diff --git a/core/_preload.odin b/core/_preload.odin
index 0a49d5970..5829abe4a 100644
--- a/core/_preload.odin
+++ b/core/_preload.odin
@@ -132,8 +132,7 @@ Type_Info :: struct {
 // This will be set by the compiler
 __type_table: []Type_Info;
 
-__argc__: i32;
-__argv__: ^^byte;
+__args__: []cstring;
 
 // IMPORTANT NOTE(bill): Must be in this order (as the compiler relies upon it)
 
diff --git a/core/os_linux.odin b/core/os_linux.odin
index c44f72bc9..8d765df0a 100644
--- a/core/os_linux.odin
+++ b/core/os_linux.odin
@@ -269,9 +269,9 @@ dlerror :: proc() -> string {
 
 
 _alloc_command_line_arguments :: proc() -> []string {
-	args := make([]string, __argc__);
-	for i in 0..__argc__ {
-		args[i] = string(cstring((__argv__+i)^));
+	args := make([]string, len(__args__));
+	for arg, i in __args__ {
+		args[i] = string(arg);
 	}
 	return args;
 }
diff --git a/core/os_x.odin b/core/os_x.odin
index 67abf59b5..579aab073 100644
--- a/core/os_x.odin
+++ b/core/os_x.odin
@@ -284,9 +284,9 @@ dlerror :: proc() -> string {
 
 
 _alloc_command_line_arguments :: proc() -> []string {
-	args := make([]string, __argc__);
-	for i in 0..__argc__ {
-		args[i] = string((__argv__+i)^);
+	args := make([]string, len(__args__));
+	for arg, i in __args__ {
+		args[i] = string(arg);
 	}
 	return args;
 }
diff --git a/src/ir.cpp b/src/ir.cpp
index 211834519..d14535d2c 100644
--- a/src/ir.cpp
+++ b/src/ir.cpp
@@ -8566,9 +8566,9 @@ void ir_gen_tree(irGen *s) {
 		array_init(&proc_params->Tuple.variables, a, 2);
 		array_init(&proc_results->Tuple.variables, a, 1);
 
-		Type *char_ptr_ptr = make_type_pointer(a, make_type_pointer(a, t_u8));
+		Type *cstring_ptr = make_type_pointer(a, t_cstring);
 		proc_params->Tuple.variables[0] = make_entity_param(a, proc_scope, make_token_ident(str_lit("argc")), t_i32, false, false);
-		proc_params->Tuple.variables[1] = make_entity_param(a, proc_scope, make_token_ident(str_lit("argv")), char_ptr_ptr, false, false);
+		proc_params->Tuple.variables[1] = make_entity_param(a, proc_scope, make_token_ident(str_lit("argv")), cstring_ptr, false, false);
 
 
 		proc_results->Tuple.variables[0] = make_entity_param(a, proc_scope, empty_token, t_i32, false, false);
@@ -8606,11 +8606,9 @@ void ir_gen_tree(irGen *s) {
 		irValue *argc = ir_emit_load(proc, *map_get(&proc->module->values, hash_entity(proc_params->Tuple.variables[0])));
 		irValue *argv = ir_emit_load(proc, *map_get(&proc->module->values, hash_entity(proc_params->Tuple.variables[1])));
 
-		irValue *global_argc = ir_find_global_variable(proc, str_lit("__argc__"));
-		irValue *global_argv = ir_find_global_variable(proc, str_lit("__argv__"));
+		irValue *global_args = ir_find_global_variable(proc, str_lit("__args__"));
 
-		ir_emit_store(proc, global_argc, argc);
-		ir_emit_store(proc, global_argv, argv);
+		ir_fill_slice(proc, global_args, argv, ir_emit_conv(proc, argc, t_int));
 
 		ir_emit(proc, ir_alloc_instr(proc, irInstr_StartupRuntime));
 		{