diff --git a/vlib/v/gen/c/cgen.v b/vlib/v/gen/c/cgen.v
index bcd1456c31ccfb..f8517880979c99 100644
--- a/vlib/v/gen/c/cgen.v
+++ b/vlib/v/gen/c/cgen.v
@@ -6719,11 +6719,15 @@ fn (mut g Gen) gen_or_block_stmts(cvar_name string, cast_typ string, stmts []ast
 									g.write('*(${cast_typ}*) ${cvar_name}.data = ')
 								}
 							} else if g.inside_opt_or_res && return_is_option && g.inside_assign {
-								tmp_var := g.new_tmp_var()
-								g.write('${cast_typ} ${tmp_var} = ')
-								g.expr_with_cast(expr_stmt.expr, expr_stmt.typ, return_type.clear_option_and_result())
-								g.writeln(';')
-								g.writeln('_option_ok(&(${cast_typ}[]) { ${tmp_var} }, (${g.styp(return_type)}*)${cvar_name}.data, sizeof(${cast_typ}));')
+								g.write('_option_ok(&(${cast_typ}[]) { ')
+								if return_type.idx() == ast.string_type_idx {
+									g.write('string_clone(')
+									g.expr_with_cast(expr_stmt.expr, expr_stmt.typ, return_type.clear_option_and_result())
+									g.write(')')
+								} else {
+									g.expr_with_cast(expr_stmt.expr, expr_stmt.typ, return_type.clear_option_and_result())
+								}
+								g.writeln(' }, (${g.styp(return_type)}*)${cvar_name}.data, sizeof(${cast_typ}));')
 								g.indent--
 								return
 							} else {