diff --git a/helix-term/src/config.rs b/helix-term/src/config.rs
index 92b4fb8565ce..0363311c4d5a 100644
--- a/helix-term/src/config.rs
+++ b/helix-term/src/config.rs
@@ -187,21 +187,27 @@ mod tests {
             b = { label = "buffer", b = "buffer_picker", n = "goto_next_buffer" }
         "#;
 
+        let mut keys = keymap::default();
+        merge_keys(
+            &mut keys,
+            hashmap! {
+                Mode::Normal => Keymap::new(keymap!({ "Normal mode"
+                    "f" => { ""
+                        "f" => file_picker,
+                        "c" => wclose,
+                    },
+                    "b" => { "buffer"
+                        "b" => buffer_picker,
+                        "n" => goto_next_buffer,
+                    },
+                })),
+            },
+        );
+
         assert_eq!(
-            toml::from_str::<Config>(sample_keymaps).unwrap(),
+            Config::load_test(sample_keymaps),
             Config {
-                keys: hashmap! {
-                    Mode::Normal => Keymap::new(keymap!({ "Normal mode"
-                        "f" => { ""
-                            "f" => file_picker,
-                            "c" => wclose,
-                        },
-                        "b" => { "buffer"
-                            "b" => buffer_picker,
-                            "n" => goto_next_buffer,
-                        },
-                    })),
-                },
+                keys,
                 ..Default::default()
             }
         );
@@ -221,7 +227,7 @@ mod tests {
             c = ":buffer-close" 
         "#;
 
-        let config = toml::from_str::<Config>(sample_keymaps).unwrap();
+        let config = Config::load_test(sample_keymaps);
 
         let tree = config.keys.get(&Mode::Normal).unwrap().root();
 
diff --git a/helix-term/src/keymap.rs b/helix-term/src/keymap.rs
index 56fe13b642b2..cfa2247f6cfd 100644
--- a/helix-term/src/keymap.rs
+++ b/helix-term/src/keymap.rs
@@ -184,14 +184,14 @@ impl<'de> serde::de::Visitor<'de> for KeyTrieVisitor {
     where
         M: serde::de::MapAccess<'de>,
     {
-        let mut label = "";
+        let mut label = String::from("");
         let mut command = None;
         let mut mapping = HashMap::new();
         let mut order = Vec::new();
 
-        while let Some(key) = map.next_key::<&str>()? {
-            match key {
-                "label" => label = map.next_value::<&str>()?,
+        while let Some(key) = map.next_key::<String>()? {
+            match &key as &str {
+                "label" => label = map.next_value::<String>()?,
                 "command" => command = Some(map.next_value::<MappableCommand>()?),
                 _ => {
                     let key_event = key.parse::<KeyEvent>().map_err(serde::de::Error::custom)?;
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ impl<'de> serde::de::Visitor<'de> for KeyTrieVisitor {
         }
 
         match command {
-            None => Ok(KeyTrie::Node(KeyTrieNode::new(label, mapping, order))),
+            None => Ok(KeyTrie::Node(KeyTrieNode::new(label.as_str(), mapping, order))),
             Some(_command) if !order.is_empty() => {
                 Err(serde::de::Error::custom("ambiguous mapping: 'command' is only valid with 'label', but I found other keys"))
             }