diff --git a/include/fmt/args.h b/include/fmt/args.h
index 1eb9c538..6ed30c0b 100644
--- a/include/fmt/args.h
+++ b/include/fmt/args.h
@@ -110,14 +110,14 @@ template <typename Context> class dynamic_format_arg_store {
   }
 
   template <typename T> void emplace_arg(const T& arg) {
-    data_.emplace_back(detail::make_arg<Context>(arg));
+    data_.emplace_back(arg);
   }
 
   template <typename T>
   void emplace_arg(const detail::named_arg<char_type, T>& arg) {
     if (named_info_.empty())
       data_.insert(data_.begin(), basic_format_arg<Context>(nullptr, 0));
-    data_.emplace_back(detail::make_arg<Context>(detail::unwrap(arg.value)));
+    data_.emplace_back(detail::unwrap(arg.value));
     auto pop_one = [](std::vector<basic_format_arg<Context>>* data) {
       data->pop_back();
     };
diff --git a/include/fmt/format.h b/include/fmt/format.h
index c2ee7102..bd4ae809 100644
--- a/include/fmt/format.h
+++ b/include/fmt/format.h
@@ -995,12 +995,6 @@ struct is_contiguous<basic_memory_buffer<T, SIZE, Allocator>> : std::true_type {
 
 FMT_END_EXPORT
 namespace detail {
-
-template <typename Context, typename T>
-FMT_CONSTEXPR auto make_arg(T& val) -> basic_format_arg<Context> {
-  return {arg_mapper<typename Context::char_type>::map(val)};
-}
-
 FMT_API auto write_console(int fd, string_view text) -> bool;
 FMT_API void print(FILE*, string_view);
 }  // namespace detail
@@ -1092,7 +1086,7 @@ class loc_value {
 
  public:
   template <typename T, FMT_ENABLE_IF(!detail::is_float128<T>::value)>
-  loc_value(T value) : value_(detail::make_arg<context>(value)) {}
+  loc_value(T value) : value_(value) {}
 
   template <typename T, FMT_ENABLE_IF(detail::is_float128<T>::value)>
   loc_value(T) {}
diff --git a/include/fmt/printf.h b/include/fmt/printf.h
index 309d6076..7a1c5081 100644
--- a/include/fmt/printf.h
+++ b/include/fmt/printf.h
@@ -145,25 +145,19 @@ template <typename T, typename Context> class arg_converter {
     using target_type = conditional_t<std::is_same<T, void>::value, U, T>;
     if (const_check(sizeof(target_type) <= sizeof(int))) {
       // Extra casts are used to silence warnings.
-      if (is_signed) {
-        auto n = static_cast<int>(static_cast<target_type>(value));
-        arg_ = detail::make_arg<Context>(n);
-      } else {
-        using unsigned_type = typename make_unsigned_or_bool<target_type>::type;
-        auto n = static_cast<unsigned>(static_cast<unsigned_type>(value));
-        arg_ = detail::make_arg<Context>(n);
-      }
+      using unsigned_type = typename make_unsigned_or_bool<target_type>::type;
+      if (is_signed)
+        arg_ = static_cast<int>(static_cast<target_type>(value));
+      else
+        arg_ = static_cast<unsigned>(static_cast<unsigned_type>(value));
     } else {
-      if (is_signed) {
-        // glibc's printf doesn't sign extend arguments of smaller types:
-        //   std::printf("%lld", -42);  // prints "4294967254"
-        // but we don't have to do the same because it's a UB.
-        auto n = static_cast<long long>(value);
-        arg_ = detail::make_arg<Context>(n);
-      } else {
-        auto n = static_cast<typename make_unsigned_or_bool<U>::type>(value);
-        arg_ = detail::make_arg<Context>(n);
-      }
+      // glibc's printf doesn't sign extend arguments of smaller types:
+      //   std::printf("%lld", -42);  // prints "4294967254"
+      // but we don't have to do the same because it's a UB.
+      if (is_signed)
+        arg_ = static_cast<long long>(value);
+      else
+        arg_ = static_cast<typename make_unsigned_or_bool<U>::type>(value);
     }
   }
 
@@ -190,8 +184,7 @@ template <typename Context> class char_converter {
 
   template <typename T, FMT_ENABLE_IF(std::is_integral<T>::value)>
   void operator()(T value) {
-    auto c = static_cast<typename Context::char_type>(value);
-    arg_ = detail::make_arg<Context>(c);
+    arg_ = static_cast<typename Context::char_type>(value);
   }
 
   template <typename T, FMT_ENABLE_IF(!std::is_integral<T>::value)>
@@ -471,7 +464,7 @@ void vprintf(buffer<Char>& buf, basic_string_view<Char> format,
       auto nul = std::find(str, str_end, Char());
       auto sv = basic_string_view<Char>(
           str, to_unsigned(nul != str_end ? nul - str : specs.precision));
-      arg = make_arg<basic_printf_context<Char>>(sv);
+      arg = sv;
     }
     if (specs.alt() && arg.visit(is_zero_int())) specs.clear_alt();
     if (specs.fill_unit<Char>() == '0') {
diff --git a/test/base-test.cc b/test/base-test.cc
index b8a69b17..3189858a 100644
--- a/test/base-test.cc
+++ b/test/base-test.cc
@@ -342,14 +342,12 @@ VISIT_TYPE(unsigned long, unsigned long long);
 #endif
 
 #if FMT_BUILTIN_TYPES
-#  define CHECK_ARG(expected, value)                                 \
-    {                                                                \
-      testing::StrictMock<mock_visitor<decltype(expected)>> visitor; \
-      EXPECT_CALL(visitor, visit(expected));                         \
-      auto var = value;                                              \
-      fmt::basic_format_arg<fmt::format_context>(                    \
-          fmt::detail::arg_mapper<char>::map(var))                   \
-          .visit(visitor);                                           \
+#  define CHECK_ARG(expected, value)                                  \
+    {                                                                 \
+      testing::StrictMock<mock_visitor<decltype(expected)>> visitor;  \
+      EXPECT_CALL(visitor, visit(expected));                          \
+      auto var = value;                                               \
+      fmt::basic_format_arg<fmt::format_context>(var).visit(visitor); \
     }
 #else
 #  define CHECK_ARG(expected, value)