diff --git a/compiler/rustc_attr_parsing/src/attributes/allow_unstable.rs b/compiler/rustc_attr_parsing/src/attributes/allow_unstable.rs
index c1d95d07f4c6..8460a4a41227 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_attr_parsing/src/attributes/allow_unstable.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_attr_parsing/src/attributes/allow_unstable.rs
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ fn parse_unstable<'a>(
 
     for param in list.mixed() {
         let param_span = param.span();
-        if let Some(ident) = param.meta_item().and_then(|i| i.path_without_args().word()) {
+        if let Some(ident) = param.meta_item().and_then(|i| i.path().word()) {
             res.push(ident.name);
         } else {
             cx.emit_err(session_diagnostics::ExpectsFeatures {
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_attr_parsing/src/attributes/deprecation.rs b/compiler/rustc_attr_parsing/src/attributes/deprecation.rs
index fb3d5f57d4fa..5e94261f1c49 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_attr_parsing/src/attributes/deprecation.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_attr_parsing/src/attributes/deprecation.rs
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ impl SingleAttributeParser for DeprecationParser {
                     return None;
                 };
 
-                let ident_name = param.path_without_args().word_sym();
+                let ident_name = param.path().word_sym();
 
                 match ident_name {
                     Some(name @ sym::since) => {
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ impl SingleAttributeParser for DeprecationParser {
                     _ => {
                         cx.emit_err(session_diagnostics::UnknownMetaItem {
                             span: param_span,
-                            item: param.path_without_args().to_string(),
+                            item: param.path().to_string(),
                             expected: if features.deprecated_suggestion() {
                                 &["since", "note", "suggestion"]
                             } else {
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_attr_parsing/src/attributes/repr.rs b/compiler/rustc_attr_parsing/src/attributes/repr.rs
index 43dfb85a7c41..97c865230f2d 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_attr_parsing/src/attributes/repr.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_attr_parsing/src/attributes/repr.rs
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ fn parse_repr(cx: &AcceptContext<'_>, param: &MetaItemParser<'_>) -> Option<Repr
 
     // FIXME(jdonszelmann): invert the parsing here to match on the word first and then the
     // structure.
-    let (name, ident_span) = if let Some(ident) = param.path_without_args().word() {
+    let (name, ident_span) = if let Some(ident) = param.path().word() {
         (Some(ident.name), ident.span)
     } else {
         (None, rustc_span::DUMMY_SP)
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_attr_parsing/src/attributes/stability.rs b/compiler/rustc_attr_parsing/src/attributes/stability.rs
index cd1f21d92e7e..cea16a9e45f6 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_attr_parsing/src/attributes/stability.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_attr_parsing/src/attributes/stability.rs
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ fn insert_value_into_option_or_error(
     if item.is_some() {
         cx.emit_err(session_diagnostics::MultipleItem {
             span: param.span(),
-            item: param.path_without_args().to_string(),
+            item: param.path().to_string(),
         });
         None
     } else if let Some(v) = param.args().name_value()
@@ -242,13 +242,13 @@ pub(crate) fn parse_stability(
             return None;
         };
 
-        match param.path_without_args().word_sym() {
+        match param.path().word_sym() {
             Some(sym::feature) => insert_value_into_option_or_error(cx, &param, &mut feature)?,
             Some(sym::since) => insert_value_into_option_or_error(cx, &param, &mut since)?,
             _ => {
                 cx.emit_err(session_diagnostics::UnknownMetaItem {
                     span: param_span,
-                    item: param.path_without_args().to_string(),
+                    item: param.path().to_string(),
                     expected: &["feature", "since"],
                 });
                 return None;
@@ -310,7 +310,7 @@ pub(crate) fn parse_unstability(
             return None;
         };
 
-        match param.path_without_args().word_sym() {
+        match param.path().word_sym() {
             Some(sym::feature) => insert_value_into_option_or_error(cx, &param, &mut feature)?,
             Some(sym::reason) => insert_value_into_option_or_error(cx, &param, &mut reason)?,
             Some(sym::issue) => {
@@ -349,7 +349,7 @@ pub(crate) fn parse_unstability(
             _ => {
                 cx.emit_err(session_diagnostics::UnknownMetaItem {
                     span: param.span(),
-                    item: param.path_without_args().to_string(),
+                    item: param.path().to_string(),
                     expected: &["feature", "reason", "issue", "soft", "implied_by"],
                 });
                 return None;
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_attr_parsing/src/context.rs b/compiler/rustc_attr_parsing/src/context.rs
index 820c70edebf8..c10178549166 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_attr_parsing/src/context.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_attr_parsing/src/context.rs
@@ -260,7 +260,7 @@ impl<'sess> AttributeParser<'sess> {
                 // }
                 ast::AttrKind::Normal(n) => {
                     let parser = MetaItemParser::from_attr(n, self.dcx());
-                    let path = parser.path_without_args();
+                    let path = parser.path();
                     let args = parser.args();
                     let parts = path.segments().map(|i| i.name).collect::<Vec<_>>();
 
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_attr_parsing/src/parser.rs b/compiler/rustc_attr_parsing/src/parser.rs
index 30d8aa027209..7e89f6c6a2e9 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_attr_parsing/src/parser.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_attr_parsing/src/parser.rs
@@ -258,8 +258,8 @@ impl<'a> MetaItemParser<'a> {
     /// - `#[rustfmt::skip]`: `rustfmt::skip` is a path
     /// - `#[allow(clippy::complexity)]`: `clippy::complexity` is a path
     /// - `#[inline]`: `inline` is a single segment path
-    pub fn path_without_args(&self) -> PathParser<'a> {
-        self.path.clone()
+    pub fn path(&self) -> &PathParser<'a> {
+        &self.path
     }
 
     /// Gets just the args parser, without caring about the path.
@@ -274,7 +274,7 @@ impl<'a> MetaItemParser<'a> {
     /// - `#[rustfmt::skip]`: `rustfmt::skip` is a path,
     ///   and not a word and should instead be parsed using [`path`](Self::path)
     pub fn word_is(&self, sym: Symbol) -> Option<&ArgParser<'a>> {
-        self.path_without_args().word_is(sym).then(|| self.args())
+        self.path().word_is(sym).then(|| self.args())
     }
 }