diff --git a/clippy_lints/src/unnecessary_owned_empty_strings.rs b/clippy_lints/src/unnecessary_owned_empty_strings.rs
index 6b5e6c6ab20..f01cb457af8 100644
--- a/clippy_lints/src/unnecessary_owned_empty_strings.rs
+++ b/clippy_lints/src/unnecessary_owned_empty_strings.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 use clippy_utils::diagnostics::span_lint_and_sugg;
 use clippy_utils::ty::is_type_lang_item;
-use clippy_utils::{match_def_path, paths};
 use rustc_ast::ast::LitKind;
 use rustc_errors::Applicability;
 use rustc_hir::{BorrowKind, Expr, ExprKind, LangItem, Mutability};
@@ -42,7 +41,7 @@ fn check_expr(&mut self, cx: &LateContext<'tcx>, expr: &'tcx Expr<'tcx>) {
             && let ty::Ref(_, inner_str, _) = cx.typeck_results().expr_ty_adjusted(expr).kind()
             && inner_str.is_str()
         {
-            if match_def_path(cx, fun_def_id, &paths::STRING_NEW) {
+            if cx.tcx.is_diagnostic_item(sym::string_new, fun_def_id) {
                 span_lint_and_sugg(
                     cx,
                     UNNECESSARY_OWNED_EMPTY_STRINGS,
diff --git a/clippy_utils/src/paths.rs b/clippy_utils/src/paths.rs
index 986adddc6ae..dd304e7aae8 100644
--- a/clippy_utils/src/paths.rs
+++ b/clippy_utils/src/paths.rs
@@ -51,7 +51,6 @@
 pub const SERDE_DE_VISITOR: [&str; 3] = ["serde", "de", "Visitor"];
 pub const STD_IO_SEEK_FROM_CURRENT: [&str; 4] = ["std", "io", "SeekFrom", "Current"];
 pub const STD_IO_SEEKFROM_START: [&str; 4] = ["std", "io", "SeekFrom", "Start"];
-pub const STRING_NEW: [&str; 4] = ["alloc", "string", "String", "new"];
 pub const SYMBOL: [&str; 3] = ["rustc_span", "symbol", "Symbol"];
 pub const SYMBOL_AS_STR: [&str; 4] = ["rustc_span", "symbol", "Symbol", "as_str"];
 pub const SYMBOL_INTERN: [&str; 4] = ["rustc_span", "symbol", "Symbol", "intern"];