diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/qt/util.cc b/selfdrive/ui/qt/util.cc
index 4be88aaf11..c5697c1045 100644
--- a/selfdrive/ui/qt/util.cc
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/qt/util.cc
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ QPixmap loadPixmap(const QString &fileName, const QSize &size, Qt::AspectRatioMo
   }
 }
 
-QRect getTextRect(QPainter &p, int flags, QString text) {
+QRect getTextRect(QPainter &p, int flags, const QString &text) {
   QFontMetrics fm(p.font());
   QRect init_rect = fm.boundingRect(text);
   return fm.boundingRect(init_rect, flags, text);
diff --git a/selfdrive/ui/qt/util.h b/selfdrive/ui/qt/util.h
index f0e57526c8..209f051963 100644
--- a/selfdrive/ui/qt/util.h
+++ b/selfdrive/ui/qt/util.h
@@ -24,6 +24,6 @@ void initApp(int argc, char *argv[]);
 QWidget* topWidget (QWidget* widget);
 QPixmap loadPixmap(const QString &fileName, const QSize &size = {}, Qt::AspectRatioMode aspectRatioMode = Qt::KeepAspectRatio);
 
-QRect getTextRect(QPainter &p, int flags, QString text);
+QRect getTextRect(QPainter &p, int flags, const QString &text);
 void drawRoundedRect(QPainter &painter, const QRectF &rect, qreal xRadiusTop, qreal yRadiusTop, qreal xRadiusBottom, qreal yRadiusBottom);
 QColor interpColor(float xv, std::vector<float> xp, std::vector<QColor> fp);