diff --git a/include/grpc++/impl/codegen/call.h b/include/grpc++/impl/codegen/call.h
index 73773f366a7..e581049e7f3 100644
--- a/include/grpc++/impl/codegen/call.h
+++ b/include/grpc++/impl/codegen/call.h
@@ -595,8 +595,7 @@ class CallOpClientRecvStatus {
                                         GRPC_SLICE_END_PTR(error_message_)),
                            binary_error_details);
     client_context_->set_debug_error_string(
-        debug_error_string_ != nullptr ? grpc::string(debug_error_string_)
-                                       : "");
+        debug_error_string_ != nullptr ? debug_error_string_ : "");
     g_core_codegen_interface->grpc_slice_unref(error_message_);
     if (debug_error_string_ != nullptr) {
       g_core_codegen_interface->gpr_free((void*)debug_error_string_);
diff --git a/include/grpc++/impl/codegen/client_context.h b/include/grpc++/impl/codegen/client_context.h
index b06b1fa44fe..61d97ce8180 100644
--- a/include/grpc++/impl/codegen/client_context.h
+++ b/include/grpc++/impl/codegen/client_context.h
@@ -382,7 +382,7 @@ class ClientContext {
   friend class ::grpc::internal::BlockingUnaryCallImpl;
 
   // Used by friend class CallOpClientRecvStatus
-  void set_debug_error_string(grpc::string debug_error_string) {
+  void set_debug_error_string(const grpc::string& debug_error_string) {
     debug_error_string_ = debug_error_string;
   }
 
diff --git a/test/cpp/end2end/end2end_test.cc b/test/cpp/end2end/end2end_test.cc
index 1608b00fb0d..1d63f395dc6 100644
--- a/test/cpp/end2end/end2end_test.cc
+++ b/test/cpp/end2end/end2end_test.cc
@@ -741,7 +741,7 @@ TEST_P(End2endTest, RequestStreamOneRequest) {
   Status s = stream->Finish();
   EXPECT_EQ(response.message(), request.message());
   EXPECT_TRUE(s.ok());
-  EXPECT_TRUE(context.debug_error_string() == "");
+  EXPECT_TRUE(context.debug_error_string().empty());
 }
 
 TEST_P(End2endTest, RequestStreamOneRequestWithCoalescingApi) {