diff --git a/core/qthelper.cpp b/core/qthelper.cpp
index 92c16319e..208fb5258 100644
--- a/core/qthelper.cpp
+++ b/core/qthelper.cpp
@@ -1011,9 +1011,9 @@ std::string get_current_date()
 static QMutex hashOfMutex;
 static QHash<QString, QString> localFilenameOf;
 
-static const QString hashfile_name()
+std::string hashfile_name()
 {
-	return QString(system_default_directory()).append("/hashes");
+	return std::string(system_default_directory()) + "/hashes";
 }
 
 static QString thumbnailDir()
@@ -1031,11 +1031,6 @@ QString thumbnailFileName(const QString &filename)
 	return thumbnailDir() + hash.result().toHex();
 }
 
-char *hashfile_name_string()
-{
-	return copy_qstring(hashfile_name());
-}
-
 // TODO: This is a temporary helper struct. Remove in due course with convertLocalFilename().
 struct HashToFile {
 	QByteArray hash;
@@ -1078,7 +1073,7 @@ static void convertLocalFilename(const QHash<QString, QByteArray> &hashOf, const
 
 void read_hashes()
 {
-	QFile hashfile(hashfile_name());
+	QFile hashfile(QString::fromStdString(hashfile_name()));
 	if (hashfile.open(QIODevice::ReadOnly)) {
 		QDataStream stream(&hashfile);
 		QHash<QByteArray, QString> localFilenameByHash;
@@ -1102,7 +1097,7 @@ void read_hashes()
 
 void write_hashes()
 {
-	QSaveFile hashfile(hashfile_name());
+	QSaveFile hashfile(QString::fromStdString(hashfile_name()));
 	QMutexLocker locker(&hashOfMutex);
 
 	if (hashfile.open(QIODevice::WriteOnly)) {
diff --git a/core/qthelper.h b/core/qthelper.h
index f6d6b5a65..27497f7c3 100644
--- a/core/qthelper.h
+++ b/core/qthelper.h
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ bool canReachCloudServer(struct git_info *);
 void updateWindowTitle();
 void subsurface_mkdir(const char *dir);
 std::string local_file_path(const struct picture &picture);
-char *hashfile_name_string();
+std::string hashfile_name();
 enum deco_mode decoMode(bool in_planner);
 void parse_seabear_header(const char *filename, struct xml_params *params);
 time_t get_dive_datetime_from_isostring(char *when);
diff --git a/core/subsurfacestartup.cpp b/core/subsurfacestartup.cpp
index 9cfd9f7f9..e74db52f4 100644
--- a/core/subsurfacestartup.cpp
+++ b/core/subsurfacestartup.cpp
@@ -63,9 +63,7 @@ void print_files()
 		printf("Unable to get local git directory\n");
 	}
 	printf("Cloud URL: %s\n", filename->c_str());
-	char *tmp = hashfile_name_string();
-	printf("Image filename table: %s\n", tmp);
-	free(tmp);
+	printf("Image filename table: %s\n", hashfile_name().c_str());
 }
 
 static void print_help()