diff --git a/src/libexpr/eval.cc b/src/libexpr/eval.cc
index b87e06ef5..a5eb2e473 100644
--- a/src/libexpr/eval.cc
+++ b/src/libexpr/eval.cc
@@ -645,14 +645,14 @@ Value * EvalState::addPrimOp(const std::string & name,
        the primop to a dummy value. */
     if (arity == 0) {
         auto vPrimOp = allocValue();
-        vPrimOp->mkPrimOp(new PrimOp { .fun = primOp, .arity = 1, .name = sym });
+        vPrimOp->mkPrimOp(new PrimOp { .fun = primOp, .arity = 1, .name = name2 });
         Value v;
         v.mkApp(vPrimOp, vPrimOp);
         return addConstant(name, v);
     }
 
     Value * v = allocValue();
-    v->mkPrimOp(new PrimOp { .fun = primOp, .arity = arity, .name = sym });
+    v->mkPrimOp(new PrimOp { .fun = primOp, .arity = arity, .name = name2 });
     staticBaseEnv.vars.emplace_back(symbols.create(name), baseEnvDispl);
     baseEnv.values[baseEnvDispl++] = v;
     baseEnv.values[0]->attrs->push_back(Attr(sym, v));
@@ -667,21 +667,21 @@ Value * EvalState::addPrimOp(PrimOp && primOp)
     if (primOp.arity == 0) {
         primOp.arity = 1;
         auto vPrimOp = allocValue();
-        vPrimOp->mkPrimOp(new PrimOp(std::move(primOp)));
+        vPrimOp->mkPrimOp(new PrimOp(primOp));
         Value v;
         v.mkApp(vPrimOp, vPrimOp);
         return addConstant(primOp.name, v);
     }
 
-    Symbol envName = primOp.name;
+    Symbol envName = symbols.create(primOp.name);
     if (hasPrefix(primOp.name, "__"))
-        primOp.name = symbols.create(std::string(primOp.name, 2));
+        primOp.name = primOp.name.substr(2);
 
     Value * v = allocValue();
-    v->mkPrimOp(new PrimOp(std::move(primOp)));
+    v->mkPrimOp(new PrimOp(primOp));
     staticBaseEnv.vars.emplace_back(envName, baseEnvDispl);
     baseEnv.values[baseEnvDispl++] = v;
-    baseEnv.values[0]->attrs->push_back(Attr(primOp.name, v));
+    baseEnv.values[0]->attrs->push_back(Attr(symbols.create(primOp.name), v));
     return v;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/libexpr/eval.hh b/src/libexpr/eval.hh
index 7ed376e8d..7c39e3704 100644
--- a/src/libexpr/eval.hh
+++ b/src/libexpr/eval.hh
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ struct PrimOp
 {
     PrimOpFun fun;
     size_t arity;
-    Symbol name;
+    std::string name;
     std::vector<std::string> args;
     const char * doc = nullptr;
 };
@@ -305,7 +305,7 @@ public:
     struct Doc
     {
         Pos pos;
-        std::optional<Symbol> name;
+        std::optional<std::string> name;
         size_t arity;
         std::vector<std::string> args;
         const char * doc;
@@ -391,7 +391,7 @@ private:
 
     bool countCalls;
 
-    typedef std::map<Symbol, size_t> PrimOpCalls;
+    typedef std::map<std::string, size_t> PrimOpCalls;
     PrimOpCalls primOpCalls;
 
     typedef std::map<ExprLambda *, size_t> FunctionCalls;
diff --git a/src/libexpr/primops.cc b/src/libexpr/primops.cc
index 73817dbdd..3ebc2f1df 100644
--- a/src/libexpr/primops.cc
+++ b/src/libexpr/primops.cc
@@ -3906,7 +3906,7 @@ void EvalState::createBaseEnv()
                 addPrimOp({
                     .fun = primOp.fun,
                     .arity = std::max(primOp.args.size(), primOp.arity),
-                    .name = symbols.create(primOp.name),
+                    .name = primOp.name,
                     .args = primOp.args,
                     .doc = primOp.doc,
                 });