diff --git a/mdbx.h++ b/mdbx.h++
index ace662d8..64143c48 100644
--- a/mdbx.h++
+++ b/mdbx.h++
@@ -3228,6 +3228,8 @@ public:
 #endif /* Windows */
   env &copy(const ::std::string &destination, bool compactify,
             bool force_dynamic_size = false);
+  env &copy(const char *destination, bool compactify,
+            bool force_dynamic_size = false);
 
   /// \brief Copy an environment to the specified file descriptor.
   env &copy(filehandle fd, bool compactify, bool force_dynamic_size = false);
@@ -3252,14 +3254,16 @@ public:
   /// \brief Removes the environment's files in a proper and multiprocess-safe
   /// way.
 #ifdef MDBX_STD_FILESYSTEM_PATH
-  static bool remove(const MDBX_STD_FILESYSTEM_PATH &,
+  static bool remove(const MDBX_STD_FILESYSTEM_PATH &pathname,
                      const remove_mode mode = just_remove);
 #endif /* MDBX_STD_FILESYSTEM_PATH */
 #if defined(_WIN32) || defined(_WIN64) || defined(DOXYGEN)
-  static bool remove(const ::std::wstring &,
+  static bool remove(const ::std::wstring &pathname,
                      const remove_mode mode = just_remove);
 #endif /* Windows */
-  static bool remove(const ::std::string &,
+  static bool remove(const ::std::string &pathname,
+                     const remove_mode mode = just_remove);
+  static bool remove(const char *pathname,
                      const remove_mode mode = just_remove);
 
   /// \brief Statistics for a database in the MDBX environment.
@@ -3497,15 +3501,17 @@ public:
 
   /// \brief Open existing database.
 #ifdef MDBX_STD_FILESYSTEM_PATH
-  env_managed(const MDBX_STD_FILESYSTEM_PATH &, const operate_parameters &,
-              bool accede = true);
+  env_managed(const MDBX_STD_FILESYSTEM_PATH &pathname,
+              const operate_parameters &, bool accede = true);
 #endif /* MDBX_STD_FILESYSTEM_PATH */
 #if defined(_WIN32) || defined(_WIN64) || defined(DOXYGEN)
-  env_managed(const ::std::wstring &, const operate_parameters &,
+  env_managed(const ::std::wstring &pathname, const operate_parameters &,
               bool accede = true);
 #endif /* Windows */
-  env_managed(const ::std::string &, const operate_parameters &,
+  env_managed(const ::std::string &pathname, const operate_parameters &,
               bool accede = true);
+  explicit env_managed(const char *pathname, const operate_parameters &,
+                       bool accede = true);
 
   /// \brief Additional parameters for creating a new database.
   struct create_parameters {
@@ -3518,15 +3524,18 @@ public:
 
   /// \brief Create new or open existing database.
 #ifdef MDBX_STD_FILESYSTEM_PATH
-  env_managed(const MDBX_STD_FILESYSTEM_PATH &, const create_parameters &,
-              const operate_parameters &, bool accede = true);
+  env_managed(const MDBX_STD_FILESYSTEM_PATH &pathname,
+              const create_parameters &, const operate_parameters &,
+              bool accede = true);
 #endif /* MDBX_STD_FILESYSTEM_PATH */
 #if defined(_WIN32) || defined(_WIN64) || defined(DOXYGEN)
-  env_managed(const ::std::wstring &, const create_parameters &,
+  env_managed(const ::std::wstring &pathname, const create_parameters &,
               const operate_parameters &, bool accede = true);
 #endif /* Windows */
-  env_managed(const ::std::string &, const create_parameters &,
+  env_managed(const ::std::string &pathname, const create_parameters &,
               const operate_parameters &, bool accede = true);
+  explicit env_managed(const char *pathname, const create_parameters &,
+                       const operate_parameters &, bool accede = true);
 
   /// \brief Explicitly closes the environment and release the memory map.
   ///
diff --git a/src/mdbx.c++ b/src/mdbx.c++
index f8bf60be..ccb5fa3e 100644
--- a/src/mdbx.c++
+++ b/src/mdbx.c++
@@ -214,12 +214,6 @@ MDBX_MAYBE_UNUSED PATH pchar_to_path(const char *c_str) {
   return PATH(c_str);
 }
 
