diff --git a/auth/allow_all_authorizer.hh b/auth/allow_all_authorizer.hh
index 9371c0d58e..67de9d287f 100644
--- a/auth/allow_all_authorizer.hh
+++ b/auth/allow_all_authorizer.hh
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ public:
         return make_ready_future<>();
     }
 
-    virtual const sstring& qualified_java_name() const override {
+    virtual std::string_view qualified_java_name() const override {
         return allow_all_authorizer_name();
     }
 
diff --git a/auth/authorizer.hh b/auth/authorizer.hh
index 12b12d4e8e..b98215afc1 100644
--- a/auth/authorizer.hh
+++ b/auth/authorizer.hh
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ public:
     ///
     /// A fully-qualified (class with package) Java-like name for this implementation.
     ///
-    virtual const sstring& qualified_java_name() const = 0;
+    virtual std::string_view qualified_java_name() const = 0;
 
     ///
     /// Query for the permissions granted directly to a role for a particular \ref resource (and not any of its
diff --git a/auth/default_authorizer.hh b/auth/default_authorizer.hh
index 373c16e8de..cfb108f6b1 100644
--- a/auth/default_authorizer.hh
+++ b/auth/default_authorizer.hh
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ public:
 
     virtual future<> stop() override;
 
-    virtual const sstring& qualified_java_name() const override {
+    virtual std::string_view qualified_java_name() const override {
         return default_authorizer_name();
     }
 
diff --git a/auth/transitional.cc b/auth/transitional.cc
index b817cedf44..58a0a461e6 100644
--- a/auth/transitional.cc
+++ b/auth/transitional.cc
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ public:
         return _authorizer->stop();
     }
 
-    virtual const sstring& qualified_java_name() const override {
+    virtual std::string_view qualified_java_name() const override {
         return transitional_authorizer_name();
     }