diff --git a/src/libexpr/eval.cc b/src/libexpr/eval.cc
index 3332dd703..3ebbdca63 100644
--- a/src/libexpr/eval.cc
+++ b/src/libexpr/eval.cc
@@ -1374,7 +1374,7 @@ void EvalState::callFunction(Value & fun, size_t nrArgs, Value * * args, Value &
                     /* Nope, so show the first unexpected argument to the
                        user. */
                     for (auto & i : *args[0]->attrs)
-                        if (!lambda.formals->argNames.count(i.name))
+                        if (!lambda.formals->has(i.name))
                             throwTypeError(pos, "%1% called with unexpected argument '%2%'", lambda, i.name);
                     abort(); // can't happen
                 }
diff --git a/src/libexpr/lexer.l b/src/libexpr/lexer.l
index a0e7a1877..e276b0467 100644
--- a/src/libexpr/lexer.l
+++ b/src/libexpr/lexer.l
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ static void adjustLoc(YYLTYPE * loc, const char * s, size_t len)
 
 // we make use of the fact that the parser receives a private copy of the input
 // string and can munge around in it.
-static Expr * unescapeStr(SymbolTable & symbols, char * s, size_t length)
+static StringToken unescapeStr(SymbolTable & symbols, char * s, size_t length)
 {
     char * result = s;
     char * t = s;
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ static Expr * unescapeStr(SymbolTable & symbols, char * s, size_t length)
         else *t = c;
         t++;
     }
-    return new ExprString(symbols.create({result, size_t(t - result)}));
+    return {result, size_t(t - result)};
 }
 
 
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ or          { return OR_KW; }
                 /* It is impossible to match strings ending with '$' with one
                    regex because trailing contexts are only valid at the end
                    of a rule. (A sane but undocumented limitation.) */
-                yylval->e = unescapeStr(data->symbols, yytext, yyleng);
+                yylval->str = unescapeStr(data->symbols, yytext, yyleng);
                 return STR;
               }
 <STRING>\$\{  { PUSH_STATE(DEFAULT); return DOLLAR_CURLY; }
@@ -191,26 +191,26 @@ or          { return OR_KW; }
 
 \'\'(\ *\n)?     { PUSH_STATE(IND_STRING); return IND_STRING_OPEN; }
 <IND_STRING>([^\$\']|\$[^\{\']|\'[^\'\$])+ {
-                   yylval->e = new ExprIndStr(yytext);
+                   yylval->str = {yytext, (size_t) yyleng, true};
                    return IND_STR;
                  }
 <IND_STRING>\'\'\$ |
 <IND_STRING>\$   {
-                   yylval->e = new ExprIndStr("$");
+                   yylval->str = {"$", 1};
                    return IND_STR;
                  }
 <IND_STRING>\'\'\' {
-                   yylval->e = new ExprIndStr("''");
+                   yylval->str = {"''", 2};
                    return IND_STR;
                  }
 <IND_STRING>\'\'\\{ANY} {
-                   yylval->e = unescapeStr(data->symbols, yytext + 2, yyleng - 2);
+                   yylval->str = unescapeStr(data->symbols, yytext + 2, yyleng - 2);
                    return IND_STR;
                  }
 <IND_STRING>\$\{ { PUSH_STATE(DEFAULT); return DOLLAR_CURLY; }
 <IND_STRING>\'\' { POP_STATE(); return IND_STRING_CLOSE; }
 <IND_STRING>\'   {
-                   yylval->e = new ExprIndStr("'");
+                   yylval->str = {"'", 1};
                    return IND_STR;
                  }
 
