diff --git a/src/libstore/build/derivation-goal.cc b/src/libstore/build/derivation-goal.cc
index 8680d0bce..8396abbcd 100644
--- a/src/libstore/build/derivation-goal.cc
+++ b/src/libstore/build/derivation-goal.cc
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ DerivationGoal::DerivationGoal(const StorePath & drvPath,
     state = &DerivationGoal::getDerivation;
     name = fmt(
         "building of '%s' from .drv file",
-        to_string(worker.store, BuildableReqFromDrv { drvPath, wantedOutputs }));
+        BuildableReqFromDrv { drvPath, wantedOutputs }.to_string(worker.store));
     trace("created");
 
     mcExpectedBuilds = std::make_unique<MaintainCount<uint64_t>>(worker.expectedBuilds);
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ DerivationGoal::DerivationGoal(const StorePath & drvPath, const BasicDerivation
     state = &DerivationGoal::haveDerivation;
     name = fmt(
         "building of '%s' from in-memory derivation",
-        to_string(worker.store, BuildableReqFromDrv { drvPath, drv.outputNames() }));
+        BuildableReqFromDrv { drvPath, drv.outputNames() }.to_string(worker.store));
     trace("created");
 
     mcExpectedBuilds = std::make_unique<MaintainCount<uint64_t>>(worker.expectedBuilds);
diff --git a/src/libstore/build/entry-points.cc b/src/libstore/build/entry-points.cc
index d1973d78b..fc6294545 100644
--- a/src/libstore/build/entry-points.cc
+++ b/src/libstore/build/entry-points.cc
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ void Store::buildPaths(const std::vector<BuildableReq> & reqs, BuildMode buildMo
             [&](BuildableOpaque bo) {
                 goals.insert(worker.makePathSubstitutionGoal(bo.path, buildMode == bmRepair ? Repair : NoRepair));
             },
-        }, br);
+        }, br.raw());
     }
 
     worker.run(goals);
diff --git a/src/libstore/build/local-derivation-goal.cc b/src/libstore/build/local-derivation-goal.cc
index c245527c9..6cc384719 100644
--- a/src/libstore/build/local-derivation-goal.cc
+++ b/src/libstore/build/local-derivation-goal.cc
@@ -1200,7 +1200,7 @@ static StorePath pathPartOfReq(const BuildableReq & req)
         [&](BuildableReqFromDrv bfd)  {
             return bfd.drvPath;
         },
-    }, req);
+    }, req.raw());
 }
 
 
@@ -1340,7 +1340,7 @@ struct RestrictedStore : public virtual RestrictedStoreConfig, public virtual Lo
 
         for (auto & req : paths) {
             if (!goal.isAllowed(req))
-                throw InvalidPath("cannot build '%s' in recursive Nix because path is unknown", to_string(*next, req));
+                throw InvalidPath("cannot build '%s' in recursive Nix because path is unknown", req.to_string(*next));
         }
 
         next->buildPaths(paths, buildMode);
diff --git a/src/libstore/buildable.cc b/src/libstore/buildable.cc
index 7892b94e4..31fef2faa 100644
--- a/src/libstore/buildable.cc
+++ b/src/libstore/buildable.cc
@@ -41,11 +41,11 @@ std::string BuildableReqFromDrv::to_string(const Store & store) const {
         + (outputs.empty() ? std::string { "*" } : concatStringsSep(",", outputs));
 }
 
-std::string to_string(const Store & store, const BuildableReq & req)
+std::string BuildableReq::to_string(const Store & store) const
 {
     return std::visit(
         [&](const auto & req) { return req.to_string(store); },
-        req);
+        this->raw());
 }
 
 
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ BuildableReqFromDrv BuildableReqFromDrv::parse(const Store & store, std::string_
     return {drvPath, outputs};
 }
 
-BuildableReq parseBuildableReq(const Store & store, std::string_view s)
+BuildableReq BuildableReq::parse(const Store & store, std::string_view s)
 {
     size_t n = s.find("!");
     return n == s.npos
diff --git a/src/libstore/buildable.hh b/src/libstore/buildable.hh
index 54e627271..8317f3995 100644
--- a/src/libstore/buildable.hh
+++ b/src/libstore/buildable.hh
@@ -28,14 +28,22 @@ struct BuildableReqFromDrv {
     static BuildableReqFromDrv parse(const Store & store, std::string_view);
 };
 
-using BuildableReq = std::variant<
+using _BuildableReqRaw = std::variant<
     BuildableOpaque,
     BuildableReqFromDrv
 >;
 
-std::string to_string(const Store & store, const BuildableReq &);
+struct BuildableReq : _BuildableReqRaw {
+    using Raw = _BuildableReqRaw;
+    using Raw::Raw;
 
-BuildableReq parseBuildableReq(const Store & store, std::string_view);
+    inline const Raw & raw() const {
+        return static_cast<const Raw &>(*this);
+    }
+
+    std::string to_string(const Store & store) const;
+    static BuildableReq parse(const Store & store, std::string_view);
+};
 
 struct BuildableFromDrv {
     StorePath drvPath;
diff --git a/src/libstore/misc.cc b/src/libstore/misc.cc
index e702a4f9e..abfae1502 100644
--- a/src/libstore/misc.cc
+++ b/src/libstore/misc.cc
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ void Store::queryMissing(const std::vector<BuildableReq> & targets,
 
         {
             auto state(state_.lock());
-            if (!state->done.insert(to_string(*this, req)).second) return;
+            if (!state->done.insert(req.to_string(*this)).second) return;
         }
 
         std::visit(overloaded {
@@ -250,7 +250,7 @@ void Store::queryMissing(const std::vector<BuildableReq> & targets,
             for (auto & ref : info->second.references)
                 pool.enqueue(std::bind(doPath, BuildableOpaque { ref }));
           },
-        }, req);
+        }, req.raw());
     };
 
     for (auto & path : targets)
diff --git a/src/libstore/path-with-outputs.cc b/src/libstore/path-with-outputs.cc
index 353286ac6..2898b8d4f 100644
--- a/src/libstore/path-with-outputs.cc
+++ b/src/libstore/path-with-outputs.cc
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ std::variant<StorePathWithOutputs, StorePath> StorePathWithOutputs::tryFromBuild
         [&](BuildableReqFromDrv bfd) -> std::variant<StorePathWithOutputs, StorePath> {
             return StorePathWithOutputs { bfd.drvPath, bfd.outputs };
         },
-    }, p);
+    }, p.raw());
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/libstore/remote-store.cc b/src/libstore/remote-store.cc
index de1c95ed6..cb6402213 100644
--- a/src/libstore/remote-store.cc
+++ b/src/libstore/remote-store.cc
@@ -55,12 +55,12 @@ void write(const Store & store, Sink & out, const ContentAddress & ca)
 BuildableReq read(const Store & store, Source & from, Phantom<BuildableReq> _)
 {
     auto s = readString(from);
-    return parseBuildableReq(store, s);
+    return BuildableReq::parse(store, s);
 }
 
 void write(const Store & store, Sink & out, const BuildableReq & req)
 {
-    out << to_string(store, req);
+    out << req.to_string(store);
 }