diff --git a/drivers/gpu/nova-core/driver.rs b/drivers/gpu/nova-core/driver.rs
index a08fb6599267..776970049974 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/nova-core/driver.rs
+++ b/drivers/gpu/nova-core/driver.rs
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ fn probe(pdev: &pci::Device<Core>, _info: &Self::IdInfo) -> Result<Pin<KBox<Self
         pdev.enable_device_mem()?;
         pdev.set_master();
 
-        let bar = pdev.iomap_region_sized::<BAR0_SIZE>(0, c_str!("nova-core/bar0"))?;
+        let bar = pdev.iomap_region_sized::<BAR0_SIZE>(0, c"nova-core/bar0")?;
 
         let this = KBox::pin_init(
             try_pin_init!(Self {
diff --git a/drivers/net/phy/ax88796b_rust.rs b/drivers/net/phy/ax88796b_rust.rs
index bc73ebccc2aa..2d24628a4e58 100644
--- a/drivers/net/phy/ax88796b_rust.rs
+++ b/drivers/net/phy/ax88796b_rust.rs
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
 //!
 //! C version of this driver: [`drivers/net/phy/ax88796b.c`](./ax88796b.c)
 use kernel::{
-    c_str,
     net::phy::{self, reg::C22, DeviceId, Driver},
     prelude::*,
     uapi,
@@ -41,7 +40,7 @@ fn asix_soft_reset(dev: &mut phy::Device) -> Result {
 #[vtable]
 impl Driver for PhyAX88772A {
     const FLAGS: u32 = phy::flags::IS_INTERNAL;
-    const NAME: &'static CStr = c_str!("Asix Electronics AX88772A");
+    const NAME: &'static CStr = c"Asix Electronics AX88772A";
     const PHY_DEVICE_ID: DeviceId = DeviceId::new_with_exact_mask(0x003b1861);
 
     // AX88772A is not working properly with some old switches (NETGEAR EN 108TP):
@@ -105,7 +104,7 @@ fn link_change_notify(dev: &mut phy::Device) {
 #[vtable]
 impl Driver for PhyAX88772C {
     const FLAGS: u32 = phy::flags::IS_INTERNAL;
-    const NAME: &'static CStr = c_str!("Asix Electronics AX88772C");
+    const NAME: &'static CStr = c"Asix Electronics AX88772C";
     const PHY_DEVICE_ID: DeviceId = DeviceId::new_with_exact_mask(0x003b1881);
 
     fn suspend(dev: &mut phy::Device) -> Result {
@@ -125,7 +124,7 @@ fn soft_reset(dev: &mut phy::Device) -> Result {
 
 #[vtable]
 impl Driver for PhyAX88796B {
-    const NAME: &'static CStr = c_str!("Asix Electronics AX88796B");
+    const NAME: &'static CStr = c"Asix Electronics AX88796B";
     const PHY_DEVICE_ID: DeviceId = DeviceId::new_with_model_mask(0x003b1841);
 
     fn soft_reset(dev: &mut phy::Device) -> Result {
diff --git a/drivers/net/phy/qt2025.rs b/drivers/net/phy/qt2025.rs
index 0b9400dcb4c1..9ccc75f70219 100644
--- a/drivers/net/phy/qt2025.rs
+++ b/drivers/net/phy/qt2025.rs
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@
 //!
 //! The QT2025 PHY integrates an Intel 8051 micro-controller.
 
-use kernel::c_str;
 use kernel::error::code;
 use kernel::firmware::Firmware;
 use kernel::net::phy::{
@@ -36,7 +35,7 @@
 
 #[vtable]
 impl Driver for PhyQT2025 {
-    const NAME: &'static CStr = c_str!("QT2025 10Gpbs SFP+");
+    const NAME: &'static CStr = c"QT2025 10Gpbs SFP+";
     const PHY_DEVICE_ID: phy::DeviceId = phy::DeviceId::new_with_exact_mask(0x0043a400);
 
     fn probe(dev: &mut phy::Device) -> Result<()> {
@@ -69,7 +68,7 @@ fn probe(dev: &mut phy::Device) -> Result<()> {
         // The micro-controller will start running from the boot ROM.
         dev.write(C45::new(Mmd::PCS, 0xe854), 0x00c0)?;
 