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ or          { return OR_KW; }
       PUSH_STATE(INPATH_SLASH);
   else
       PUSH_STATE(INPATH);
-  yylval->e = new ExprString(data->symbols.create(string(yytext)));
+  yylval->str = {yytext, (size_t) yyleng};
   return STR;
 }
 <INPATH>{ANY} |
diff --git a/src/libexpr/nixexpr.hh b/src/libexpr/nixexpr.hh
index 0a60057e5..4e923ac89 100644
--- a/src/libexpr/nixexpr.hh
+++ b/src/libexpr/nixexpr.hh
@@ -110,20 +110,13 @@ struct ExprFloat : Expr
 
 struct ExprString : Expr
 {
-    Symbol s;
+    string s;
     Value v;
-    ExprString(const Symbol & s) : s(s) { v.mkString(s); };
+    ExprString(std::string s) : s(std::move(s)) { v.mkString(this->s.data()); };
     COMMON_METHODS
     Value * maybeThunk(EvalState & state, Env & env);
 };
 
-/* Temporary class used during parsing of indented strings. */
-struct ExprIndStr : Expr
-{
-    string s;
-    ExprIndStr(const string & s) : s(s) { };
-};
-
 struct ExprPath : Expr
 {
     string s;
@@ -223,10 +216,25 @@ struct Formal
 
 struct Formals
 {
-    typedef std::list<Formal> Formals_;
+    typedef std::vector<Formal> Formals_;
     Formals_ formals;
-    std::set<Symbol> argNames; // used during parsing
     bool ellipsis;
+
+    bool has(Symbol arg) const {
+        auto it = std::lower_bound(formals.begin(), formals.end(), arg,
+            [] (const Formal & f, const Symbol & sym) { return f.name < sym; });
+        return it != formals.end() && it->name == arg;
+    }
+
+    std::vector<Formal> lexicographicOrder() const
+    {
+        std::vector<Formal> result(formals.begin(), formals.end());
+        std::sort(result.begin(), result.end(),
+            [] (const Formal & a, const Formal & b) {
+                return std::string_view(a.name) < std::string_view(b.name);
+            });
+        return result;
+    }
 };
 
 struct ExprLambda : Expr
@@ -239,11 +247,6 @@ struct ExprLambda : Expr
     ExprLambda(const Pos & pos, const Symbol & arg, Formals * formals, Expr * body)
         : pos(pos), arg(arg), formals(formals), body(body)
     {
-        if (!arg.empty() && formals && formals->argNames.find(arg) != formals->argNames.end())
-            throw ParseError({
-                .msg = hintfmt("duplicate formal function argument '%1%'", arg),
-                .errPos = pos
-            });
     };
     void setName(Symbol & name);
     string showNamePos() const;
diff --git a/src/libexpr/parser.y b/src/libexpr/parser.y
index b7910da8c..f0c80ebd5 100644
--- a/src/libexpr/parser.y
+++ b/src/libexpr/parser.y
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@
 #ifndef BISON_HEADER
 #define BISON_HEADER
 
+#include <variant>
+
 #include "util.hh"
 
 #include "nixexpr.hh"
@@ -39,8 +41,22 @@ namespace nix {
             { };
     };
 
+    struct ParserFormals {
+        std::vector<Formal> formals;
+        bool ellipsis = false;
+    };
+
 }
 
+// using C a struct allows us to avoid having to define the special
+// members that using string_view here would implicitly delete.
+struct StringToken {
+  const char * p;
+  size_t l;
+  bool hasIndentation;
+  operator std::string_view() const { return {p, l}; }
+};
+
 #define YY_DECL int yylex \
     (YYSTYPE * yylval_param, YYLTYPE * yylloc_param, yyscan_t yyscanner, nix::ParseData * data)
 
@@ -140,21 +156,46 @@ static void addAttr(ExprAttrs * attrs, AttrPath & attrPath,
 }
 
