diff --git a/include/dwarfs/util.h b/include/dwarfs/util.h
index a039bd23..236029fa 100644
--- a/include/dwarfs/util.h
+++ b/include/dwarfs/util.h
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 #include <filesystem>
 #include <span>
 #include <string>
+#include <string_view>
 
 #include "dwarfs/types.h"
 
@@ -49,7 +50,10 @@ inline std::string u8string_to_string(std::u8string const& in) {
 std::string sys_string_to_string(sys_string const& in);
 sys_string string_to_sys_string(std::string const& in);
 
-int call_sys_main_iolayer(std::span<char const*> args, iolayer const& iol,
+int call_sys_main_iolayer(std::span<std::string_view> args, iolayer const& iol,
+                          int (*main)(int, sys_char**, iolayer const&));
+
+int call_sys_main_iolayer(std::span<std::string> args, iolayer const& iol,
                           int (*main)(int, sys_char**, iolayer const&));
 
 size_t utf8_display_width(char const* p, size_t len);
diff --git a/include/dwarfs_tool_main.h b/include/dwarfs_tool_main.h
index e263dfb1..a79e6bb0 100644
--- a/include/dwarfs_tool_main.h
+++ b/include/dwarfs_tool_main.h
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@
 
 #include <iosfwd>
 #include <span>
+#include <string>
+#include <string_view>
 
 #include "dwarfs/types.h"
 
@@ -36,23 +38,28 @@ namespace dwarfs {
 
 struct iolayer;
 
-int mkdwarfs_main(std::span<char const*> args, iolayer const& iol);
+int mkdwarfs_main(std::span<std::string> args, iolayer const& iol);
+int mkdwarfs_main(std::span<std::string_view> args, iolayer const& iol);
 int mkdwarfs_main(int argc, sys_char** argv, iolayer const& iol);
 int mkdwarfs_main(int argc, sys_char** argv);
 
-int dwarfsck_main(std::span<char const*> args, iolayer const& iol);
+int dwarfsck_main(std::span<std::string> args, iolayer const& iol);
+int dwarfsck_main(std::span<std::string_view> args, iolayer const& iol);
 int dwarfsck_main(int argc, sys_char** argv, iolayer const& iol);
 int dwarfsck_main(int argc, sys_char** argv);
 
-int dwarfsextract_main(std::span<char const*> args, iolayer const& iol);
+int dwarfsextract_main(std::span<std::string> args, iolayer const& iol);
+int dwarfsextract_main(std::span<std::string_view> args, iolayer const& iol);
 int dwarfsextract_main(int argc, sys_char** argv, iolayer const& iol);
 int dwarfsextract_main(int argc, sys_char** argv);
 
-int dwarfsbench_main(std::span<char const*> args, iolayer const& iol);
+int dwarfsbench_main(std::span<std::string> args, iolayer const& iol);
+int dwarfsbench_main(std::span<std::string_view> args, iolayer const& iol);
 int dwarfsbench_main(int argc, sys_char** argv, iolayer const& iol);
 int dwarfsbench_main(int argc, sys_char** argv);
 
-int dwarfs_main(std::span<char const*> args, iolayer const& iol);
+int dwarfs_main(std::span<std::string> args, iolayer const& iol);
+int dwarfs_main(std::span<std::string_view> args, iolayer const& iol);
 int dwarfs_main(int argc, sys_char** argv, iolayer const& iol);
 int dwarfs_main(int argc, sys_char** argv);
 
diff --git a/src/dwarfs/util.cpp b/src/dwarfs/util.cpp
index 72ee664a..f23b7e29 100644
--- a/src/dwarfs/util.cpp
+++ b/src/dwarfs/util.cpp
@@ -47,6 +47,21 @@ inline std::string trimmed(std::string in) {
   }
   return in;
 }
+
+template <typename T>
+int call_sys_main_iolayer_impl(std::span<T> args, iolayer const& iol,
+                               int (*main)(int, sys_char**, iolayer const&)) {
+  std::vector<sys_string> argv;
+  std::vector<sys_char*> argv_ptrs;
+  argv.reserve(args.size());
+  argv_ptrs.reserve(args.size());
+  for (auto const& arg : args) {
+    argv.emplace_back(string_to_sys_string(std::string(arg)));
+    argv_ptrs.emplace_back(argv.back().data());
+  }
+  return main(argv_ptrs.size(), argv_ptrs.data(), iol);
+}
+
 } // namespace
 
 std::string size_with_unit(size_t size) {
@@ -148,17 +163,14 @@ sys_string string_to_sys_string(std::string const& in) {
 #endif
 }
 
-int call_sys_main_iolayer(std::span<char const*> args, iolayer const& iol,
+int call_sys_main_iolayer(std::span<std::string_view> args, iolayer const& iol,
                           int (*main)(int, sys_char**, iolayer const&)) {
-  std::vector<sys_string> argv;
-  std::vector<sys_char*> argv_ptrs;
-  argv.reserve(args.size());
-  argv_ptrs.reserve(args.size());
-  for (auto const& arg : args) {
-    argv.emplace_back(string_to_sys_string(arg));
-    argv_ptrs.emplace_back(argv.back().data());
-  }
-  return main(argv_ptrs.size(), argv_ptrs.data(), iol);
+  return call_sys_main_iolayer_impl(args, iol, main);
+}
+
+int call_sys_main_iolayer(std::span<std::string> args, iolayer const& iol,
+                          int (*main)(int, sys_char**, iolayer const&)) {
+  return call_sys_main_iolayer_impl(args, iol, main);
 }
 
 size_t utf8_display_width(char const* p, size_t len) {
diff --git a/src/dwarfs_main.cpp b/src/dwarfs_main.cpp
index 47a4fc67..672eba9e 100644
--- a/src/dwarfs_main.cpp
+++ b/src/dwarfs_main.cpp
@@ -1389,7 +1389,11 @@ int dwarfs_main(int argc, sys_char** argv) {
   return dwarfs_main(argc, argv, iolayer::system_default());
 }
 
