diff --git a/ext/ghoul b/ext/ghoul
index 90240b2d5b..faa5727b46 160000
--- a/ext/ghoul
+++ b/ext/ghoul
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 90240b2d5bda2c910ea04c29bc9d4210dbd339b4
+Subproject commit faa5727b46cc52e5052af5465bf8c580e1a23528
diff --git a/include/openspace/properties/propertyowner.h b/include/openspace/properties/propertyowner.h
index 77d4e6bdd9..251cd7c062 100644
--- a/include/openspace/properties/propertyowner.h
+++ b/include/openspace/properties/propertyowner.h
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ public:
      * \return If the Property cannot be found, `nullptr` is returned, otherwise the
      *         pointer to the Property is returned
      */
-    Property* property(const std::string& uri) const;
+    Property* property(std::string_view uri) const;
 
     /**
      * Retrieves a PropertyOwner identified by \p uri from this PropertyOwner. If \p uri
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ public:
      * \return If the PropertyOwner cannot be found, `nullptr` is returned, otherwise the
      *         pointer to the PropertyOwner is returned
      */
-    PropertyOwner* propertyOwner(const std::string& uri) const;
+    PropertyOwner* propertyOwner(std::string_view uri) const;
 
     /**
      * Returns a uri for this PropertyOwner. This is created by looking up all the owners
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ public:
      * \param identifier The identifier of the sub-owner that should be returned
      * \return The PropertyOwner with the given \p identifier, or `nullptr`
      */
-    PropertyOwner* propertySubOwner(const std::string& identifier) const;
+    PropertyOwner* propertySubOwner(std::string_view identifier) const;
 
     /**
      * Returns `true` if this PropertyOwner owns a sub-owner with the provided
diff --git a/include/openspace/query/query.h b/include/openspace/query/query.h
index 9af26edcd7..f16c10b996 100644
--- a/include/openspace/query/query.h
+++ b/include/openspace/query/query.h
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
 #ifndef __OPENSPACE_CORE___QUERY___H__
 #define __OPENSPACE_CORE___QUERY___H__
 
-#include <string>
+#include <string_view>
 #include <vector>
 
 namespace openspace {
@@ -39,10 +39,10 @@ class IswaGroup;
 class ScreenSpaceRenderable;
 
 Scene* sceneGraph();
-SceneGraphNode* sceneGraphNode(const std::string& name);
-const Renderable* renderable(const std::string& name);
-properties::Property* property(const std::string& uri);
-properties::PropertyOwner* propertyOwner(const std::string& uri);
+SceneGraphNode* sceneGraphNode(std::string_view name);
+const Renderable* renderable(std::string_view name);
+properties::Property* property(std::string_view uri);
+properties::PropertyOwner* propertyOwner(std::string_view uri);
 const std::vector<properties::Property*>& allProperties();
 const std::vector<properties::PropertyOwner*>& allPropertyOwners();
 
diff --git a/include/openspace/scene/scene.h b/include/openspace/scene/scene.h
index c319e89b86..9a052ae3a8 100644
--- a/include/openspace/scene/scene.h
+++ b/include/openspace/scene/scene.h
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 
 #include <openspace/scene/scenegraphnode.h>
 #include <ghoul/misc/easing.h>
+#include <ghoul/misc/map.h>
 #include <mutex>
 #include <set>
 #include <unordered_map>
@@ -115,7 +116,7 @@ public:
      * Return the scenegraph node with the specified name or `nullptr` if that name does
      * not exist.
      */
-    SceneGraphNode* sceneGraphNode(const std::string& name) const;
+    SceneGraphNode* sceneGraphNode(std::string_view name) const;
 
     /**
      * Add a node and all its children to the scene.
@@ -137,11 +138,6 @@ public:
      */
     const std::vector<SceneGraphNode*>& allSceneGraphNodes() const;
 
-    /**
-     * Returns a map from identifier to scene graph node.
-     */
-    const std::unordered_map<std::string, SceneGraphNode*>& nodesByIdentifier() const;
-
     /**
      * Load a scene graph node from a dictionary and return it.
      */
@@ -268,7 +264,6 @@ private:
      */
     void propertyPushProfileValueToLua(ghoul::lua::LuaState& L, const std::string& value);
 
-
     /**
      * Update dependencies.
      */
@@ -278,7 +273,11 @@ private:
     std::unique_ptr<Camera> _camera;
     std::vector<SceneGraphNode*> _topologicallySortedNodes;
     std::vector<SceneGraphNode*> _circularNodes;
-    std::unordered_map<std::string, SceneGraphNode*> _nodesByIdentifier;
+    std::unordered_map<
+        std::string, SceneGraphNode*,
+        transparent_string_hash,
+        std::equal_to<>
+    > _nodesByIdentifier;
     bool _dirtyNodeRegistry = false;
     SceneGraphNode _rootNode;
     std::unique_ptr<SceneInitializer> _initializer;
diff --git a/src/properties/propertyowner.cpp b/src/properties/propertyowner.cpp
index b48ff5d56c..1b9f13f3d3 100644
--- a/src/properties/propertyowner.cpp
+++ b/src/properties/propertyowner.cpp
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ std::vector<PropertyOwner*> PropertyOwner::subownersRecursive() const {
     return subowners;
 }
 