 
-static void addFormal(const Pos & pos, Formals * formals, const Formal & formal)
+static Formals * toFormals(ParseData & data, ParserFormals * formals,
+    Pos pos = noPos, Symbol arg = {})
 {
-    if (!formals->argNames.insert(formal.name).second)
+    std::sort(formals->formals.begin(), formals->formals.end(),
+        [] (const auto & a, const auto & b) {
+            return std::tie(a.name, a.pos) < std::tie(b.name, b.pos);
+        });
+
+    std::optional<std::pair<Symbol, Pos>> duplicate;
+    for (size_t i = 0; i + 1 < formals->formals.size(); i++) {
+        if (formals->formals[i].name != formals->formals[i + 1].name)
+            continue;
+        std::pair thisDup{formals->formals[i].name, formals->formals[i + 1].pos};
+        duplicate = std::min(thisDup, duplicate.value_or(thisDup));
+    }
+    if (duplicate)
         throw ParseError({
-            .msg = hintfmt("duplicate formal function argument '%1%'",
-                formal.name),
+            .msg = hintfmt("duplicate formal function argument '%1%'", duplicate->first),
+            .errPos = duplicate->second
+        });
+
+    Formals result;
+    result.ellipsis = formals->ellipsis;
+    result.formals = std::move(formals->formals);
+
+    if (arg.set() && result.has(arg))
+        throw ParseError({
+            .msg = hintfmt("duplicate formal function argument '%1%'", arg),
             .errPos = pos
         });
-    formals->formals.push_front(formal);
+
+    delete formals;
+    return new Formals(std::move(result));
 }
 
 
-static Expr * stripIndentation(const Pos & pos, SymbolTable & symbols, vector<std::pair<Pos, Expr *> > & es)
+static Expr * stripIndentation(const Pos & pos, SymbolTable & symbols,
+    vector<std::pair<Pos, std::variant<Expr *, StringToken> > > & es)
 {
-    if (es.empty()) return new ExprString(symbols.create(""));
+    if (es.empty()) return new ExprString("");
 
     /* Figure out the minimum indentation.  Note that by design
        whitespace-only final lines are not taken into account.  (So
@@ -163,20 +204,20 @@ static Expr * stripIndentation(const Pos & pos, SymbolTable & symbols, vector<st
     size_t minIndent = 1000000;
     size_t curIndent = 0;
     for (auto & [i_pos, i] : es) {
-        ExprIndStr * e = dynamic_cast<ExprIndStr *>(i);
-        if (!e) {
-            /* Anti-quotations end the current start-of-line whitespace. */
+        auto * str = std::get_if<StringToken>(&i);
+        if (!str || !str->hasIndentation) {
+            /* Anti-quotations and escaped characters end the current start-of-line whitespace. */
             if (atStartOfLine) {
                 atStartOfLine = false;
                 if (curIndent < minIndent) minIndent = curIndent;
             }
             continue;
         }
-        for (size_t j = 0; j < e->s.size(); ++j) {
+        for (size_t j = 0; j < str->l; ++j) {
             if (atStartOfLine) {
-                if (e->s[j] == ' ')
+                if (str->p[j] == ' ')
                     curIndent++;
-                else if (e->s[j] == '\n') {
+                else if (str->p[j] == '\n') {
                     /* Empty line, doesn't influence minimum
                        indentation. */
                     curIndent = 0;
@@ -184,7 +225,7 @@ static Expr * stripIndentation(const Pos & pos, SymbolTable & symbols, vector<st
                     atStartOfLine = false;
                     if (curIndent < minIndent) minIndent = curIndent;
                 }
-            } else if (e->s[j] == '\n') {
+            } else if (str->p[j] == '\n') {
                 atStartOfLine = true;
                 curIndent = 0;
             }
@@ -196,33 +237,31 @@ static Expr * stripIndentation(const Pos & pos, SymbolTable & symbols, vector<st
     atStartOfLine = true;
     size_t curDropped = 0;
     size_t n = es.size();
-    for (vector<std::pair<Pos, Expr *> >::iterator i = es.begin(); i != es.end(); ++i, --n) {
-        ExprIndStr * e = dynamic_cast<ExprIndStr *>(i->second);
-        if (!e) {
-            atStartOfLine = false;
-            curDropped = 0;
-            es2->push_back(*i);
-            continue;
-        }
-
+    auto i = es.begin();
+    const auto trimExpr = [&] (Expr * e) {
+        atStartOfLine = false;
+        curDropped = 0;
+        es2->emplace_back(i->first, e);
+    };
+    const auto trimString = [&] (const StringToken & t) {
         string s2;
-        for (size_t j = 0; j < e->s.size(); ++j) {
+        for (size_t j = 0; j < t.l; ++j) {
             if (atStartOfLine) {
-                if (e->s[j] == ' ') {
+                if (t.p[j] == ' ') {
                     if (curDropped++ >= minIndent)
-                        s2 += e->s[j];
+                        s2 += t.p[j];
                 }
-                else if (e->s[j] == '\n') {
+                else if (t.p[j] == '\n') {
                     curDropped = 0;
-                    s2 += e->s[j];
+                    s2 += t.p[j];
                 } else {
                     atStartOfLine = false;
                     curDropped = 0;
-                    s2 += e->s[j];
+                    s2 += t.p[j];
                 }
             } else {
-                s2 += e->s[j];
-                if (e->s[j] == '\n') atStartOfLine = true;
+                s2 += t.p[j];
+                if (t.p[j] == '\n') atStartOfLine = true;
             }
         }
 
