diff --git a/libabyss/src/server.cpp b/libabyss/src/server.cpp
index 5a982c9ee..fa85dee1c 100644
--- a/libabyss/src/server.cpp
+++ b/libabyss/src/server.cpp
@@ -89,12 +89,12 @@ namespace abyss
         auto idx = line.find_first_of(' ');
         if(idx == string_view::npos)
           return false;
-        Header.Method = line.substr(0, idx);
+        Header.Method = std::string(line.substr(0, idx));
         line          = line.substr(idx + 1);
         idx           = line.find_first_of(' ');
         if(idx == string_view::npos)
           return false;
-        Header.Path = line.substr(0, idx);
+        Header.Path = std::string(line.substr(0, idx));
         m_State     = eReadHTTPHeaders;
         return true;
       }
diff --git a/llarp/CMakeLists.txt b/llarp/CMakeLists.txt
index 4a45b358d..b8618c19d 100644
--- a/llarp/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/llarp/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ target_include_directories(${UTIL_LIB} PUBLIC ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/../inc
 
 # cut back on fluff
 if (NOT WIN32)
-    target_link_libraries(${UTIL_LIB} PUBLIC absl::optional absl::variant cppbackport)
+    target_link_libraries(${UTIL_LIB} PUBLIC absl::optional absl::variant absl::strings absl::hash cppbackport)
 endif(NOT WIN32)
 
 if(${CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME} MATCHES "Linux")
diff --git a/llarp/service/config.cpp b/llarp/service/config.cpp
index 4c0468671..379f522e7 100644
--- a/llarp/service/config.cpp
+++ b/llarp/service/config.cpp
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ namespace llarp
       parser.IterAll([&](const llarp::ConfigParser::String_t& name,
                          const llarp::ConfigParser::Section_t& section) {
         llarp::service::Config::section_t values;
-        values.first = name;
+        values.first.assign(name.begin(), name.end());
         for(const auto& item : section)
           values.second.emplace_back(item.first, item.second);
         services.emplace_back(values);
diff --git a/llarp/util/ini.hpp b/llarp/util/ini.hpp
index 46f5b5b50..c1488426a 100644
--- a/llarp/util/ini.hpp
+++ b/llarp/util/ini.hpp
@@ -10,9 +10,11 @@ namespace llarp
 {
   struct ConfigParser
   {
-    using String_t      = llarp::string_view;
-    using Section_t     = std::unordered_multimap< String_t, String_t >;
-    using Config_impl_t = std::unordered_map< String_t, Section_t >;
+    using String_t = llarp::string_view;
+    using Section_t =
+        std::unordered_multimap< String_t, String_t, string_view_hash >;
+    using Config_impl_t =
+        std::unordered_map< String_t, Section_t, string_view_hash >;
     /// clear parser
     void
     Clear();
diff --git a/llarp/util/json.hpp b/llarp/util/json.hpp
index 0bfa1b2e9..1c6e84f76 100644
--- a/llarp/util/json.hpp
+++ b/llarp/util/json.hpp
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 #ifndef LLARP_UTIL_JSON_HPP
 #define LLARP_UTIL_JSON_HPP
 
+#include <util/string_view.hpp>
+
 #include <rapidjson/document.h>
 #include <rapidjson/writer.h>
 
@@ -79,11 +81,6 @@ namespace llarp
     using Writer   = rapidjson::Writer< Stream >;
   }  // namespace json
 
-#if __cplusplus >= 201703L
-  using string_view = std::string_view;
-#else
-  using string_view = std::string;
-#endif
   namespace json
   {
     struct IParser
diff --git a/llarp/util/string_view.hpp b/llarp/util/string_view.hpp
index 5146664a4..9c6663ba9 100644
--- a/llarp/util/string_view.hpp
+++ b/llarp/util/string_view.hpp
@@ -6,7 +6,9 @@
 #include <string>
 namespace llarp
 {
-  using string_view = std::string_view;
+  using string_view      = std::string_view;
+  using string_view_hash = std::hash< string_view >;
+
   static std::string
   string_view_string(const string_view& v)
   {
@@ -14,15 +16,17 @@ namespace llarp
   }
 }  // namespace llarp
 #else
-#include <string>
+#include <absl/hash/hash.h>
+#include <absl/strings/string_view.h>
 namespace llarp
 {
-  using string_view = std::string;
+  using string_view      = absl::string_view;
+  using string_view_hash = absl::Hash< string_view >;
 
   static std::string
   string_view_string(const string_view& v)
   {
-    return v;
+    return std::string(v);
   };
 }  // namespace llarp
 #endif
diff --git a/test/util/test_llarp_util_ini.cpp b/test/util/test_llarp_util_ini.cpp
index 498e9c7d5..ff0373405 100644
--- a/test/util/test_llarp_util_ini.cpp
+++ b/test/util/test_llarp_util_ini.cpp
@@ -2,11 +2,12 @@
 
 #include <util/ini.hpp>
 
-struct TestINIParser : public ::testing::Test 
-{ 
+struct TestINIParser : public ::testing::Test
+{
   llarp::ConfigParser parser;
 
-  void TearDown()
+  void
+  TearDown()
   {
     parser.Clear();
   }
@@ -21,7 +22,7 @@ TEST_F(TestINIParser, TestParseOneSection)
 {
   llarp::ConfigParser::Section_t sect;
   // this is an anti pattern don't write this kind of code with configpaser
-  auto assertVisit = [&sect](const auto & section) -> bool {
+  auto assertVisit = [&sect](const auto& section) -> bool {
     sect = section;
     return true;
   };
@@ -34,7 +35,7 @@ TEST_F(TestINIParser, TestParseOneSection)
 #if __cplusplus >= 201703L
   ASSERT_STREQ(llarp::string_view_string(itr->second).c_str(), "val");
 #else
-  ASSERT_STREQ(itr->second.c_str(), "val");
+  ASSERT_EQ(itr->second, "val");
 #endif
 }
 
@@ -42,7 +43,7 @@ TEST_F(TestINIParser, TestParseSectionDuplicateKeys)
 {
   ASSERT_TRUE(parser.LoadString("[test]\nkey1=val1\nkey1=val2"));
   size_t num = 0;
-  auto visit =[&num](const auto & section) -> bool {
+  auto visit = [&num](const auto& section) -> bool {
     num = section.count("key1");
     return true;
   };
@@ -52,5 +53,7 @@ TEST_F(TestINIParser, TestParseSectionDuplicateKeys)
 
 TEST_F(TestINIParser, TestParseInvalid)
 {
-  ASSERT_FALSE(parser.LoadString("srged5ghe5\nf34wtge5\nw34tgfs4ygsd5yg=4;\n#g4syhgd5\n"));
+  ASSERT_FALSE(
+      parser.LoadString("srged5ghe5\nf34wtge5\nw34tgfs4ygsd5yg=4;\n#"
+                        "g4syhgd5\n"));
 }