diff --git a/panda/src/gobj/internalName_ext.cxx b/panda/src/gobj/internalName_ext.cxx
index 5d15fd5e6d..dfdb8e8e36 100644
--- a/panda/src/gobj/internalName_ext.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/gobj/internalName_ext.cxx
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ make(PyUnicodeObject *str) {
     }
 
     string name(c_str, len);
-    return InternalName::make(c_str, len);
+    return InternalName::make(name);
   }
 
   InternalName::PyInternTable::const_iterator it;