diff --git a/format.cc b/format.cc
index 5103c61f..6dd52b87 100644
--- a/format.cc
+++ b/format.cc
@@ -930,10 +930,8 @@ unsigned fmt::internal::PrintfFormatter<Char>::parse_header(
 
 template <typename Char>
 void fmt::internal::PrintfFormatter<Char>::format(
-    BasicWriter<Char> &writer, BasicCStringRef<Char> format_str,
-    const ArgList &args) {
+    BasicWriter<Char> &writer, BasicCStringRef<Char> format_str) {
   const Char *start = format_str.c_str();
-  set_args(args);
   const Char *s = start;
   while (*s) {
     Char c = *s++;
@@ -1199,11 +1197,9 @@ const Char *fmt::BasicFormatter<Char>::format(
 }
 
 template <typename Char>
-void fmt::BasicFormatter<Char>::format(
-    BasicCStringRef<Char> format_str, const ArgList &args) {
+void fmt::BasicFormatter<Char>::format(BasicCStringRef<Char> format_str) {
   const Char *s = format_str.c_str();
   const Char *start = s;
-  set_args(args);
   while (*s) {
     Char c = *s++;
     if (c != '{' && c != '}') continue;
@@ -1275,11 +1271,10 @@ template void fmt::internal::FixedBuffer<char>::grow(std::size_t);
 template const char *fmt::BasicFormatter<char>::format(
     const char *&format_str, const fmt::internal::Arg &arg);
 
-template void fmt::BasicFormatter<char>::format(
-  CStringRef format, const ArgList &args);
+template void fmt::BasicFormatter<char>::format(CStringRef format);
 
 template void fmt::internal::PrintfFormatter<char>::format(
-  BasicWriter<char> &writer, CStringRef format, const ArgList &args);
+  BasicWriter<char> &writer, CStringRef format);
 
 template int fmt::internal::CharTraits<char>::format_float(
     char *buffer, std::size_t size, const char *format,
@@ -1297,11 +1292,10 @@ template const wchar_t *fmt::BasicFormatter<wchar_t>::format(
     const wchar_t *&format_str, const fmt::internal::Arg &arg);
 
 template void fmt::BasicFormatter<wchar_t>::format(
-    BasicCStringRef<wchar_t> format, const ArgList &args);
+    BasicCStringRef<wchar_t> format);
 
 template void fmt::internal::PrintfFormatter<wchar_t>::format(
-    BasicWriter<wchar_t> &writer, WCStringRef format,
-    const ArgList &args);
+    BasicWriter<wchar_t> &writer, WCStringRef format);
 
 template int fmt::internal::CharTraits<wchar_t>::format_float(
     wchar_t *buffer, std::size_t size, const wchar_t *format,
diff --git a/format.h b/format.h
index 9208b7e9..a7c2389b 100644
--- a/format.h
+++ b/format.h
@@ -1280,7 +1280,7 @@ class FormatterBase {
  protected:
   const ArgList &args() const { return args_; }
 
-  void set_args(const ArgList &args) {
+  explicit FormatterBase(const ArgList &args) {
     args_ = args;
     next_arg_index_ = 0;
   }
@@ -1316,8 +1316,8 @@ class PrintfFormatter : private FormatterBase {
   unsigned parse_header(const Char *&s, FormatSpec &spec);
 
  public:
-  void format(BasicWriter<Char> &writer,
-    BasicCStringRef<Char> format_str, const ArgList &args);
+  explicit PrintfFormatter(const ArgList &args) : FormatterBase(args) {}
+  void format(BasicWriter<Char> &writer, BasicCStringRef<Char> format_str);
 };
 }  // namespace internal
 
@@ -1343,11 +1343,12 @@ class BasicFormatter : private internal::FormatterBase {
   internal::Arg parse_arg_name(const Char *&s);
 
  public:
-  explicit BasicFormatter(BasicWriter<Char> &w) : writer_(w) {}
+  BasicFormatter(const ArgList &args, BasicWriter<Char> &w)
+    : FormatterBase(args), writer_(w) {}
 
   BasicWriter<Char> &writer() { return writer_; }
 
-  void format(BasicCStringRef<Char> format_str, const ArgList &args);
+  void format(BasicCStringRef<Char> format_str);
 
   const Char *format(const Char *&format_str, const internal::Arg &arg);
 };
@@ -1989,7 +1990,7 @@ class BasicWriter {
     \endrst
    */
   void write(BasicCStringRef<Char> format, ArgList args) {
-    BasicFormatter<Char>(*this).format(format, args);
+    BasicFormatter<Char>(args, *this).format(format);
   }
   FMT_VARIADIC_VOID(write, BasicCStringRef<Char>)
 
@@ -2665,7 +2666,7 @@ void print(std::ostream &os, CStringRef format_str, ArgList args);
 
 template <typename Char>
 void printf(BasicWriter<Char> &w, BasicCStringRef<Char> format, ArgList args) {
-  internal::PrintfFormatter<Char>().format(w, format, args);
+  internal::PrintfFormatter<Char>(args).format(w, format);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/test/util-test.cc b/test/util-test.cc
index be50bc5c..2173b1bf 100644
--- a/test/util-test.cc
+++ b/test/util-test.cc
@@ -561,7 +561,7 @@ TEST(ArgTest, MakeArg) {
   EXPECT_EQ(fmt::internal::Arg::CUSTOM, arg.type);
   EXPECT_EQ(&t, arg.custom.value);
   fmt::MemoryWriter w;
-  fmt::BasicFormatter<char> formatter(w);
+  fmt::BasicFormatter<char> formatter(fmt::ArgList(), w);
   const char *s = "}";
   arg.custom.format(&formatter, &t, &s);
   EXPECT_EQ("test", w.str());