-        let fw = Firmware::request(c_str!("qt2025-2.0.3.3.fw"), dev.as_ref())?;
+        let fw = Firmware::request(c"qt2025-2.0.3.3.fw", dev.as_ref())?;
         if fw.data().len() > SZ_16K + SZ_8K {
             return Err(code::EFBIG);
         }
diff --git a/rust/kernel/devres.rs b/rust/kernel/devres.rs
index ddb1ce4a78d9..8735b227f0d3 100644
--- a/rust/kernel/devres.rs
+++ b/rust/kernel/devres.rs
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ struct DevresInner<T> {
 /// # Example
 ///
 /// ```no_run
-/// # use kernel::{bindings, c_str, device::Device, devres::Devres, io::{Io, IoRaw}};
+/// # use kernel::{bindings, device::Device, devres::Devres, io::{Io, IoRaw}};
 /// # use core::ops::Deref;
 ///
 /// // See also [`pci::Bar`] for a real example.
diff --git a/rust/kernel/firmware.rs b/rust/kernel/firmware.rs
index 582ab648b14c..09fd3a27bcf0 100644
--- a/rust/kernel/firmware.rs
+++ b/rust/kernel/firmware.rs
@@ -51,13 +51,13 @@ fn request_nowarn() -> Self {
 /// # Examples
 ///
 /// ```no_run
-/// # use kernel::{c_str, device::Device, firmware::Firmware};
+/// # use kernel::{device::Device, firmware::Firmware};
 ///
 /// # fn no_run() -> Result<(), Error> {
 /// # // SAFETY: *NOT* safe, just for the example to get an `ARef<Device>` instance
 /// # let dev = unsafe { Device::get_device(core::ptr::null_mut()) };
 ///
-/// let fw = Firmware::request(c_str!("path/to/firmware.bin"), &dev)?;
+/// let fw = Firmware::request(c"path/to/firmware.bin", &dev)?;
 /// let blob = fw.data();
 ///
 /// # Ok(())
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ macro_rules! module_firmware {
     ($($builder:tt)*) => {
         const _: () = {
             const __MODULE_FIRMWARE_PREFIX: &'static $crate::str::CStr = if cfg!(MODULE) {
-                $crate::c_str!("")
+                c""
             } else {
                 <LocalModule as $crate::ModuleMetadata>::NAME
             };
diff --git a/rust/kernel/kunit.rs b/rust/kernel/kunit.rs
index e5621d596ed3..09148e982f48 100644
--- a/rust/kernel/kunit.rs
+++ b/rust/kernel/kunit.rs
@@ -58,9 +58,10 @@ macro_rules! kunit_assert {
                 break 'out;
             }
 
-            static FILE: &'static $crate::str::CStr = $crate::c_str!($file);
+            static FILE: &'static $crate::str::CStr = $crate::c_str_avoid_literals!($file);
             static LINE: i32 = core::line!() as i32 - $diff;
-            static CONDITION: &'static $crate::str::CStr = $crate::c_str!(stringify!($condition));
+            static CONDITION: &'static $crate::str::CStr =
+                $crate::c_str_avoid_literals!(stringify!($condition));
 