@@ -234,7 +273,10 @@ static Expr * stripIndentation(const Pos & pos, SymbolTable & symbols, vector<st
                 s2 = string(s2, 0, p + 1);
         }
 
-        es2->emplace_back(i->first, new ExprString(symbols.create(s2)));
+        es2->emplace_back(i->first, new ExprString(s2));
+    };
+    for (; i != es.end(); ++i, --n) {
+        std::visit(overloaded { trimExpr, trimString }, i->second);
     }
 
     /* If this is a single string, then don't do a concatenation. */
@@ -269,22 +311,17 @@ void yyerror(YYLTYPE * loc, yyscan_t scanner, ParseData * data, const char * err
   nix::Expr * e;
   nix::ExprList * list;
   nix::ExprAttrs * attrs;
-  nix::Formals * formals;
+  nix::ParserFormals * formals;
   nix::Formal * formal;
   nix::NixInt n;
   nix::NixFloat nf;
-  // using C a struct allows us to avoid having to define the special
-  // members that using string_view here would implicitly delete.
-  struct StringToken {
-    const char * p;
-    size_t l;
-    operator std::string_view() const { return {p, l}; }
-  };
   StringToken id; // !!! -> Symbol
   StringToken path;
   StringToken uri;
+  StringToken str;
   std::vector<nix::AttrName> * attrNames;
   std::vector<std::pair<nix::Pos, nix::Expr *> > * string_parts;
+  std::vector<std::pair<nix::Pos, std::variant<nix::Expr *, StringToken> > > * ind_string_parts;
 }
 
 %type <e> start expr expr_function expr_if expr_op
@@ -294,11 +331,12 @@ void yyerror(YYLTYPE * loc, yyscan_t scanner, ParseData * data, const char * err
 %type <formals> formals
 %type <formal> formal
 %type <attrNames> attrs attrpath
-%type <string_parts> string_parts_interpolated ind_string_parts
+%type <string_parts> string_parts_interpolated
+%type <ind_string_parts> ind_string_parts
 %type <e> path_start string_parts string_attr
 %type <id> attr
 %token <id> ID ATTRPATH
-%token <e> STR IND_STR
+%token <str> STR IND_STR
 %token <n> INT
 %token <nf> FLOAT
 %token <path> PATH HPATH SPATH PATH_END
@@ -331,11 +369,17 @@ expr_function
   : ID ':' expr_function
     { $$ = new ExprLambda(CUR_POS, data->symbols.create($1), 0, $3); }
   | '{' formals '}' ':' expr_function
-    { $$ = new ExprLambda(CUR_POS, data->symbols.create(""), $2, $5); }
+    { $$ = new ExprLambda(CUR_POS, data->symbols.create(""), toFormals(*data, $2), $5); }
   | '{' formals '}' '@' ID ':' expr_function
-    { $$ = new ExprLambda(CUR_POS, data->symbols.create($5), $2, $7); }
+    {
+      Symbol arg = data->symbols.create($5);
+      $$ = new ExprLambda(CUR_POS, arg, toFormals(*data, $2, CUR_POS, arg), $7);
+    }
   | ID '@' '{' formals '}' ':' expr_function
-    { $$ = new ExprLambda(CUR_POS, data->symbols.create($1), $4, $7); }
+    {
+      Symbol arg = data->symbols.create($1);
+      $$ = new ExprLambda(CUR_POS, arg, toFormals(*data, $4, CUR_POS, arg), $7);
+    }
   | ASSERT expr ';' expr_function
     { $$ = new ExprAssert(CUR_POS, $2, $4); }
   | WITH expr ';' expr_function
@@ -426,7 +470,7 @@ expr_simple
       $$ = new ExprCall(CUR_POS,
           new ExprVar(data->symbols.create("__findFile")),
           {new ExprVar(data->symbols.create("__nixPath")),
-           new ExprString(data->symbols.create(path))});
+           new ExprString(path)});
   }
   | URI {
       static bool noURLLiterals = settings.isExperimentalFeatureEnabled(Xp::NoUrlLiterals);
@@ -435,7 +479,7 @@ expr_simple
               .msg = hintfmt("URL literals are disabled"),
               .errPos = CUR_POS
           });
-      $$ = new ExprString(data->symbols.create($1));
+      $$ = new ExprString(string($1));
   }
   | '(' expr ')' { $$ = $2; }
   /* Let expressions `let {..., body = ...}' are just desugared
@@ -450,18 +494,19 @@ expr_simple
   ;
 
