diff --git a/src/browser/html/elements.zig b/src/browser/html/elements.zig
index e9e95fdf..a3104fa3 100644
--- a/src/browser/html/elements.zig
+++ b/src/browser/html/elements.zig
@@ -281,7 +281,7 @@ pub const HTMLAnchorElement = struct {
     // TODO return a disposable string
     pub fn get_protocol(self: *parser.Anchor, page: *Page) ![]const u8 {
         var u = try url(self, page);
-        return u.get_protocol(page);
+        return u.get_protocol();
     }
 
     pub fn set_protocol(self: *parser.Anchor, v: []const u8, page: *Page) !void {
diff --git a/src/browser/html/location.zig b/src/browser/html/location.zig
index 339e62ba..3e3e593b 100644
--- a/src/browser/html/location.zig
+++ b/src/browser/html/location.zig
@@ -41,8 +41,8 @@ pub const Location = struct {
         return page.navigateFromWebAPI(href, .{ .reason = .script });
     }
 
-    pub fn get_protocol(self: *Location, page: *Page) ![]const u8 {
-        return self.url.get_protocol(page);
+    pub fn get_protocol(self: *Location) []const u8 {
+        return self.url.get_protocol();
     }
 
     pub fn get_host(self: *Location, page: *Page) ![]const u8 {
diff --git a/src/browser/url/url.zig b/src/browser/url/url.zig
index 1288fea0..08c97bf6 100644
--- a/src/browser/url/url.zig
+++ b/src/browser/url/url.zig
@@ -164,8 +164,11 @@ pub const URL = struct {
         return aw.written();
     }
 
-    pub fn get_protocol(self: *URL, page: *Page) ![]const u8 {
-        return try std.mem.concat(page.arena, u8, &[_][]const u8{ self.uri.scheme, ":" });
+    pub fn get_protocol(self: *const URL) []const u8 {
+        // std.Uri keeps a pointer to "https", "http" (scheme part) so we know
+        // its followed by ':'.
+        const scheme = self.uri.scheme;
+        return scheme.ptr[0 .. scheme.len + 1];
     }
 
     pub fn get_username(self: *URL) []const u8 {
diff --git a/src/tests/url/url.html b/src/tests/url/url.html
index a28a980a..f6b8301c 100644
--- a/src/tests/url/url.html
+++ b/src/tests/url/url.html
@@ -76,3 +76,8 @@
   testing.expectEqual("", sk.hostname);
   testing.expectEqual("sveltekit-internal://", sk.href);
 </script>
+
+<script id=invalidUrl>
+  let u = new URL("://foo.bar/path?query#fragment");
+  testing.expectEqual(":", u.protocol);
+</script>