             // SAFETY: FFI call without safety requirements.
             let kunit_test = unsafe { $crate::bindings::kunit_get_current_test() };
@@ -222,7 +223,7 @@ pub const fn kunit_case_null() -> kernel::bindings::kunit_case {
 /// }
 ///
 /// static mut KUNIT_TEST_CASES: [kernel::bindings::kunit_case; 2] = [
-///     kernel::kunit::kunit_case(kernel::c_str!("name"), test_fn),
+///     kernel::kunit::kunit_case(c"name", test_fn),
 ///     kernel::kunit::kunit_case_null(),
 /// ];
 /// kernel::kunit_unsafe_test_suite!(suite_name, KUNIT_TEST_CASES);
diff --git a/rust/kernel/net/phy.rs b/rust/kernel/net/phy.rs
index 652e060e47bd..8129419a3931 100644
--- a/rust/kernel/net/phy.rs
+++ b/rust/kernel/net/phy.rs
@@ -780,7 +780,6 @@ const fn as_int(&self) -> u32 {
 ///
 /// ```
 /// # mod module_phy_driver_sample {
-/// use kernel::c_str;
 /// use kernel::net::phy::{self, DeviceId};
 /// use kernel::prelude::*;
 ///
@@ -799,7 +798,7 @@ const fn as_int(&self) -> u32 {
 ///
 /// #[vtable]
 /// impl phy::Driver for PhySample {
-///     const NAME: &'static CStr = c_str!("PhySample");
+///     const NAME: &'static CStr = c"PhySample";
 ///     const PHY_DEVICE_ID: phy::DeviceId = phy::DeviceId::new_with_exact_mask(0x00000001);
 /// }
 /// # }
@@ -808,7 +807,6 @@ const fn as_int(&self) -> u32 {
 /// This expands to the following code:
 ///
 /// ```ignore
-/// use kernel::c_str;
 /// use kernel::net::phy::{self, DeviceId};
 /// use kernel::prelude::*;
 ///
@@ -828,7 +826,7 @@ const fn as_int(&self) -> u32 {
 ///
 /// #[vtable]
 /// impl phy::Driver for PhySample {
-///     const NAME: &'static CStr = c_str!("PhySample");
+///     const NAME: &'static CStr = c"PhySample";
 ///     const PHY_DEVICE_ID: phy::DeviceId = phy::DeviceId::new_with_exact_mask(0x00000001);
 /// }
 ///
diff --git a/rust/kernel/platform.rs b/rust/kernel/platform.rs
index fd4a494f30e8..7163fc468b32 100644
--- a/rust/kernel/platform.rs
+++ b/rust/kernel/platform.rs
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ macro_rules! module_platform_driver {
 /// # Example
 ///
 ///```
-/// # use kernel::{bindings, c_str, device::Core, of, platform};
+/// # use kernel::{bindings, device::Core, of, platform};
 ///
 /// struct MyDriver;
 ///
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ macro_rules! module_platform_driver {
 ///     MODULE_OF_TABLE,
 ///     <MyDriver as platform::Driver>::IdInfo,
 ///     [
-///         (of::DeviceId::new(c_str!("test,device")), ())
+///         (of::DeviceId::new(c"test,device"), ())
 ///     ]
 /// );
 ///
diff --git a/rust/kernel/str.rs b/rust/kernel/str.rs
index 586644912414..0385d927fcd5 100644
--- a/rust/kernel/str.rs
+++ b/rust/kernel/str.rs
@@ -266,15 +266,14 @@ impl fmt::Display for crate::fmt::Adapter<&CStr> {
     /// Formats printable ASCII characters, escaping the rest.
     ///
     /// ```
-    /// # use kernel::c_str;
     /// # use kernel::prelude::fmt;
     /// # use kernel::str::CStr;
     /// # use kernel::str::CString;
-    /// let penguin = c_str!("🐧");
+    /// let penguin = c"🐧";
     /// let s = CString::try_from_fmt(fmt!("{}", penguin))?;
     /// assert_eq!(s.to_bytes_with_nul(), "\\xf0\\x9f\\x90\\xa7\0".as_bytes());
     ///
-    /// let ascii = c_str!("so \"cool\"");
+    /// let ascii = c"so \"cool\"";
     /// let s = CString::try_from_fmt(fmt!("{}", ascii))?;
     /// assert_eq!(s.to_bytes_with_nul(), "so \"cool\"\0".as_bytes());
     /// # Ok::<(), kernel::error::Error>(())
@@ -365,25 +364,38 @@ fn as_ref(&self) -> &BStr {
     }
 }
 