 string_parts
-  : STR
+  : STR { $$ = new ExprString(string($1)); }
   | string_parts_interpolated { $$ = new ExprConcatStrings(CUR_POS, true, $1); }
-  | { $$ = new ExprString(data->symbols.create("")); }
+  | { $$ = new ExprString(""); }
   ;
 
 string_parts_interpolated
-  : string_parts_interpolated STR { $$ = $1; $1->emplace_back(makeCurPos(@2, data), $2); }
+  : string_parts_interpolated STR
+  { $$ = $1; $1->emplace_back(makeCurPos(@2, data), new ExprString(string($2))); }
   | string_parts_interpolated DOLLAR_CURLY expr '}' { $$ = $1; $1->emplace_back(makeCurPos(@2, data), $3); }
   | DOLLAR_CURLY expr '}' { $$ = new vector<std::pair<Pos, Expr *> >; $$->emplace_back(makeCurPos(@1, data), $2); }
   | STR DOLLAR_CURLY expr '}' {
       $$ = new vector<std::pair<Pos, Expr *> >;
-      $$->emplace_back(makeCurPos(@1, data), $1);
+      $$->emplace_back(makeCurPos(@1, data), new ExprString(string($1)));
       $$->emplace_back(makeCurPos(@2, data), $3);
     }
   ;
@@ -483,7 +528,7 @@ path_start
 ind_string_parts
   : ind_string_parts IND_STR { $$ = $1; $1->emplace_back(makeCurPos(@2, data), $2); }
   | ind_string_parts DOLLAR_CURLY expr '}' { $$ = $1; $1->emplace_back(makeCurPos(@2, data), $3); }
-  | { $$ = new vector<std::pair<Pos, Expr *> >; }
+  | { $$ = new vector<std::pair<Pos, std::variant<Expr *, StringToken> > >; }
   ;
 
 binds
@@ -515,7 +560,7 @@ attrs
     { $$ = $1;
       ExprString * str = dynamic_cast<ExprString *>($2);
       if (str) {
-          $$->push_back(AttrName(str->s));
+          $$->push_back(AttrName(data->symbols.create(str->s)));
           delete str;
       } else
           throw ParseError({
@@ -532,7 +577,7 @@ attrpath
     { $$ = $1;
       ExprString * str = dynamic_cast<ExprString *>($3);
       if (str) {
-          $$->push_back(AttrName(str->s));
+          $$->push_back(AttrName(data->symbols.create(str->s)));
           delete str;
       } else
           $$->push_back(AttrName($3));
@@ -542,7 +587,7 @@ attrpath
     { $$ = new vector<AttrName>;
       ExprString *str = dynamic_cast<ExprString *>($1);
       if (str) {
-          $$->push_back(AttrName(str->s));
+          $$->push_back(AttrName(data->symbols.create(str->s)));
           delete str;
       } else
           $$->push_back(AttrName($1));
@@ -566,13 +611,13 @@ expr_list
 
