diff --git a/compiler/rustc_arena/src/lib.rs b/compiler/rustc_arena/src/lib.rs
index 756af7269f2..621516af9c0 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_arena/src/lib.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_arena/src/lib.rs
@@ -484,6 +484,20 @@ pub fn alloc_slice<T>(&self, slice: &[T]) -> &mut [T]
         }
     }
 
+    /// Allocates a string slice that is copied into the `DroplessArena`, returning a
+    /// reference to it. Will panic if passed an empty string.
+    ///
+    /// Panics:
+    ///
+    ///  - Zero-length string
+    #[inline]
+    pub fn alloc_str(&self, string: &str) -> &str {
+        let slice = self.alloc_slice(string.as_bytes());
+
+        // SAFETY: the result has a copy of the same valid UTF-8 bytes.
+        unsafe { std::str::from_utf8_unchecked(slice) }
+    }
+
     /// # Safety
     ///
     /// The caller must ensure that `mem` is valid for writes up to `size_of::<T>() * len`, and that
@@ -655,6 +669,14 @@ pub fn alloc_slice<T: ::std::marker::Copy>(&self, value: &[T]) -> &mut [T] {
             self.dropless.alloc_slice(value)
         }
 
+        #[inline]
+        pub fn alloc_str(&self, string: &str) -> &str {
+            if string.is_empty() {
+                return "";
+            }
+            self.dropless.alloc_str(string)
+        }
+
         #[allow(clippy::mut_from_ref)]
         pub fn alloc_from_iter<T: ArenaAllocatable<'tcx, C>, C>(
             &self,
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_middle/src/ty/mod.rs b/compiler/rustc_middle/src/ty/mod.rs
index 9feda4d205e..bedb8050e6b 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_middle/src/ty/mod.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_middle/src/ty/mod.rs
@@ -2614,9 +2614,7 @@ pub struct SymbolName<'tcx> {
 
 impl<'tcx> SymbolName<'tcx> {
     pub fn new(tcx: TyCtxt<'tcx>, name: &str) -> SymbolName<'tcx> {
-        SymbolName {
-            name: unsafe { str::from_utf8_unchecked(tcx.arena.alloc_slice(name.as_bytes())) },
-        }
+        SymbolName { name: tcx.arena.alloc_str(name) }
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_span/src/symbol.rs b/compiler/rustc_span/src/symbol.rs
index d7e822382ef..3190ccaf7b4 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_span/src/symbol.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_span/src/symbol.rs
@@ -2118,11 +2118,7 @@ fn intern(&self, string: &str) -> Symbol {
             return Symbol::new(idx as u32);
         }
 
-        // SAFETY: we convert from `&str` to `&[u8]`, clone it into the arena,
-        // and immediately convert the clone back to `&[u8]`, all because there
-        // is no `inner.arena.alloc_str()` method. This is clearly safe.
-        let string: &str =
-            unsafe { str::from_utf8_unchecked(inner.arena.alloc_slice(string.as_bytes())) };
+        let string: &str = inner.arena.alloc_str(string);
 
         // SAFETY: we can extend the arena allocation to `'static` because we
         // only access these while the arena is still alive.