diff --git a/renderdoc/os/posix/posix_specific.h b/renderdoc/os/posix/posix_specific.h
index 6beee462d..792d0d4d6 100644
--- a/renderdoc/os/posix/posix_specific.h
+++ b/renderdoc/os/posix/posix_specific.h
@@ -32,9 +32,19 @@
 
 #define OS_DEBUG_BREAK() raise(SIGTRAP)
 
-#define GetEmbeddedResource(filename) \
-  string(&CONCAT(data_, filename)[0], \
-         &CONCAT(data_, filename)[0] + CONCAT(CONCAT(data_, filename), _len))
+struct EmbeddedResourceType
+{
+  EmbeddedResourceType(const unsigned char *b, int l) : base(b), len(l) {}
+  const unsigned char *base;
+  int len;
+  std::string Get() const { return std::string(base, base + len); }
+};
+
+#define EmbeddedResource(filename) \
+  EmbeddedResourceType(&CONCAT(data_, filename)[0], CONCAT(CONCAT(data_, filename), _len))
+
+#define GetEmbeddedResource(filename) EmbeddedResource(filename).Get()
+#define GetDynamicEmbeddedResource(resource) resource.Get()
 
 namespace OSUtility
 {
diff --git a/renderdoc/os/win32/win32_specific.h b/renderdoc/os/win32/win32_specific.h
index 41579f65b..79c49e83e 100644
--- a/renderdoc/os/win32/win32_specific.h
+++ b/renderdoc/os/win32/win32_specific.h
@@ -36,8 +36,11 @@
 
 #define OS_DEBUG_BREAK() __debugbreak()
 
-#define GetEmbeddedResource(filename) GetEmbeddedResourceWin32(CONCAT(RESOURCE_, filename))
-string GetEmbeddedResourceWin32(int resource);
+#define EmbeddedResourceType int
+#define EmbeddedResource(filename) CONCAT(RESOURCE_, filename)
+
+#define GetEmbeddedResource(filename) GetDynamicEmbeddedResource(EmbeddedResource(filename))
+std::string GetDynamicEmbeddedResource(int resource);
 
 namespace StringFormat
 {
diff --git a/renderdoc/os/win32/win32_stringio.cpp b/renderdoc/os/win32/win32_stringio.cpp
index b9ef930ed..ddb03023c 100644
--- a/renderdoc/os/win32/win32_stringio.cpp
+++ b/renderdoc/os/win32/win32_stringio.cpp
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ using std::wstring;
 // gives us an address to identify this dll with
 static int dllLocator = 0;
 
-string GetEmbeddedResourceWin32(int resource)
+std::string GetDynamicEmbeddedResource(int resource)
 {
   HMODULE mod = NULL;
   GetModuleHandleExA(