-/// Creates a new [`CStr`] from a string literal.
+/// Creates a static C string wrapper at compile time.
 ///
-/// The string literal should not contain any `NUL` bytes.
+/// Rust supports C string literals since Rust 1.77, and they should be used instead of this macro
+/// where possible. This macro exists to allow static *non-literal* C strings to be created at
+/// compile time. This is most often used in other macros.
+///
+/// # Panics
+///
+/// This macro panics if the operand contains an interior `NUL` byte.
 ///
 /// # Examples
 ///
 /// ```
-/// # use kernel::c_str;
+/// # use kernel::c_str_avoid_literals;
 /// # use kernel::str::CStr;
-/// const MY_CSTR: &CStr = c_str!("My awesome CStr!");
+/// const MY_CSTR: &CStr = c_str_avoid_literals!(concat!(file!(), ":", line!(), ": My CStr!"));
 /// ```
 #[macro_export]
-macro_rules! c_str {
+macro_rules! c_str_avoid_literals {
+    // NB: we could write `($str:lit) => compile_error!("use a C string literal instead");` here but
+    // that would trigger when the literal is at the top of several macro expansions. That would be
+    // too limiting to macro authors, so we rely on the name as a hint instead.
     ($str:expr) => {{
-        const S: &str = concat!($str, "\0");
-        const C: &$crate::str::CStr = match $crate::str::CStr::from_bytes_with_nul(S.as_bytes()) {
-            Ok(v) => v,
-            Err(_) => panic!("string contains interior NUL"),
-        };
+        const S: &'static str = concat!($str, "\0");
+        const C: &'static $crate::str::CStr =
+            match $crate::str::CStr::from_bytes_with_nul(S.as_bytes()) {
+                Ok(v) => v,
+                Err(err) => {
+                    let _: core::ffi::FromBytesWithNulError = err;
+                    panic!("string contains interior NUL")
+                }
+            };
         C
     }};
 }
diff --git a/rust/kernel/sync.rs b/rust/kernel/sync.rs
index 36a719015583..424864fb448f 100644
--- a/rust/kernel/sync.rs
+++ b/rust/kernel/sync.rs
@@ -41,7 +41,6 @@ impl LockClassKey {
     ///
     /// # Example
     /// ```
-    /// # use kernel::c_str;
     /// # use kernel::alloc::KBox;
     /// # use kernel::types::ForeignOwnable;
     /// # use kernel::sync::{LockClassKey, SpinLock};
@@ -53,7 +52,7 @@ impl LockClassKey {
     /// {
     ///     stack_pin_init!(let num: SpinLock<u32> = SpinLock::new(
     ///         0,
-    ///         c_str!("my_spinlock"),
+    ///         c"my_spinlock",
     ///         // SAFETY: `key_ptr` is returned by the above `into_foreign()`, whose
     ///         // `from_foreign()` has not yet been called.
     ///         unsafe { <Pin<KBox<LockClassKey>> as ForeignOwnable>::borrow(key_ptr) }
@@ -106,9 +105,9 @@ macro_rules! static_lock_class {
 #[macro_export]
 macro_rules! optional_name {
     () => {
-        $crate::c_str!(::core::concat!(::core::file!(), ":", ::core::line!()))
+        $crate::c_str_avoid_literals!(::core::concat!(::core::file!(), ":", ::core::line!()))
     };
     ($name:literal) => {
-        $crate::c_str!($name)
+        $crate::c_str_avoid_literals!($name)
     };
 }
diff --git a/rust/kernel/sync/lock/global.rs b/rust/kernel/sync/lock/global.rs
index 79d0ef7fda86..0ca23b12427c 100644
--- a/rust/kernel/sync/lock/global.rs
+++ b/rust/kernel/sync/lock/global.rs
@@ -267,7 +267,8 @@ macro_rules! global_lock {
         $pub enum $name {}
 
         impl $crate::sync::lock::GlobalLockBackend for $name {
-            const NAME: &'static $crate::str::CStr = $crate::c_str!(::core::stringify!($name));
+            const NAME: &'static $crate::str::CStr =
+                $crate::c_str_avoid_literals!(::core::stringify!($name));
             type Item = $valuety;
             type Backend = $crate::global_lock_inner!(backend $kind);
 
diff --git a/rust/macros/kunit.rs b/rust/macros/kunit.rs
index 99ccac82edde..56469fdcee3f 100644
--- a/rust/macros/kunit.rs
+++ b/rust/macros/kunit.rs
@@ -89,8 +89,8 @@ pub(crate) fn kunit_tests(attr: TokenStream, ts: TokenStream) -> TokenStream {
     // unsafe extern "C" fn kunit_rust_wrapper_bar(_test: *mut kernel::bindings::kunit) { bar(); }
     //
     // static mut TEST_CASES: [kernel::bindings::kunit_case; 3] = [
-    //     kernel::kunit::kunit_case(kernel::c_str!("foo"), kunit_rust_wrapper_foo),
-    //     kernel::kunit::kunit_case(kernel::c_str!("bar"), kunit_rust_wrapper_bar),
+    //     kernel::kunit::kunit_case(c"foo", kunit_rust_wrapper_foo),
+    //     kernel::kunit::kunit_case(c"bar", kunit_rust_wrapper_bar),
     //     kernel::kunit::kunit_case_null(),
     // ];
     //
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ pub(crate) fn kunit_tests(attr: TokenStream, ts: TokenStream) -> TokenStream {
         writeln!(kunit_macros, "{kunit_wrapper}").unwrap();
         writeln!(
             test_cases,
-            "    kernel::kunit::kunit_case(kernel::c_str!(\"{test}\"), {kunit_wrapper_fn_name}),"
+            "    kernel::kunit::kunit_case(c\"{test}\", {kunit_wrapper_fn_name}),",
         )
         .unwrap();
     }
diff --git a/rust/macros/module.rs b/rust/macros/module.rs
index 44e5cb108cea..7b71d6d99d5c 100644
--- a/rust/macros/module.rs
+++ b/rust/macros/module.rs
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ pub(crate) fn module(ts: TokenStream) -> TokenStream {
             type LocalModule = {type_};
 
             impl kernel::ModuleMetadata for {type_} {{
-                const NAME: &'static kernel::str::CStr = kernel::c_str!(\"{name}\");
+                const NAME: &'static kernel::str::CStr = c\"{name}\";
             }}
 
