diff --git a/include/fmt/base.h b/include/fmt/base.h
index 6dd9dda0..9bb9f633 100644
--- a/include/fmt/base.h
+++ b/include/fmt/base.h
@@ -2806,9 +2806,6 @@ template <typename Char, typename... T> class fstring {
   auto get() const -> basic_string_view<Char> { return str_; }
 };
 
-template <typename Char, typename... T>
-using basic_format_string = typename fstring<Char, T...>::t;
-
 template <typename... T> using format_string = typename fstring<char, T...>::t;
 
 template <typename T, typename Char = char>
diff --git a/include/fmt/ostream.h b/include/fmt/ostream.h
index e7f6caa2..2102f910 100644
--- a/include/fmt/ostream.h
+++ b/include/fmt/ostream.h
@@ -186,10 +186,9 @@ void print(std::ostream& os, format_string<T...> fmt, T&&... args) {
 }
 
 FMT_EXPORT
-template <typename... Args>
-void print(std::wostream& os,
-           basic_format_string<wchar_t, type_identity_t<Args>...> fmt,
-           Args&&... args) {
+template <typename... T>
+void print(std::wostream& os, typename fstring<wchar_t, T...>::t fmt,
+           T&&... args) {
   vprint(os, fmt, fmt::make_format_args<buffered_context<wchar_t>>(args...));
 }
 
@@ -199,11 +198,10 @@ void println(std::ostream& os, format_string<T...> fmt, T&&... args) {
 }
 
 FMT_EXPORT
-template <typename... Args>
-void println(std::wostream& os,
-             basic_format_string<wchar_t, type_identity_t<Args>...> fmt,
-             Args&&... args) {
-  print(os, L"{}\n", fmt::format(fmt, std::forward<Args>(args)...));
+template <typename... T>
+void println(std::wostream& os, typename fstring<wchar_t, T...>::t fmt,
+             T&&... args) {
+  print(os, L"{}\n", fmt::format(fmt, std::forward<T>(args)...));
 }
 
 FMT_END_NAMESPACE
diff --git a/include/fmt/xchar.h b/include/fmt/xchar.h
index 2c2c882c..0fb95244 100644
--- a/include/fmt/xchar.h
+++ b/include/fmt/xchar.h
@@ -64,17 +64,14 @@ using wformat_context = buffered_context<wchar_t>;
 using wformat_args = basic_format_args<wformat_context>;
 using wmemory_buffer = basic_memory_buffer<wchar_t>;
 
-#if FMT_GCC_VERSION && FMT_GCC_VERSION < 409
-// Workaround broken conversion on older gcc.
-template <typename... Args> using wformat_string = wstring_view;
-inline auto runtime(wstring_view s) -> wstring_view { return s; }
-#else
-template <typename... Args>
-using wformat_string = basic_format_string<wchar_t, type_identity_t<Args>...>;
+template <typename Char, typename... T>
+using basic_format_string = fstring<Char, T...>;
+
+template <typename... T>
+using wformat_string = typename fstring<wchar_t, T...>::t;
 inline auto runtime(wstring_view s) -> runtime_format_string<wchar_t> {
   return {{s}};
 }
-#endif
 
 template <> struct is_char<wchar_t> : std::true_type {};
 template <> struct is_char<char16_t> : std::true_type {};