-template <> struct path_to_pchar<std::string> {
-  const char *const ptr;
-  path_to_pchar(const std::string &path) : ptr(path.c_str()) {}
-  operator const char *() const { return ptr; }
-};
-
 #if defined(_WIN32) || defined(_WIN64)
 
 #ifndef WC_ERR_INVALID_CHARS
@@ -1271,17 +1265,21 @@ env &env::copy(const ::std::wstring &destination, bool compactify,
 }
 #endif /* Windows */
 
-env &env::copy(const ::std::string &destination, bool compactify,
+env &env::copy(const char *destination, bool compactify,
                bool force_dynamic_size) {
-  const path_to_pchar<::std::string> utf8(destination);
   error::success_or_throw(
-      ::mdbx_env_copy(handle_, utf8,
+      ::mdbx_env_copy(handle_, destination,
                       (compactify ? MDBX_CP_COMPACT : MDBX_CP_DEFAULTS) |
                           (force_dynamic_size ? MDBX_CP_FORCE_DYNAMIC_SIZE
                                               : MDBX_CP_DEFAULTS)));
   return *this;
 }
 
+env &env::copy(const ::std::string &destination, bool compactify,
+               bool force_dynamic_size) {
+  return copy(destination.c_str(), compactify, force_dynamic_size);
+}
+
 env &env::copy(filehandle fd, bool compactify, bool force_dynamic_size) {
   error::success_or_throw(
       ::mdbx_env_copy2fd(handle_, fd,
@@ -1314,10 +1312,13 @@ bool env::remove(const ::std::wstring &pathname, const remove_mode mode) {
 }
 #endif /* Windows */
 
-bool env::remove(const ::std::string &pathname, const remove_mode mode) {
-  const path_to_pchar<::std::string> utf8(pathname);
+bool env::remove(const char *pathname, const remove_mode mode) {
   return error::boolean_or_throw(
-      ::mdbx_env_delete(utf8, MDBX_env_delete_mode_t(mode)));
+      ::mdbx_env_delete(pathname, MDBX_env_delete_mode_t(mode)));
+}
+
+bool env::remove(const ::std::string &pathname, const remove_mode mode) {
+  return remove(pathname.c_str(), mode);
 }
 
 //------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -1418,35 +1419,42 @@ __cold env_managed::env_managed(const ::std::wstring &pathname,
 }
 #endif /* Windows */
 
-__cold env_managed::env_managed(const ::std::string &pathname,
+__cold env_managed::env_managed(const char *pathname,
                                 const operate_parameters &op, bool accede)
     : env_managed(create_env()) {
   setup(op.max_maps, op.max_readers);
-  const path_to_pchar<::std::string> utf8(pathname);
   error::success_or_throw(
-      ::mdbx_env_open(handle_, utf8, op.make_flags(accede), 0));
+      ::mdbx_env_open(handle_, pathname, op.make_flags(accede), 0));
 
   if (op.options.nested_write_transactions &&
       !get_options().nested_write_transactions)
     MDBX_CXX20_UNLIKELY error::throw_exception(MDBX_INCOMPATIBLE);
 }
 
-__cold env_managed::env_managed(const ::std::string &pathname,
+__cold env_managed::env_managed(const char *pathname,
                                 const env_managed::create_parameters &cp,
                                 const env::operate_parameters &op, bool accede)
     : env_managed(create_env()) {
   setup(op.max_maps, op.max_readers);
-  const path_to_pchar<::std::string> utf8(pathname);
   set_geometry(cp.geometry);
-  error::success_or_throw(
-      ::mdbx_env_open(handle_, utf8, op.make_flags(accede, cp.use_subdirectory),
-                      cp.file_mode_bits));
+  error::success_or_throw(::mdbx_env_open(
+      handle_, pathname, op.make_flags(accede, cp.use_subdirectory),
+      cp.file_mode_bits));
 
   if (op.options.nested_write_transactions &&
       !get_options().nested_write_transactions)
     MDBX_CXX20_UNLIKELY error::throw_exception(MDBX_INCOMPATIBLE);
 }
 
+__cold env_managed::env_managed(const ::std::string &pathname,
+                                const operate_parameters &op, bool accede)
+    : env_managed(pathname.c_str(), op, accede) {}
+
+__cold env_managed::env_managed(const ::std::string &pathname,
+                                const env_managed::create_parameters &cp,
+                                const env::operate_parameters &op, bool accede)
+    : env_managed(pathname.c_str(), cp, op, accede) {}
+
 //------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 txn_managed txn::start_nested() {