diff --git a/compiler/rustc_parse/src/lexer/mod.rs b/compiler/rustc_parse/src/lexer/mod.rs
index 034442b798b29..8099b8a24658d 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_parse/src/lexer/mod.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_parse/src/lexer/mod.rs
@@ -1,22 +1,19 @@
 use rustc_ast::ast::AttrStyle;
 use rustc_ast::token::{self, CommentKind, Token, TokenKind};
-use rustc_ast::tokenstream::IsJoint;
-use rustc_data_structures::sync::Lrc;
-use rustc_errors::{error_code, Applicability, DiagnosticBuilder, FatalError};
-use rustc_lexer::Base;
-use rustc_lexer::{unescape, RawStrError};
+use rustc_ast::tokenstream::{IsJoint, TokenStream};
+use rustc_errors::{error_code, Applicability, DiagnosticBuilder, FatalError, PResult};
+use rustc_lexer::unescape::{self, Mode};
+use rustc_lexer::{Base, DocStyle, RawStrError};
 use rustc_session::parse::ParseSess;
 use rustc_span::symbol::{sym, Symbol};
 use rustc_span::{BytePos, Pos, Span};
 
-use std::char;
 use tracing::debug;
 
 mod tokentrees;
 mod unescape_error_reporting;
 mod unicode_chars;
 
-use rustc_lexer::{unescape::Mode, DocStyle};
 use unescape_error_reporting::{emit_unescape_error, push_escaped_char};
 
 #[derive(Clone, Debug)]
@@ -28,7 +25,17 @@ pub struct UnmatchedBrace {
     pub candidate_span: Option<Span>,
 }
 
-crate struct StringReader<'a> {
+crate fn parse_token_trees<'a>(
+    sess: &'a ParseSess,
+    src: &'a str,
+    start_pos: BytePos,
+    override_span: Option<Span>,
+) -> (PResult<'a, TokenStream>, Vec<UnmatchedBrace>) {
+    StringReader { sess, start_pos, pos: start_pos, end_src_index: src.len(), src, override_span }
+        .into_token_trees()
+}
+
+struct StringReader<'a> {
     sess: &'a ParseSess,
     /// Initial position, read-only.
     start_pos: BytePos,
@@ -37,31 +44,11 @@ crate struct StringReader<'a> {
     /// Stop reading src at this index.
     end_src_index: usize,
     /// Source text to tokenize.
-    src: Lrc<String>,
+    src: &'a str,
     override_span: Option<Span>,
 }
 
 impl<'a> StringReader<'a> {
-    crate fn new(
-        sess: &'a ParseSess,
-        source_file: Lrc<rustc_span::SourceFile>,
-        override_span: Option<Span>,
-    ) -> Self {
-        let src = source_file.src.clone().unwrap_or_else(|| {
-            sess.span_diagnostic
-                .bug(&format!("cannot lex `source_file` without source: {}", source_file.name));
-        });
-
-        StringReader {
-            sess,
-            start_pos: source_file.start_pos,
-            pos: source_file.start_pos,
-            end_src_index: src.len(),
-            src,
-            override_span,
-        }
-    }
-
     fn mk_sp(&self, lo: BytePos, hi: BytePos) -> Span {
         self.override_span.unwrap_or_else(|| Span::with_root_ctxt(lo, hi))
     }
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_parse/src/lexer/tokentrees.rs b/compiler/rustc_parse/src/lexer/tokentrees.rs
index d5977ca3c7d2f..357b10ab89d41 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_parse/src/lexer/tokentrees.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_parse/src/lexer/tokentrees.rs
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ use rustc_errors::PResult;
 use rustc_span::Span;
 
 impl<'a> StringReader<'a> {
-    crate fn into_token_trees(self) -> (PResult<'a, TokenStream>, Vec<UnmatchedBrace>) {
+    pub(super) fn into_token_trees(self) -> (PResult<'a, TokenStream>, Vec<UnmatchedBrace>) {
         let mut tt_reader = TokenTreesReader {
             string_reader: self,
             token: Token::dummy(),
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_parse/src/lexer/unicode_chars.rs b/compiler/rustc_parse/src/lexer/unicode_chars.rs
index 8dc0db01ecb51..40e2e34aa0589 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_parse/src/lexer/unicode_chars.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_parse/src/lexer/unicode_chars.rs
@@ -332,7 +332,7 @@ const ASCII_ARRAY: &[(char, &str, Option<token::TokenKind>)] = &[
     ('"', "Quotation Mark", None),
 ];
 
-crate fn check_for_substitution<'a>(
+pub(super) fn check_for_substitution<'a>(
     reader: &StringReader<'a>,
     pos: BytePos,
     ch: char,
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_parse/src/lib.rs b/compiler/rustc_parse/src/lib.rs
index 462279b0a9e03..b804e8a825f37 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_parse/src/lib.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_parse/src/lib.rs
@@ -200,8 +200,13 @@ pub fn maybe_file_to_stream(
     source_file: Lrc<SourceFile>,
     override_span: Option<Span>,
 ) -> Result<(TokenStream, Vec<lexer::UnmatchedBrace>), Vec<Diagnostic>> {
-    let srdr = lexer::StringReader::new(sess, source_file, override_span);
-    let (token_trees, unmatched_braces) = srdr.into_token_trees();
+    let src = source_file.src.as_ref().unwrap_or_else(|| {
+        sess.span_diagnostic
+            .bug(&format!("cannot lex `source_file` without source: {}", source_file.name));
+    });
+
+    let (token_trees, unmatched_braces) =
+        lexer::parse_token_trees(sess, src.as_str(), source_file.start_pos, override_span);
 
     match token_trees {
         Ok(stream) => Ok((stream, unmatched_braces)),