 formals
   : formal ',' formals
-    { $$ = $3; addFormal(CUR_POS, $$, *$1); }
+    { $$ = $3; $$->formals.push_back(*$1); }
   | formal
-    { $$ = new Formals; addFormal(CUR_POS, $$, *$1); $$->ellipsis = false; }
+    { $$ = new ParserFormals; $$->formals.push_back(*$1); $$->ellipsis = false; }
   |
-    { $$ = new Formals; $$->ellipsis = false; }
+    { $$ = new ParserFormals; $$->ellipsis = false; }
   | ELLIPSIS
-    { $$ = new Formals; $$->ellipsis = true; }
+    { $$ = new ParserFormals; $$->ellipsis = true; }
   ;
 
 formal
diff --git a/src/libexpr/value-to-xml.cc b/src/libexpr/value-to-xml.cc
index a875f82d7..a9fb60b0e 100644
--- a/src/libexpr/value-to-xml.cc
+++ b/src/libexpr/value-to-xml.cc
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ static void printValueAsXML(EvalState & state, bool strict, bool location,
                 if (!v.lambda.fun->arg.empty()) attrs["name"] = v.lambda.fun->arg;
                 if (v.lambda.fun->formals->ellipsis) attrs["ellipsis"] = "1";
                 XMLOpenElement _(doc, "attrspat", attrs);
-                for (auto & i : v.lambda.fun->formals->formals)
+                for (auto & i : v.lambda.fun->formals->lexicographicOrder())
                     doc.writeEmptyElement("attr", singletonAttrs("name", i.name));
             } else
                 doc.writeEmptyElement("varpat", singletonAttrs("name", v.lambda.fun->arg));
diff --git a/src/nix/flake.cc b/src/nix/flake.cc
index 97f4d911c..101d38c6c 100644
--- a/src/nix/flake.cc
+++ b/src/nix/flake.cc
@@ -476,8 +476,8 @@ struct CmdFlakeCheck : FlakeCommand
                 if (!v.isLambda())
                     throw Error("bundler must be a function");
                 if (!v.lambda.fun->formals ||
-                    !v.lambda.fun->formals->argNames.count(state->symbols.create("program")) ||
-                    !v.lambda.fun->formals->argNames.count(state->symbols.create("system")))
+                    !v.lambda.fun->formals->has(state->symbols.create("program")) ||
+                    !v.lambda.fun->formals->has(state->symbols.create("system")))
                     throw Error("bundler must take formal arguments 'program' and 'system'");
             } catch (Error & e) {
                 e.addTrace(pos, hintfmt("while checking the template '%s'", attrPath));
diff --git a/tests/check.nix b/tests/check.nix
index ec455ae2d..ed91ff845 100644
--- a/tests/check.nix
+++ b/tests/check.nix
@@ -50,6 +50,6 @@ with import ./config.nix;
 
   fetchurl = import <nix/fetchurl.nix> {
     url = "file://" + toString ./lang/eval-okay-xml.exp.xml;
-    sha256 = "0kg4sla7ihm8ijr8cb3117fhl99zrc2bwy1jrngsfmkh8bav4m0v";
+    sha256 = "sha256-behBlX+DQK/Pjvkuc8Tx68Jwi4E5v86wDq+ZLaHyhQE=";
   };
 }
diff --git a/tests/lang/eval-okay-xml.exp.xml b/tests/lang/eval-okay-xml.exp.xml
index 92b75e0b8..20099326c 100644
--- a/tests/lang/eval-okay-xml.exp.xml
+++ b/tests/lang/eval-okay-xml.exp.xml
@@ -31,9 +31,9 @@
     <attr name="f">
       <function>
         <attrspat>
-          <attr name="z" />
           <attr name="x" />
           <attr name="y" />
+          <attr name="z" />
         </attrspat>
       </function>
     </attr>