diff --git a/src/libcore/fmt/num.rs b/src/libcore/fmt/num.rs
index 86f1b5a8f2875..fcf06ea319d43 100644
--- a/src/libcore/fmt/num.rs
+++ b/src/libcore/fmt/num.rs
@@ -49,15 +49,13 @@ doit! { i8 i16 i32 i64 i128 isize u8 u16 u32 u64 u128 usize }
 #[doc(hidden)]
 trait GenericRadix {
     /// The number of digits.
-    fn base(&self) -> u8;
+    const BASE: u8;
 
     /// A radix-specific prefix string.
-    fn prefix(&self) -> &'static str {
-        ""
-    }
+    const PREFIX: &'static str;
 
     /// Converts an integer to corresponding radix digit.
-    fn digit(&self, x: u8) -> u8;
+    fn digit(x: u8) -> u8;
 
     /// Format an integer using the radix using a formatter.
     fn fmt_int<T: Int>(&self, mut x: T, f: &mut fmt::Formatter) -> fmt::Result {
@@ -67,14 +65,14 @@ trait GenericRadix {
         let is_nonnegative = x >= zero;
         let mut buf = [0; 128];
         let mut curr = buf.len();
-        let base = T::from_u8(self.base());
+        let base = T::from_u8(Self::BASE);
         if is_nonnegative {
             // Accumulate each digit of the number from the least significant
             // to the most significant figure.
             for byte in buf.iter_mut().rev() {
-                let n = x % base;              // Get the current place value.
-                x = x / base;                  // Deaccumulate the number.
-                *byte = self.digit(n.to_u8()); // Store the digit in the buffer.
+                let n = x % base;               // Get the current place value.
+                x = x / base;                   // Deaccumulate the number.
+                *byte = Self::digit(n.to_u8()); // Store the digit in the buffer.
                 curr -= 1;
                 if x == zero {
                     // No more digits left to accumulate.
@@ -84,9 +82,9 @@ trait GenericRadix {
         } else {
             // Do the same as above, but accounting for two's complement.
             for byte in buf.iter_mut().rev() {
-                let n = zero - (x % base);     // Get the current place value.
-                x = x / base;                  // Deaccumulate the number.
-                *byte = self.digit(n.to_u8()); // Store the digit in the buffer.
+                let n = zero - (x % base);      // Get the current place value.
+                x = x / base;                   // Deaccumulate the number.
+                *byte = Self::digit(n.to_u8()); // Store the digit in the buffer.
                 curr -= 1;
                 if x == zero {
                     // No more digits left to accumulate.
@@ -95,7 +93,7 @@ trait GenericRadix {
             }
         }
         let buf = unsafe { str::from_utf8_unchecked(&buf[curr..]) };
-        f.pad_integral(is_nonnegative, self.prefix(), buf)
+        f.pad_integral(is_nonnegative, Self::PREFIX, buf)
     }
 }
 
@@ -122,12 +120,12 @@ struct UpperHex;
 macro_rules! radix {
     ($T:ident, $base:expr, $prefix:expr, $($x:pat => $conv:expr),+) => {
         impl GenericRadix for $T {
-            fn base(&self) -> u8 { $base }
-            fn prefix(&self) -> &'static str { $prefix }
-            fn digit(&self, x: u8) -> u8 {
+            const BASE: u8 = $base;
+            const PREFIX: &'static str = $prefix;
+            fn digit(x: u8) -> u8 {
                 match x {
                     $($x => $conv,)+
-                    x => panic!("number not in the range 0..{}: {}", self.base() - 1, x),
+                    x => panic!("number not in the range 0..{}: {}", Self::BASE - 1, x),
                 }
             }
         }