-int dwarfs_main(std::span<char const*> args, iolayer const& iol) {
+int dwarfs_main(std::span<std::string> args, iolayer const& iol) {
+  return call_sys_main_iolayer(args, iol, dwarfs_main);
+}
+
+int dwarfs_main(std::span<std::string_view> args, iolayer const& iol) {
   return call_sys_main_iolayer(args, iol, dwarfs_main);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/dwarfsbench_main.cpp b/src/dwarfsbench_main.cpp
index 178721b5..da11572b 100644
--- a/src/dwarfsbench_main.cpp
+++ b/src/dwarfsbench_main.cpp
@@ -141,7 +141,11 @@ int dwarfsbench_main(int argc, sys_char** argv) {
   return dwarfsbench_main(argc, argv, iolayer::system_default());
 }
 
-int dwarfsbench_main(std::span<char const*> args, iolayer const& iol) {
+int dwarfsbench_main(std::span<std::string> args, iolayer const& iol) {
+  return call_sys_main_iolayer(args, iol, dwarfsbench_main);
+}
+
+int dwarfsbench_main(std::span<std::string_view> args, iolayer const& iol) {
   return call_sys_main_iolayer(args, iol, dwarfsbench_main);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/dwarfsck_main.cpp b/src/dwarfsck_main.cpp
index b3c82733..5cf666ef 100644
--- a/src/dwarfsck_main.cpp
+++ b/src/dwarfsck_main.cpp
@@ -208,7 +208,11 @@ int dwarfsck_main(int argc, sys_char** argv) {
   return dwarfsck_main(argc, argv, iolayer::system_default());
 }
 
-int dwarfsck_main(std::span<char const*> args, iolayer const& iol) {
+int dwarfsck_main(std::span<std::string> args, iolayer const& iol) {
+  return call_sys_main_iolayer(args, iol, dwarfsck_main);
+}
+
+int dwarfsck_main(std::span<std::string_view> args, iolayer const& iol) {
   return call_sys_main_iolayer(args, iol, dwarfsck_main);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/dwarfsextract_main.cpp b/src/dwarfsextract_main.cpp
index 8c5f6a82..2694afea 100644
--- a/src/dwarfsextract_main.cpp
+++ b/src/dwarfsextract_main.cpp
@@ -201,7 +201,11 @@ int dwarfsextract_main(int argc, sys_char** argv) {
   return dwarfsextract_main(argc, argv, iolayer::system_default());
 }
 
-int dwarfsextract_main(std::span<char const*> args, iolayer const& iol) {
+int dwarfsextract_main(std::span<std::string> args, iolayer const& iol) {
+  return call_sys_main_iolayer(args, iol, dwarfsextract_main);
+}
+
+int dwarfsextract_main(std::span<std::string_view> args, iolayer const& iol) {
   return call_sys_main_iolayer(args, iol, dwarfsextract_main);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/mkdwarfs_main.cpp b/src/mkdwarfs_main.cpp
index c01245eb..3c9545c3 100644
--- a/src/mkdwarfs_main.cpp
+++ b/src/mkdwarfs_main.cpp
@@ -1289,7 +1289,11 @@ int mkdwarfs_main(int argc, sys_char** argv) {
   return mkdwarfs_main(argc, argv, iolayer::system_default());
 }
 
-int mkdwarfs_main(std::span<char const*> args, iolayer const& iol) {
+int mkdwarfs_main(std::span<std::string> args, iolayer const& iol) {
+  return call_sys_main_iolayer(args, iol, mkdwarfs_main);
+}
+
+int mkdwarfs_main(std::span<std::string_view> args, iolayer const& iol) {
   return call_sys_main_iolayer(args, iol, mkdwarfs_main);
 }
 
diff --git a/test/categorizer_test.cpp b/test/categorizer_test.cpp
index 03b384b9..0d980632 100644
--- a/test/categorizer_test.cpp
+++ b/test/categorizer_test.cpp
@@ -57,9 +57,7 @@ TEST_P(categorizer_test, end_to_end) {
 
   test::test_iolayer iolayer(input);
 
-  std::vector<char const*> args{"mkdwarfs", "-i", "/",
-                                "-o",       "-",  "--categorize"};
-
+  auto args = test::parse_args("mkdwarfs -i / -o - --categorize");
   auto exit_code = mkdwarfs_main(args, iolayer.get());
 
   EXPECT_EQ(exit_code, 0);
diff --git a/test/test_helpers.cpp b/test/test_helpers.cpp
index 22a3f004..238d2957 100644
--- a/test/test_helpers.cpp
+++ b/test/test_helpers.cpp
@@ -469,5 +469,11 @@ std::optional<fs::path> find_binary(std::string_view name) {
   return std::nullopt;
 }
 
+std::vector<std::string> parse_args(std::string_view args) {
+  std::vector<std::string> rv;
+  folly::split(' ', args, rv);
+  return rv;
+}
+
 } // namespace test
 } // namespace dwarfs
diff --git a/test/test_helpers.h b/test/test_helpers.h
index 98b0d3d4..7db84222 100644
--- a/test/test_helpers.h
+++ b/test/test_helpers.h
@@ -183,4 +183,6 @@ std::optional<std::filesystem::path> find_binary(std::string_view name);
 
 std::span<std::pair<simplestat, std::string_view> const> test_dirtree();
 
+std::vector<std::string> parse_args(std::string_view args);
+
 } // namespace dwarfs::test