diff --git a/src/test/bench/task-perf-word-count-generic.rs b/src/test/bench/task-perf-word-count-generic.rs
index b0be34508b3..a8174143146 100644
--- a/src/test/bench/task-perf-word-count-generic.rs
+++ b/src/test/bench/task-perf-word-count-generic.rs
@@ -316,8 +316,8 @@ fn main() {
 
     let readers: ~[fn~() -> word_reader]  = if argv.len() >= 2 {
         vec::view(argv, 1u, argv.len()).map(|f| {
-            let f = *f;
-            fn~() -> word_reader { file_word_reader(f) }
+            let f = copy *f;
+            fn~() -> word_reader { file_word_reader(copy f) }
         })
     }
     else {