diff --git a/llvm/include/llvm/Support/SpecialCaseList.h b/llvm/include/llvm/Support/SpecialCaseList.h
index dee4db584c88b..35411a1dea06b 100644
--- a/llvm/include/llvm/Support/SpecialCaseList.h
+++ b/llvm/include/llvm/Support/SpecialCaseList.h
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ class SpecialCaseList {
     findMatcher(StringRef Prefix, StringRef Category) const;
 
     Matcher SectionMatcher;
-    std::string SectionStr;
+    StringRef SectionStr;
     SectionEntries Entries;
     unsigned FileIdx;
   };
diff --git a/llvm/lib/Support/SpecialCaseList.cpp b/llvm/lib/Support/SpecialCaseList.cpp
index beec8b8ef0d5b..42c8933a43399 100644
--- a/llvm/lib/Support/SpecialCaseList.cpp
+++ b/llvm/lib/Support/SpecialCaseList.cpp
@@ -243,10 +243,10 @@ bool SpecialCaseList::createInternal(const MemoryBuffer *MB, std::string &Error,
 Expected<SpecialCaseList::Section *>
 SpecialCaseList::addSection(StringRef SectionStr, unsigned FileNo,
                             unsigned LineNo, bool UseGlobs) {
+  SectionStr = SectionStr.copy(StrAlloc);
   Sections.emplace_back(SectionStr, FileNo, UseGlobs);
   auto &Section = Sections.back();
 
-  SectionStr = SectionStr.copy(StrAlloc);
   if (auto Err = Section.SectionMatcher.insert(SectionStr, LineNo)) {
     return createStringError(errc::invalid_argument,
                              "malformed section at line " + Twine(LineNo) +