;
+  NTString comments;
 
   // While a class/type can technically have a separate declaration/definition,
   // it doesn't really happen in practice. The declaration never contains
@@ -258,8 +259,8 @@ template <typename F>
 struct FuncDefDefinitionData {
   // General metadata.
   std::string detailed_name;
-  std::string hover;
-  std::string comments;
+  NTString hover;
+  NTString comments;
   Maybe<Use> spell;
   Maybe<Use> extent;
 
@@ -368,8 +369,8 @@ template <typename F>
 struct VarDefDefinitionData {
   // General metadata.
   std::string detailed_name;
-  std::string hover;
-  std::string comments;
+  NTString hover;
+  NTString comments;
   // TODO: definitions should be a list of ranges, since there can be more
   //       than one - when??
   Maybe<Use> spell;
diff --git a/src/language_server_api.h b/src/language_server_api.h
index 4b635268..bb730b1f 100644
--- a/src/language_server_api.h
+++ b/src/language_server_api.h
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ MAKE_REFLECT_STRUCT(lsLocation, uri, range);
 
 // cquery extension
 struct lsLocationEx : lsLocation {
-  optional<std::string> containerName;
+  optional<std::string_view> containerName;
 };
 MAKE_REFLECT_STRUCT(lsLocationEx, uri, range, containerName);
 
diff --git a/src/messages/cquery_type_hierarchy_tree.cc b/src/messages/cquery_type_hierarchy_tree.cc
index f2091feb..b94c1eea 100644
--- a/src/messages/cquery_type_hierarchy_tree.cc
+++ b/src/messages/cquery_type_hierarchy_tree.cc
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ REGISTER_IPC_MESSAGE(Ipc_CqueryTypeHierarchyTree);
 struct Out_CqueryTypeHierarchyTree
     : public lsOutMessage<Out_CqueryTypeHierarchyTree> {
   struct TypeEntry {
-    std::string name;
+    std::string_view name;
     optional<lsLocation> location;
     std::vector<TypeEntry> children;
   };
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ BuildParentInheritanceHierarchyForType(QueryDatabase* db,
 
   EachWithGen(db->types, root_type.def->parents, [&](QueryType& parent_type) {
     Out_CqueryTypeHierarchyTree::TypeEntry parent_entry;
-    parent_entry.name = parent_type.def->detailed_name;
+    parent_entry.name = parent_type.def->detailed_name.c_str();
     if (parent_type.def->spell)
       parent_entry.location = GetLsLocation(
           db, working_files, *parent_type.def->spell);
diff --git a/src/messages/text_document_hover.cc b/src/messages/text_document_hover.cc
index 1875d958..45c4a949 100644
--- a/src/messages/text_document_hover.cc
+++ b/src/messages/text_document_hover.cc
@@ -11,25 +11,28 @@ std::pair<std::string_view, std::string_view> GetCommentsAndHover(
     case SymbolKind::Type: {
       QueryType& type = db->types[sym.Idx()];
       if (type.def)
-        return {type.def->comments, type.def->hover.size()
-                                        ? type.def->hover
-                                        : type.def->detailed_name};
+        return {type.def->comments,
+                !type.def->hover.empty()
+                    ? std::string_view(type.def->hover)
+                    : std::string_view(type.def->detailed_name)};
       break;
     }
     case SymbolKind::Func: {
       QueryFunc& func = db->funcs[sym.Idx()];
       if (func.def)
-        return {func.def->comments, func.def->hover.size()
-                                        ? func.def->hover
-                                        : func.def->detailed_name};
+        return {func.def->comments,
+                !func.def->hover.empty()
+                    ? std::string_view(func.def->hover)
+                    : std::string_view(func.def->detailed_name)};
       break;
     }
     case SymbolKind::Var: {
       QueryVar& var = db->vars[sym.Idx()];
       if (var.def)
-        return {var.def->comments, var.def->hover.size()
-                                       ? var.def->hover
-                                       : var.def->detailed_name};
+        return {var.def->comments,
+                !var.def->hover.empty()
+                    ? std::string_view(var.def->hover)
+                    : std::string_view(var.def->detailed_name)};
       break;
     }
     case SymbolKind::File:
diff --git a/src/ntstring.h b/src/ntstring.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3aa16687
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ntstring.h
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include <string_view.h>
+
+#include <string.h>
+#include <memory>
+#include <utility>
+
+class Reader;
+class Writer;
+
+// Null-terminated string
+// This is used in Query{Func,Type,Var}::def to reduce memory footprint.
+class NTString {
+  using size_type = std::string::size_type;
+  std::unique_ptr<char[]> str;
+
+ public:
+  NTString() : str(new char[1]()) {}
+  NTString(const NTString& o) : str(new char[strlen(o.c_str()) + 1]) {
+    strcpy(str.get(), o.c_str());
+  }
+  NTString(NTString&& o) = default;
+  NTString(std::string_view sv) {
+    *this = sv;
+  }
+
+  operator std::string_view() const { return str.get(); }
+  const char* c_str() const { return str.get(); }
+  std::string_view substr(size_type pos, size_type cnt) const {
+    return std::string_view(c_str() + pos, cnt);
+  }
+  bool empty() const { return !str || str.get()[0] == '\0'; }
+  size_type find(const char* s) {
+    const char *p = strstr(c_str(), s);
+    return p ? std::string::size_type(p - c_str()) : std::string::npos;
+  }
+  size_type find(const char* s, size_type pos, size_type cnt) {
+    auto* p = (const char*)memmem(c_str() + pos, strlen(c_str()) - pos, s, cnt);
+    return p ? std::string::size_type(p - c_str()) : std::string::npos;
+  }
+  size_type find(std::string_view sv) {
+    return find(sv.data(), 0, sv.size());
+  }
+
+  void operator=(std::string_view sv) {
+    str = std::unique_ptr<char[]>(new char[sv.size() + 1]);
+    memcpy(str.get(), sv.data(), sv.size());
+    str.get()[sv.size()] = '\0';
+  }
+  void operator=(const NTString& o) {
+    *this = static_cast<std::string_view>(o);
+  }
+  bool operator==(const NTString& o) const {
+    return strcmp(c_str(), o.c_str()) == 0;
+  }
+};
diff --git a/src/query_utils.cc b/src/query_utils.cc
index 13f5384a..c169f612 100644
--- a/src/query_utils.cc
+++ b/src/query_utils.cc
@@ -406,19 +406,19 @@ optional<lsLocationEx> GetLsLocationEx(QueryDatabase* db,
     case SymbolKind::Func: {
       QueryFunc& func = db->GetFunc(use);
       if (func.def)
-        ret.containerName = func.def->detailed_name;
+        ret.containerName = std::string_view(func.def->detailed_name);
       break;
     }
     case SymbolKind::Type: {
       QueryType& type = db->GetType(use);
       if (type.def)
-        ret.containerName = type.def->detailed_name;
+        ret.containerName = std::string_view(type.def->detailed_name);
       break;
     }
     case SymbolKind::Var: {
       QueryVar& var = db->GetVar(use);
       if (var.def)
-        ret.containerName = var.def->detailed_name;
+        ret.containerName = std::string_view(var.def->detailed_name);
       break;
     }
     }
@@ -470,7 +470,7 @@ optional<lsSymbolInformation> GetSymbolInfo(QueryDatabase* db,
         info.name = type.def->ShortName();
       else
         info.name = type.def->detailed_name;
-      if (type.def->detailed_name != type.def->ShortName())
+      if (type.def->detailed_name.c_str() != type.def->ShortName())
         info.containerName = type.def->detailed_name;
       // TODO ClangSymbolKind -> lsSymbolKind
       switch (type.def->kind) {
diff --git a/src/serializer.cc b/src/serializer.cc
index 3cb45aad..b17f2a0d 100644
--- a/src/serializer.cc
+++ b/src/serializer.cc
@@ -125,18 +125,14 @@ void Reflect(Writer& visitor, std::string_view& data) {
     visitor.String(&data[0], (rapidjson::SizeType)data.size());
 }
 
