diff --git a/rust-version b/rust-version
index 61205128df..1567a48efc 100644
--- a/rust-version
+++ b/rust-version
@@ -1 +1 @@
-d595b113584f8f446957469951fd5d31adc2a44e
+a9ec99f4201ec33026a468ef1289f98a95b4d71a
diff --git a/src/bin/miri.rs b/src/bin/miri.rs
index 272fd17d43..31ed5f2ccd 100644
--- a/src/bin/miri.rs
+++ b/src/bin/miri.rs
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ struct MiriCompilerCalls {
 impl rustc_driver::Callbacks for MiriCompilerCalls {
     fn after_parsing(&mut self, compiler: &interface::Compiler) -> bool {
         let attr = (
-            String::from("miri"),
+            syntax::symbol::Symbol::intern("miri"),
             syntax::feature_gate::AttributeType::Whitelisted,
         );
         compiler.session().plugin_attributes.borrow_mut().push(attr);
diff --git a/src/fn_call.rs b/src/fn_call.rs
index 1fd10ff385..3ff0c1eb18 100644
--- a/src/fn_call.rs
+++ b/src/fn_call.rs
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ use rustc::ty::layout::{Align, LayoutOf, Size};
 use rustc::hir::def_id::DefId;
 use rustc::mir;
 use syntax::attr;
+use syntax::symbol::sym;
 
 use rand::RngCore;
 
@@ -141,7 +142,7 @@ pub trait EvalContextExt<'a, 'mir, 'tcx: 'a + 'mir>: crate::MiriEvalContextExt<'
     ) -> EvalResult<'tcx> {
         let this = self.eval_context_mut();
         let attrs = this.tcx.get_attrs(def_id);
-        let link_name = match attr::first_attr_value_str_by_name(&attrs, "link_name") {
+        let link_name = match attr::first_attr_value_str_by_name(&attrs, sym::link_name) {
             Some(name) => name.as_str(),
             None => this.tcx.item_name(def_id).as_str(),
         };
diff --git a/src/helpers.rs b/src/helpers.rs
index e9f7741d31..89aba49472 100644
--- a/src/helpers.rs
+++ b/src/helpers.rs
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ pub trait EvalContextExt<'a, 'mir, 'tcx: 'a + 'mir>: crate::MiriEvalContextExt<'
         this.tcx
             .crates()
             .iter()
-            .find(|&&krate| this.tcx.original_crate_name(krate) == path[0])
+            .find(|&&krate| this.tcx.original_crate_name(krate).as_str() == path[0])
             .and_then(|krate| {
                 let krate = DefId {
                     krate: *krate,
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ pub trait EvalContextExt<'a, 'mir, 'tcx: 'a + 'mir>: crate::MiriEvalContextExt<'
 
                 while let Some(segment) = path_it.next() {
                     for item in mem::replace(&mut items, Default::default()).iter() {
-                        if item.ident.name == *segment {
+                        if item.ident.name.as_str() == *segment {
                             if path_it.peek().is_none() {
                                 return Some(ty::Instance::mono(this.tcx.tcx, item.res.def_id()));
                             }
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 683eee0cb7..d3e30bbdde 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ pub use rustc_mir::interpret::*;
 pub use rustc_mir::interpret::{self, AllocMap, PlaceTy};
 use syntax::attr;
 use syntax::source_map::DUMMY_SP;
+use syntax::symbol::sym;
 
 pub use crate::fn_call::EvalContextExt as MissingFnsEvalContextExt;
 pub use crate::operator::EvalContextExt as OperatorEvalContextExt;
@@ -478,7 +479,7 @@ impl<'a, 'mir, 'tcx> Machine<'a, 'mir, 'tcx> for Evaluator<'tcx> {
         memory_extra: &Self::MemoryExtra,
     ) -> EvalResult<'tcx, Cow<'tcx, Allocation<Tag, Self::AllocExtra>>> {
         let attrs = tcx.get_attrs(def_id);
-        let link_name = match attr::first_attr_value_str_by_name(&attrs, "link_name") {
+        let link_name = match attr::first_attr_value_str_by_name(&attrs, sym::link_name) {
             Some(name) => name.as_str(),
             None => tcx.item_name(def_id).as_str(),
         };