-Property* PropertyOwner::property(const std::string& uri) const {
+Property* PropertyOwner::property(std::string_view uri) const {
     auto it = std::find_if(
         _properties.begin(),
         _properties.end(),
@@ -121,8 +121,8 @@ Property* PropertyOwner::property(const std::string& uri) const {
             return nullptr;
         }
         else {
-            const std::string ownerName = uri.substr(0, ownerSeparator);
-            const std::string propertyName = uri.substr(ownerSeparator + 1);
+            const std::string_view ownerName = uri.substr(0, ownerSeparator);
+            const std::string_view propertyName = uri.substr(ownerSeparator + 1);
 
             PropertyOwner* owner = propertySubOwner(ownerName);
             if (!owner) {
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ Property* PropertyOwner::property(const std::string& uri) const {
     }
 }
 
-PropertyOwner* PropertyOwner::propertyOwner(const std::string& uri) const {
+PropertyOwner* PropertyOwner::propertyOwner(std::string_view uri) const {
     PropertyOwner* directChild = propertySubOwner(uri);
     if (directChild) {
         return directChild;
@@ -153,8 +153,8 @@ PropertyOwner* PropertyOwner::propertyOwner(const std::string& uri) const {
         return nullptr;
     }
     else {
-        const std::string parentName = uri.substr(0, ownerSeparator);
-        const std::string ownerName = uri.substr(ownerSeparator + 1);
+        const std::string_view parentName = uri.substr(0, ownerSeparator);
+        const std::string_view ownerName = uri.substr(ownerSeparator + 1);
 
         PropertyOwner* owner = propertySubOwner(parentName);
         return owner ? owner->propertyOwner(ownerName) : nullptr;
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ const std::vector<PropertyOwner*>& PropertyOwner::propertySubOwners() const {
     return _subOwners;
 }
 
-PropertyOwner* PropertyOwner::propertySubOwner(const std::string& identifier) const {
+PropertyOwner* PropertyOwner::propertySubOwner(std::string_view identifier) const {
     std::vector<PropertyOwner*>::const_iterator it = std::find_if(
         _subOwners.begin(),
         _subOwners.end(),
diff --git a/src/query/query.cpp b/src/query/query.cpp
index 6df0a0a01a..6144197c3b 100644
--- a/src/query/query.cpp
+++ b/src/query/query.cpp
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ Scene* sceneGraph() {
     return global::renderEngine->scene();
 }
 
-SceneGraphNode* sceneGraphNode(const std::string& name) {
+SceneGraphNode* sceneGraphNode(std::string_view name) {
     const Scene* graph = sceneGraph();
     if (!graph) {
         return nullptr;
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ SceneGraphNode* sceneGraphNode(const std::string& name) {
     return graph->sceneGraphNode(name);
 }
 
-const Renderable* renderable(const std::string& name) {
+const Renderable* renderable(std::string_view name) {
     SceneGraphNode* node = sceneGraphNode(name);
     if (!node) {
         return nullptr;
@@ -51,12 +51,12 @@ const Renderable* renderable(const std::string& name) {
     return node->renderable();
 }
 
-properties::Property* property(const std::string& uri) {
+properties::Property* property(std::string_view uri) {
     properties::Property* property = global::rootPropertyOwner->property(uri);
     return property;
 }
 
-properties::PropertyOwner* propertyOwner(const std::string& uri) {
+properties::PropertyOwner* propertyOwner(std::string_view uri) {
     properties::PropertyOwner* property = global::rootPropertyOwner->propertyOwner(uri);
     return property;
 }
diff --git a/src/scene/scene.cpp b/src/scene/scene.cpp
index d07b3158e7..13673c0fee 100644
--- a/src/scene/scene.cpp
+++ b/src/scene/scene.cpp
@@ -524,10 +524,6 @@ void Scene::render(const RenderData& data, RendererTasks& tasks) {
     }
 }
 
-const std::unordered_map<std::string, SceneGraphNode*>& Scene::nodesByIdentifier() const {
-    return _nodesByIdentifier;
-}
-
 SceneGraphNode* Scene::root() {
     return &_rootNode;
 }
@@ -536,7 +532,7 @@ const SceneGraphNode* Scene::root() const {
     return &_rootNode;
 }
 
-SceneGraphNode* Scene::sceneGraphNode(const std::string& name) const {
+SceneGraphNode* Scene::sceneGraphNode(std::string_view name) const {
     const auto it = _nodesByIdentifier.find(name);
     if (it != _nodesByIdentifier.end()) {
         return it->second;