diff --git a/audit/audit.cc b/audit/audit.cc
index 7600488d44..0c85f7a260 100644
--- a/audit/audit.cc
+++ b/audit/audit.cc
@@ -113,8 +113,8 @@ static category_set parse_audit_categories(const sstring& data) {
     return result;
 }
 
-static std::map<sstring, std::set<sstring>> parse_audit_tables(const sstring& data) {
-    std::map<sstring, std::set<sstring>> result;
+static audit::audited_tables_t parse_audit_tables(const sstring& data) {
+    audit::audited_tables_t result;
     if (!data.empty()) {
         std::vector<sstring> tokens;
         boost::split(tokens, data, boost::is_any_of(","));
@@ -139,8 +139,8 @@ static std::map<sstring, std::set<sstring>> parse_audit_tables(const sstring& da
     return result;
 }
 
-static std::set<sstring> parse_audit_keyspaces(const sstring& data) {
-    std::set<sstring> result;
+static audit::audited_keyspaces_t parse_audit_keyspaces(const sstring& data) {
+    audit::audited_keyspaces_t result;
     if (!data.empty()) {
         std::vector<sstring> tokens;
         boost::split(tokens, data, boost::is_any_of(","));
@@ -156,8 +156,8 @@ audit::audit(locator::shared_token_metadata& token_metadata,
              cql3::query_processor& qp,
              service::migration_manager& mm,
              std::set<sstring>&& audit_modes,
-             std::set<sstring>&& audited_keyspaces,
-             std::map<sstring, std::set<sstring>>&& audited_tables,
+             audited_keyspaces_t&& audited_keyspaces,
+             audited_tables_t&& audited_tables,
              category_set&& audited_categories,
              const db::config& cfg)
     : _token_metadata(token_metadata)
@@ -165,8 +165,8 @@ audit::audit(locator::shared_token_metadata& token_metadata,
     , _audited_tables(std::move(audited_tables))
     , _audited_categories(std::move(audited_categories))
     , _cfg(cfg)
-    , _cfg_keyspaces_observer(cfg.audit_keyspaces.observe([this] (sstring const& new_value){ update_config<std::set<sstring>>(new_value, parse_audit_keyspaces, _audited_keyspaces); }))
-    , _cfg_tables_observer(cfg.audit_tables.observe([this] (sstring const& new_value){ update_config<std::map<sstring, std::set<sstring>>>(new_value, parse_audit_tables, _audited_tables); }))
+    , _cfg_keyspaces_observer(cfg.audit_keyspaces.observe([this] (sstring const& new_value){ update_config<audited_keyspaces_t>(new_value, parse_audit_keyspaces, _audited_keyspaces); }))
+    , _cfg_tables_observer(cfg.audit_tables.observe([this] (sstring const& new_value){ update_config<audited_tables_t>(new_value, parse_audit_tables, _audited_tables); }))
     , _cfg_categories_observer(cfg.audit_categories.observe([this] (sstring const& new_value){ update_config<category_set>(new_value, parse_audit_categories, _audited_categories); }))
 {
     _storage_helper_ptr = create_storage_helper(std::move(audit_modes), qp, mm);
@@ -181,8 +181,8 @@ future<> audit::start_audit(const db::config& cfg, sharded<locator::shared_token
         return make_ready_future<>();
     }
     category_set audited_categories = parse_audit_categories(cfg.audit_categories());
-    std::map<sstring, std::set<sstring>> audited_tables = parse_audit_tables(cfg.audit_tables());
-    std::set<sstring> audited_keyspaces = parse_audit_keyspaces(cfg.audit_keyspaces());
+    audit::audited_tables_t audited_tables = parse_audit_tables(cfg.audit_tables());
+    audit::audited_keyspaces_t audited_keyspaces = parse_audit_keyspaces(cfg.audit_keyspaces());
 
     logger.info("Audit is enabled. Auditing to: \"{}\", with the following categories: \"{}\", keyspaces: \"{}\", and tables: \"{}\"",
                 cfg.audit(), cfg.audit_categories(), cfg.audit_keyspaces(), cfg.audit_tables());
@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@ future<> inspect_login(const sstring& username, socket_address client_ip, bool e
     return audit::local_audit_instance().log_login(username, client_ip, error);
 }
 
-bool audit::should_log_table(const sstring& keyspace, const sstring& name) const {
+bool audit::should_log_table(std::string_view keyspace, std::string_view name) const {
     auto keyspace_it = _audited_tables.find(keyspace);
     return keyspace_it != _audited_tables.cend() && keyspace_it->second.find(name) != keyspace_it->second.cend();
 }
@@ -319,8 +319,8 @@ bool audit::will_log(statement_category cat, std::string_view keyspace, std::str
     // so it is logged whenever the category matches.
     return _audited_categories.contains(cat)
            && (keyspace.empty()
-                         || _audited_keyspaces.find(sstring(keyspace)) != _audited_keyspaces.cend()
-                         || should_log_table(sstring(keyspace), sstring(table))
+                         || _audited_keyspaces.find(keyspace) != _audited_keyspaces.cend()
+                         || should_log_table(keyspace, table)
                          || cat == statement_category::AUTH
                          || cat == statement_category::ADMIN
                          || cat == statement_category::DCL);
diff --git a/audit/audit.hh b/audit/audit.hh
index 3663949153..2b482d2047 100644
--- a/audit/audit.hh
+++ b/audit/audit.hh
@@ -129,10 +129,15 @@ public:
 class storage_helper;
 
 class audit final : public seastar::async_sharded_service<audit> {
+public:
+    // Transparent comparator (std::less<>) enables heterogeneous lookup with
+    // string_view keys.
+    using audited_keyspaces_t = std::set<sstring, std::less<>>;
+    using audited_tables_t = std::map<sstring, std::set<sstring, std::less<>>, std::less<>>;
+private:
     locator::shared_token_metadata& _token_metadata;
-    std::set<sstring> _audited_keyspaces;
-    // Maps keyspace name to set of table names in that keyspace
-    std::map<sstring, std::set<sstring>> _audited_tables;
+    audited_keyspaces_t _audited_keyspaces;
+    audited_tables_t _audited_tables;
     category_set _audited_categories;
 
     std::unique_ptr<storage_helper> _storage_helper_ptr;
@@ -145,7 +150,7 @@ class audit final : public seastar::async_sharded_service<audit> {
     template<class T>
     void update_config(const sstring & new_value, std::function<T(const sstring&)> parse_func, T& cfg_parameter);
 
-    bool should_log_table(const sstring& keyspace, const sstring& name) const;
+    bool should_log_table(std::string_view keyspace, std::string_view name) const;
 public:
     static seastar::sharded<audit>& audit_instance() {
         // FIXME: leaked intentionally to avoid shutdown problems, see #293
@@ -164,8 +169,8 @@ public:
           cql3::query_processor& qp,
           service::migration_manager& mm,
           std::set<sstring>&& audit_modes,
-          std::set<sstring>&& audited_keyspaces,
-          std::map<sstring, std::set<sstring>>&& audited_tables,
+          audited_keyspaces_t&& audited_keyspaces,
+          audited_tables_t&& audited_tables,
           category_set&& audited_categories,
           const db::config& cfg);
     ~audit();