diff --git a/renderdoc/serialise/serialiser.cpp b/renderdoc/serialise/serialiser.cpp
index 4dfc24f49..66e68eb90 100644
--- a/renderdoc/serialise/serialiser.cpp
+++ b/renderdoc/serialise/serialiser.cpp
@@ -744,6 +744,18 @@ void DoSerialise(SerialiserType &ser, SDObject *el)
 /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 // Basic types
 
+template <>
+std::string DoStringise(const std::string &el)
+{
+  return el;
+}
+
+template <>
+std::string DoStringise(const rdcstr &el)
+{
+  return el;
+}
+
 template <>
 std::string DoStringise(void *const &el)
 {