             // Double nested modules, since then nobody can access the public items inside.
diff --git a/samples/rust/rust_driver_faux.rs b/samples/rust/rust_driver_faux.rs
index ecc9fd378cbd..23add3160693 100644
--- a/samples/rust/rust_driver_faux.rs
+++ b/samples/rust/rust_driver_faux.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 //! Rust faux device sample.
 
-use kernel::{c_str, faux, prelude::*, Module};
+use kernel::{faux, prelude::*, Module};
 
 module! {
     type: SampleModule,
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ impl Module for SampleModule {
     fn init(_module: &'static ThisModule) -> Result<Self> {
         pr_info!("Initialising Rust Faux Device Sample\n");
 
-        let reg = faux::Registration::new(c_str!("rust-faux-sample-device"), None)?;
+        let reg = faux::Registration::new(c"rust-faux-sample-device", None)?;
 
         dev_info!(reg.as_ref(), "Hello from faux device!\n");
 
diff --git a/samples/rust/rust_driver_pci.rs b/samples/rust/rust_driver_pci.rs
index 2bb260aebc9e..8da48c1c3c2d 100644
--- a/samples/rust/rust_driver_pci.rs
+++ b/samples/rust/rust_driver_pci.rs
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 //!
 //! To make this driver probe, QEMU must be run with `-device pci-testdev`.
 
-use kernel::{bindings, c_str, device::Core, devres::Devres, pci, prelude::*, types::ARef};
+use kernel::{bindings, device::Core, devres::Devres, pci, prelude::*, types::ARef};
 
 struct Regs;
 
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ fn probe(pdev: &pci::Device<Core>, info: &Self::IdInfo) -> Result<Pin<KBox<Self>
         pdev.enable_device_mem()?;
         pdev.set_master();
 
-        let bar = pdev.iomap_region_sized::<{ Regs::END }>(0, c_str!("rust_driver_pci"))?;
+        let bar = pdev.iomap_region_sized::<{ Regs::END }>(0, c"rust_driver_pci")?;
 
         let drvdata = KBox::new(
             Self {
diff --git a/samples/rust/rust_driver_platform.rs b/samples/rust/rust_driver_platform.rs
index 8b42b3cfb363..e6487a970a59 100644
--- a/samples/rust/rust_driver_platform.rs
+++ b/samples/rust/rust_driver_platform.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 //! Rust Platform driver sample.
 
-use kernel::{c_str, device::Core, of, platform, prelude::*, types::ARef};
+use kernel::{device::Core, of, platform, prelude::*, types::ARef};
 
 struct SampleDriver {
     pdev: ARef<platform::Device>,
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ struct SampleDriver {
     OF_TABLE,
     MODULE_OF_TABLE,
     <SampleDriver as platform::Driver>::IdInfo,
-    [(of::DeviceId::new(c_str!("test,rust-device")), Info(42))]
+    [(of::DeviceId::new(c"test,rust-device"), Info(42))]
 );
 
 impl platform::Driver for SampleDriver {
diff --git a/samples/rust/rust_misc_device.rs b/samples/rust/rust_misc_device.rs
index c881fd6dbd08..12b64296e912 100644
--- a/samples/rust/rust_misc_device.rs
+++ b/samples/rust/rust_misc_device.rs
@@ -98,7 +98,6 @@
 use core::pin::Pin;
 
 use kernel::{
-    c_str,
     device::Device,
     fs::File,
     ioctl::{_IO, _IOC_SIZE, _IOR, _IOW},
@@ -133,7 +132,7 @@ fn init(_module: &'static ThisModule) -> impl PinInit<Self, Error> {
         pr_info!("Initialising Rust Misc Device Sample\n");
 
         let options = MiscDeviceOptions {
-            name: c_str!("rust-misc-device"),
+            name: c"rust-misc-device",
         };
 
         try_pin_init!(Self {
