diff --git a/components/script/dom/create.rs b/components/script/dom/create.rs
index 1b8e4b9f2ce..7e1f500627b 100644
--- a/components/script/dom/create.rs
+++ b/components/script/dom/create.rs
@@ -76,15 +76,15 @@ use dom::htmlulistelement::HTMLUListElement;
 use dom::htmlunknownelement::HTMLUnknownElement;
 use dom::htmlvideoelement::HTMLVideoElement;
 
-use util::str::DOMString;
-
-use string_cache::QualName;
+use string_cache::{Atom, QualName};
 
 use std::borrow::ToOwned;
 
-pub fn create_element(name: QualName, prefix: Option<DOMString>,
+pub fn create_element(name: QualName, prefix: Option<Atom>,
                       document: JSRef<Document>, creator: ElementCreator)
                       -> Temporary<Element> {
+    let prefix = prefix.map(|p| (*p).to_owned());
+
     if name.ns != ns!(HTML) {
         return Element::new((*name.local).to_owned(), name.ns, prefix, document);
     }
diff --git a/components/script/dom/document.rs b/components/script/dom/document.rs
index 9b88ed97a77..8cd3655d7c5 100644
--- a/components/script/dom/document.rs
+++ b/components/script/dom/document.rs
@@ -1025,7 +1025,7 @@ impl<'a> DocumentMethods for JSRef<'a, Document> {
         let (namespace, prefix, local_name) =
             try!(validate_and_extract(namespace, &qualified_name));
         let name = QualName::new(namespace, local_name);
-        Ok(Element::create(name, prefix.map(|p| (*p).to_owned()), self, ElementCreator::ScriptCreated))
+        Ok(Element::create(name, prefix, self, ElementCreator::ScriptCreated))
     }
 
     // https://dom.spec.whatwg.org/#dom-document-createattribute
diff --git a/components/script/dom/element.rs b/components/script/dom/element.rs
index b770c66caf4..6aa90f0f914 100644
--- a/components/script/dom/element.rs
+++ b/components/script/dom/element.rs
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ pub enum ElementCreator {
 // Element methods
 //
 impl Element {
-    pub fn create(name: QualName, prefix: Option<DOMString>,
+    pub fn create(name: QualName, prefix: Option<Atom>,
                   document: JSRef<Document>, creator: ElementCreator)
                   -> Temporary<Element> {
         create_element(name, prefix, document, creator)
diff --git a/components/script/dom/node.rs b/components/script/dom/node.rs
index 525130af9fc..aaea91a4b15 100644
--- a/components/script/dom/node.rs
+++ b/components/script/dom/node.rs
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ use std::iter::{FilterMap, Peekable};
 use std::mem;
 use std::sync::Arc;
 use uuid;
-use string_cache::QualName;
+use string_cache::{Atom, QualName};
 
 //
 // The basic Node structure
@@ -1735,7 +1735,7 @@ impl Node {
                     local: element.local_name().clone()
                 };
                 let element = Element::create(name,
-                    element.prefix().as_ref().map(|p| (**p).to_owned()),
+                    element.prefix().as_ref().map(|p| Atom::from_slice(&p)),
                     document.r(), ElementCreator::ScriptCreated);
                 NodeCast::from_temporary(element)
             },