-void Reflect(Reader& visitor, std::unique_ptr<char[]>& value) {
+void Reflect(Reader& visitor, NTString& value) {
   if (!visitor.IsString())
     throw std::invalid_argument("std::string");
-  std::string t = visitor.GetString();
-  value = std::unique_ptr<char[]>(new char[t.size() + 1]);
-  strcpy(value.get(), t.c_str());
+  value = visitor.GetString();
 }
-void Reflect(Writer& visitor, std::unique_ptr<char[]>& value) {
-  if (!value)
-    visitor.String("");
-  else
-    visitor.String(value.get());
+void Reflect(Writer& visitor, NTString& value) {
+  const char* s = value.c_str();
+  visitor.String(s ? s : "");
 }
 
 // TODO: Move this to indexer.cc
@@ -169,9 +165,9 @@ void ReflectHoverAndComments(Reader& visitor, Def& def) {
 template <typename Def>
 void ReflectHoverAndComments(Writer& visitor, Def& def) {
   // Don't emit empty hover and comments in JSON test mode.
-  if (!gTestOutputMode || def.hover.size())
+  if (!gTestOutputMode || !def.hover.empty())
     ReflectMember(visitor, "hover", def.hover);
-  if (!gTestOutputMode || def.comments.size())
+  if (!gTestOutputMode || !def.comments.empty())
     ReflectMember(visitor, "comments", def.comments);
 }
 
@@ -192,8 +188,8 @@ void ReflectShortName(Reader& visitor, Def& def) {
 template <typename Def>
 void ReflectShortName(Writer& visitor, Def& def) {
   if (gTestOutputMode) {
-    std::string short_name =
-        def.detailed_name.substr(def.short_name_offset, def.short_name_size);
+    std::string short_name(
+        def.detailed_name.substr(def.short_name_offset, def.short_name_size));
     ReflectMember(visitor, "short_name", short_name);
   } else {
     ReflectMember(visitor, "short_name_offset", def.short_name_offset);
diff --git a/src/serializer.h b/src/serializer.h
index 3a0a3dcd..1d66a74b 100644
--- a/src/serializer.h
+++ b/src/serializer.h
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #pragma once
 
 #include "maybe.h"
+#include "ntstring.h"
 #include "port.h"
 
 #include <macro_map.h>
@@ -160,8 +161,8 @@ void Reflect(Writer& visitor, std::string& value);
 void Reflect(Reader& visitor, std::string_view& view);
 void Reflect(Writer& visitor, std::string_view& view);
 
-void Reflect(Reader& visitor, std::unique_ptr<char[]>& value);
-void Reflect(Writer& visitor, std::unique_ptr<char[]>& value);
+void Reflect(Reader& visitor, NTString& value);
+void Reflect(Writer& visitor, NTString& value);
 
 // std::monostate is used to represent JSON null
 void Reflect(Reader& visitor, std::monostate&);