diff --git a/src/Magnum/DebugMessage.cpp b/src/Magnum/DebugMessage.cpp
index fd3a690e4..64438422e 100644
--- a/src/Magnum/DebugMessage.cpp
+++ b/src/Magnum/DebugMessage.cpp
@@ -98,10 +98,6 @@ Int DebugMessage::maxMessageLength() {
     return value;
 }
 
-void DebugMessage::insert(const Source source, const Type type, const UnsignedInt id, const Severity severity, const std::string& string) {
-    Context::current()->state().debug->messageInsertImplementation(source, type, id, severity, string);
-}
-
 void DebugMessage::setCallback(const Callback callback, const void* userParam) {
     Context::current()->state().debug->messageCallbackImplementation(callback, userParam);
 }
@@ -110,9 +106,13 @@ void DebugMessage::setDefaultCallback() {
     setCallback(defaultCallback, nullptr);
 }
 
-void DebugMessage::insertImplementationNoOp(Source, Type, UnsignedInt, Severity, const std::string&) {}
+void DebugMessage::insertInternal(const Source source, const Type type, const UnsignedInt id, const Severity severity, const Containers::ArrayReference<const char> string) {
+    Context::current()->state().debug->messageInsertImplementation(source, type, id, severity, string);
+}
+
+void DebugMessage::insertImplementationNoOp(Source, Type, UnsignedInt, Severity, const Containers::ArrayReference<const char>) {}
 
-void DebugMessage::insertImplementationKhr(const Source source, const Type type, const UnsignedInt id, const Severity severity, const std::string& string) {
+void DebugMessage::insertImplementationKhr(const Source source, const Type type, const UnsignedInt id, const Severity severity, const Containers::ArrayReference<const char> string) {
     /** @todo Re-enable when extension wrangler is available for ES */
     #ifndef MAGNUM_TARGET_GLES
     glDebugMessageInsert(GLenum(source), GLenum(type), id, GLenum(severity), string.size(), string.data());
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ void DebugMessage::insertImplementationKhr(const Source source, const Type type,
     #endif
 }
 
-void DebugMessage::insertImplementationExt(Source, Type, UnsignedInt, Severity, const std::string& string) {
+void DebugMessage::insertImplementationExt(Source, Type, UnsignedInt, Severity, const Containers::ArrayReference<const char> string) {
     /** @todo Re-enable when extension wrangler is available for ES */
     #ifndef MAGNUM_TARGET_GLES
     glInsertEventMarkerEXT(string.size(), string.data());
@@ -138,8 +138,8 @@ void DebugMessage::insertImplementationExt(Source, Type, UnsignedInt, Severity,
 }
 
 #ifndef MAGNUM_TARGET_GLES
-void DebugMessage::insertImplementationGremedy(Source, Type, UnsignedInt, Severity, const std::string& string) {
-    glStringMarkerGREMEDY(string.length(), string.data());
+void DebugMessage::insertImplementationGremedy(Source, Type, UnsignedInt, Severity, const Containers::ArrayReference<const char> string) {
+    glStringMarkerGREMEDY(string.size(), string.data());
 }
 #endif
 
diff --git a/src/Magnum/DebugMessage.h b/src/Magnum/DebugMessage.h
index a213a1fb9..9fe752911 100644
--- a/src/Magnum/DebugMessage.h
+++ b/src/Magnum/DebugMessage.h
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
  */
 
 #include <string>
+#include <Corrade/Containers/Array.h>
 
 #include "Magnum/Magnum.h"
 #include "Magnum/OpenGL.h"
@@ -272,7 +273,14 @@ class MAGNUM_EXPORT DebugMessage {
          *      @fn_gl_extension2{InsertEventMarker,EXT,debug_marker} or
          *      @fn_gl_extension{StringMarker,GREMEDY,string_marker}
          */
-        static void insert(Source source, Type type, UnsignedInt id, Severity severity, const std::string& string);
+        static void insert(Source source, Type type, UnsignedInt id, Severity severity, const std::string& string) {
+            insertInternal(source, type, id, severity, {string.data(), string.size()});
+        }
+
+        /** @overload */
+        template<std::size_t size> static void insert(Source source, Type type, UnsignedInt id, Severity severity, const char(&string)[size]) {
+            insertInternal(source, type, id, severity, {string, size - 1});
+        }
 
         /**
          * @brief Set debug message callback
@@ -306,11 +314,12 @@ class MAGNUM_EXPORT DebugMessage {
         DebugMessage() = delete;
 
     private:
-        static MAGNUM_LOCAL void insertImplementationNoOp(Source, Type, UnsignedInt, Severity, const std::string&);
-        static MAGNUM_LOCAL void insertImplementationKhr(Source source, Type type, UnsignedInt id, Severity severity, const std::string& string);
-        static MAGNUM_LOCAL void insertImplementationExt(Source, Type, UnsignedInt, Severity, const std::string& string);
+        static void insertInternal(Source source, Type type, UnsignedInt id, Severity severity, Containers::ArrayReference<const char> string);
+        static MAGNUM_LOCAL void insertImplementationNoOp(Source, Type, UnsignedInt, Severity, Containers::ArrayReference<const char>);
+        static MAGNUM_LOCAL void insertImplementationKhr(Source source, Type type, UnsignedInt id, Severity severity, Containers::ArrayReference<const char> string);
+        static MAGNUM_LOCAL void insertImplementationExt(Source, Type, UnsignedInt, Severity, Containers::ArrayReference<const char> string);
         #ifndef MAGNUM_TARGET_GLES
-        static MAGNUM_LOCAL void insertImplementationGremedy(Source, Type, UnsignedInt, Severity, const std::string& string);
+        static MAGNUM_LOCAL void insertImplementationGremedy(Source, Type, UnsignedInt, Severity, Containers::ArrayReference<const char> string);
         #endif
 
         static MAGNUM_LOCAL void callbackImplementationNoOp(Callback, const void*);
diff --git a/src/Magnum/Implementation/DebugState.h b/src/Magnum/Implementation/DebugState.h
index dd90ec181..2db42423c 100644
--- a/src/Magnum/Implementation/DebugState.h
+++ b/src/Magnum/Implementation/DebugState.h
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ struct DebugState {
     std::string(*getLabelImplementation)(GLenum, GLuint);
     void(*labelImplementation)(GLenum, GLuint, Containers::ArrayReference<const char>);
 
-    void(*messageInsertImplementation)(DebugMessage::Source, DebugMessage::Type, UnsignedInt, DebugMessage::Severity, const std::string&);
+    void(*messageInsertImplementation)(DebugMessage::Source, DebugMessage::Type, UnsignedInt, DebugMessage::Severity, Containers::ArrayReference<const char>);
     void(*messageCallbackImplementation)(DebugMessage::Callback, const void*);
 
     GLint maxLabelLength, maxLoggedMessages, maxMessageLength;