diff --git a/include/nlohmann/json.hpp b/include/nlohmann/json.hpp
index 6af24555b..ca4ce98b8 100644
--- a/include/nlohmann/json.hpp
+++ b/include/nlohmann/json.hpp
@@ -3863,7 +3863,7 @@ class basic_json // NOLINT(cppcoreguidelines-special-member-functions,hicpp-spec
                 return it->template get<typename std::decay<ValueType>::type>();
             }
 
-            return default_value;
+            return std::forward<ValueType>(default_value);
         }
 
         JSON_THROW(type_error::create(306, "cannot use value() with " + std::string(type_name()), *this));
@@ -3877,11 +3877,7 @@ class basic_json // NOLINT(cppcoreguidelines-special-member-functions,hicpp-spec
                    detail::is_usable_as_key_type<basic_json_t, KeyType>::value > ... >
     string_t value(const KeyType& key, const char* default_value) const
     {
-#ifdef JSON_HAS_CPP_17
-        return value(key, std::string_view(default_value));
-#else
         return value(key, string_t(default_value));
-#endif
     }
 
     /*!
diff --git a/single_include/nlohmann/json.hpp b/single_include/nlohmann/json.hpp
index 6958ece69..f6c004e5c 100644
--- a/single_include/nlohmann/json.hpp
+++ b/single_include/nlohmann/json.hpp
@@ -20953,7 +20953,7 @@ class basic_json // NOLINT(cppcoreguidelines-special-member-functions,hicpp-spec
                 return it->template get<typename std::decay<ValueType>::type>();
             }
 
-            return default_value;
+            return std::forward<ValueType>(default_value);
         }
 
         JSON_THROW(type_error::create(306, "cannot use value() with " + std::string(type_name()), *this));
@@ -20967,11 +20967,7 @@ class basic_json // NOLINT(cppcoreguidelines-special-member-functions,hicpp-spec
                    detail::is_usable_as_key_type<basic_json_t, KeyType>::value > ... >
     string_t value(const KeyType& key, const char* default_value) const
     {
-#ifdef JSON_HAS_CPP_17
-        return value(key, std::string_view(default_value));
-#else
         return value(key, string_t(default_value));
-#endif
     }
 
     /*!