diff --git a/include/RAJA/pattern/forall.hpp b/include/RAJA/pattern/forall.hpp
index cf83b98b0f..3bac61bd85 100644
--- a/include/RAJA/pattern/forall.hpp
+++ b/include/RAJA/pattern/forall.hpp
@@ -541,7 +541,7 @@ forall(ExecutionPolicy&& p, Res r, Container&& c, Params&&... params)
 
   auto f_params = expt::make_forall_param_pack(std::forward<Params>(params)...);
 
-  auto kernel_name =  expt::get_kernel_name(std::forward<Params>(params)...);
+  auto&& kernel_name =  expt::get_kernel_name(std::forward<Params>(params)...);
   auto&& loop_body = expt::get_lambda(std::forward<Params>(params)...);
 
   expt::check_forall_optional_args(loop_body, f_params);
diff --git a/include/RAJA/pattern/launch/launch_core.hpp b/include/RAJA/pattern/launch/launch_core.hpp
index 6a63063cb2..5961cb9fc9 100644
--- a/include/RAJA/pattern/launch/launch_core.hpp
+++ b/include/RAJA/pattern/launch/launch_core.hpp
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ void launch(LaunchParams const &launch_params, ReduceParams&&... rest_of_launch_
   auto reducers = expt::make_forall_param_pack(std::forward<ReduceParams>(rest_of_launch_args)...);
 
   //get kernel name
-  auto kernel_name =  expt::get_kernel_name(std::forward<ReduceParams>(rest_of_launch_args)...);
+  auto&& kernel_name =  expt::get_kernel_name(std::forward<ReduceParams>(rest_of_launch_args)...);
   std::string kname = get_kernel_name<decltype(kernel_name)>::get(kernel_name);
 
   auto&& launch_body = expt::get_lambda(std::forward<ReduceParams>(rest_of_launch_args)...);
@@ -318,7 +318,7 @@ launch(RAJA::resources::Resource res, LaunchParams const &launch_params,
   //Get reducers
   auto reducers = expt::make_forall_param_pack(std::forward<ReduceParams>(rest_of_launch_args)...);
 
-  auto kernel_name =  expt::get_kernel_name(std::forward<ReduceParams>(rest_of_launch_args)...);
+  auto&& kernel_name =  expt::get_kernel_name(std::forward<ReduceParams>(rest_of_launch_args)...);
   std::string kname = get_kernel_name<decltype(kernel_name)>::get(kernel_name);
 
   auto&& launch_body = expt::get_lambda(std::forward<ReduceParams>(rest_of_launch_args)...);
diff --git a/include/RAJA/util/PluginContext.hpp b/include/RAJA/util/PluginContext.hpp
index fffa845d89..2bc7dc90f4 100644
--- a/include/RAJA/util/PluginContext.hpp
+++ b/include/RAJA/util/PluginContext.hpp
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ class KokkosPluginLoader;
 
 struct PluginContext {
   public:
-   PluginContext(const Platform p, const std::string *name) :
+   PluginContext(const Platform p, const std::string *name = nullptr) :
    platform(p), kernel_name(name) {}
 
   Platform platform;