diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index f5db15cdb677..5c6cd9b8b86f 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1374,6 +1374,7 @@ target_precompile_headers(mixxx-lib PUBLIC
   src/track/tracknumbers.h
   src/track/trackrecord.h
   src/track/trackref.h
+  src/util/always_false.h
   src/util/alphabetafilter.h
   src/util/battery/battery.h
   src/util/cache.h
@@ -1445,6 +1446,7 @@ target_precompile_headers(mixxx-lib PUBLIC
   src/util/path.h
   src/util/performancetimer.h
   src/util/platform.h
+  src/util/qstringformat.h
   src/util/qt.h
   src/util/quuid.h
   src/util/rampingvalue.h
diff --git a/src/util/always_false.h b/src/util/always_false.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..b57794868c1b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/util/always_false.h
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+#pragma once
+// always false, used for static_assert and workaround for compilers without
+// https://cplusplus.github.io/CWG/issues/2518.html
+template<typename T>
+static constexpr bool always_false_v = false;
diff --git a/src/util/qstringformat.h b/src/util/qstringformat.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..885f035bb51d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/util/qstringformat.h
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include <QString>
+#include <type_traits>
+#include <utility>
+
+#include "util/always_false.h"
+
+namespace {
+
+// taken from Qt
+template<typename T>
+static constexpr bool is_convertible_to_view_or_qstring_v =
+        std::is_convertible_v<T, QString> ||
+        std::is_convertible_v<T, QStringView> ||
+        std::is_convertible_v<T, QLatin1String>;
+
+// check if we can call QString::number(T) with T
+template<typename T>
+static constexpr bool is_number_compatible_v =
+        std::is_invocable_v<decltype(QString::number(std::declval<T>()))(T), T>;
+} // namespace
+
+// Try to convert T to a type that would be accepted by QString::args(Args&&...)
+template<typename T>
+auto convertToQStringConvertible(T&& arg) {
+    if constexpr (is_convertible_to_view_or_qstring_v<T>) {
+        // no need to do anything, just return verbatim
+        return std::forward<T>(arg);
+    } else if constexpr (is_number_compatible_v<T>) {
+        return QString::number(std::forward<T>(arg));
+    } else {
+        static_assert(always_false_v<T>, "Unsupported type for QString::arg");
+        // unreachable, but returning a QString results in a better error message
+        // because the log won't be spammed with all the QString::arg overloads
+        // it couldn't match with `void`.
+        return QString();
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/util/timer.h b/src/util/timer.h
index 3118d218f9c0..d683ad22763f 100644
--- a/src/util/timer.h
+++ b/src/util/timer.h
@@ -39,40 +39,45 @@ class Timer {
 // TODO: replace with std::experimental::scope_exit<Timer> once stabilized
 class ScopedTimer {
   public:
-    ScopedTimer(QStringView key,
-            Stat::ComputeFlags compute = kDefaultComputeFlags)
-            : ScopedTimer(key, QStringView(), compute) {
-    }
-    ScopedTimer(QStringView key,
-            int i,
-            Stat::ComputeFlags compute = kDefaultComputeFlags)
-            : ScopedTimer(key,
-                      CmdlineArgs::Instance().getDeveloper()
-                              ? QString::number(i)
-                              : QStringView(),
-                      compute) {
-    }
-
-    ScopedTimer(QStringView key, QStringView arg, Stat::ComputeFlags compute = kDefaultComputeFlags)
+    // Allows the timer to contain a format string which is only assembled
+    // when we're not in `--developer` mode.
+    /// @param compute Flags to use for the Stat::ComputeFlags (can be omitted)
+    /// @param key The format string as QStringLiteral to identify the timer
+    /// @param args The arguments to pass to the format string
+    template<typename T, typename... Ts>
+    ScopedTimer(Stat::ComputeFlags compute, T&& key, Ts&&... args)
             : m_maybeTimer(std::nullopt) {
+        static_assert(std::is_same_v<T, QString>,
+                "only QString is supported as key type. Wrap it in u\"\""
+                "_s or QStringLiteral() "
+                "to avoid runtime UTF-16 conversion.");
         if (!CmdlineArgs::Instance().getDeveloper()) {
-            return;
+            return; // leave timer in cancelled state
         }
-#if QT_VERSION >= QT_VERSION_CHECK(5, 14, 0)
-        QString strKey = arg.isEmpty() ? key.toString() : key.arg(arg);
-#else
-        QString strKey = arg.isEmpty() ? key.toString() : key.toString().arg(arg);
-#endif
-        m_maybeTimer = std::make_optional<Timer>(std::move(strKey), compute);
+        //
+        auto assembledKey = QString(std::forward<T>(key));
+        // ensure the string was indeed a literal an not unnecessarily heap-allocated
+        DEBUG_ASSERT(assembledKey.capacity() == 0);
+        if constexpr (sizeof...(args) > 0) {
+            // only try to call QString::arg when we've been given parameters
+            assembledKey = assembledKey.arg(convertToQStringConvertible(std::forward<Ts>(args))...);
+        }
+        m_maybeTimer = std::make_optional<Timer>(assembledKey, compute);
         m_maybeTimer->start();
     }
 
+    template<typename T, typename... Ts>
+    ScopedTimer(T&& key, Ts&&... args)
+            : ScopedTimer(kDefaultComputeFlags, std::forward<T>(key), std::forward<Ts>(args)...) {
+    }
+
     ~ScopedTimer() noexcept {
         if (m_maybeTimer) {
             m_maybeTimer->elapsed(true);
         }
     }
 
+    // copying would technically be possible, but likely not intended
     ScopedTimer(const ScopedTimer&) = delete;
     ScopedTimer& operator=(const ScopedTimer&) = delete;