diff --git a/rpcs3/Emu/RSX/Overlays/overlay_controls.cpp b/rpcs3/Emu/RSX/Overlays/overlay_controls.cpp
index 93148d655c..5208efd747 100644
--- a/rpcs3/Emu/RSX/Overlays/overlay_controls.cpp
+++ b/rpcs3/Emu/RSX/Overlays/overlay_controls.cpp
@@ -431,25 +431,25 @@ namespace rsx
 			m_is_compiled = false;
 		}
 
-		void overlay_element::set_text(const std::string& text)
+		void overlay_element::set_text(std::string_view text)
 		{
 			std::u32string new_text = utf8_to_u32string(text);
 			const bool is_dirty = this->text != new_text;
-			this->text = std::move(new_text);
 
 			if (is_dirty)
 			{
+				this->text = std::move(new_text);
 				m_is_compiled = false;
 			}
 		}
 
-		void overlay_element::set_unicode_text(const std::u32string& text)
+		void overlay_element::set_unicode_text(std::u32string_view text)
 		{
 			const bool is_dirty = this->text != text;
-			this->text = text;
 
 			if (is_dirty)
 			{
+				this->text = text;
 				m_is_compiled = false;
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/rpcs3/Emu/RSX/Overlays/overlay_controls.h b/rpcs3/Emu/RSX/Overlays/overlay_controls.h
index 04b6820287..8fa835f595 100644
--- a/rpcs3/Emu/RSX/Overlays/overlay_controls.h
+++ b/rpcs3/Emu/RSX/Overlays/overlay_controls.h
@@ -242,8 +242,8 @@ namespace rsx
 			// NOTE: Functions as a simple position offset. Top left corner is the anchor.
 			virtual void set_margin(u16 left, u16 top);
 			virtual void set_margin(u16 margin);
-			virtual void set_text(const std::string& text);
-			virtual void set_unicode_text(const std::u32string& text);
+			virtual void set_text(std::string_view text);
+			virtual void set_unicode_text(std::u32string_view text);
 			void set_text(localized_string_id id);
 			void set_text(const localized_string& container);
 			virtual void set_font(const char* font_name, u16 font_size);
diff --git a/rpcs3/Emu/RSX/Overlays/overlay_edit_text.cpp b/rpcs3/Emu/RSX/Overlays/overlay_edit_text.cpp
index ba3d138f96..4fad1f65e9 100644
--- a/rpcs3/Emu/RSX/Overlays/overlay_edit_text.cpp
+++ b/rpcs3/Emu/RSX/Overlays/overlay_edit_text.cpp
@@ -95,12 +95,12 @@ namespace rsx
 			}
 		}
 
-		void edit_text::set_text(const std::string& text)
+		void edit_text::set_text(std::string_view text)
 		{
 			set_unicode_text(utf8_to_u32string(text));
 		}
 
-		void edit_text::set_unicode_text(const std::u32string& text)
+		void edit_text::set_unicode_text(std::u32string_view text)
 		{
 			value = text;
 
diff --git a/rpcs3/Emu/RSX/Overlays/overlay_edit_text.hpp b/rpcs3/Emu/RSX/Overlays/overlay_edit_text.hpp
index 624580e4f4..7d4f6d93b5 100644
--- a/rpcs3/Emu/RSX/Overlays/overlay_edit_text.hpp
+++ b/rpcs3/Emu/RSX/Overlays/overlay_edit_text.hpp
@@ -26,8 +26,8 @@ namespace rsx
 
 			using label::label;
 
-			void set_text(const std::string& text) override;
-			void set_unicode_text(const std::u32string& text) override;
+			void set_text(std::string_view text) override;
+			void set_unicode_text(std::u32string_view text) override;
 
 			void set_placeholder(const std::u32string& placeholder_text);
 
diff --git a/rpcs3/Emu/RSX/Overlays/overlay_message.cpp b/rpcs3/Emu/RSX/Overlays/overlay_message.cpp
index 304e54de1e..1c49401d02 100644
--- a/rpcs3/Emu/RSX/Overlays/overlay_message.cpp
+++ b/rpcs3/Emu/RSX/Overlays/overlay_message.cpp
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ namespace rsx
 			return m_loc_id == id;
 		}
 
-		bool message_item::text_matches(const std::u32string& text) const
+		bool message_item::text_matches(std::u32string_view text) const
 		{
 			return m_text.text == text;
 		}
diff --git a/rpcs3/Emu/RSX/Overlays/overlay_message.h b/rpcs3/Emu/RSX/Overlays/overlay_message.h
index 219103e843..e8cb1a3285 100644
--- a/rpcs3/Emu/RSX/Overlays/overlay_message.h
+++ b/rpcs3/Emu/RSX/Overlays/overlay_message.h
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ namespace rsx
 			compiled_resource& get_compiled() override;
 
 			bool id_matches(localized_string_id id) const;
-			bool text_matches(const std::u32string& text) const;
+			bool text_matches(std::u32string_view text) const;
 
 			void set_label_text(const std::string& text);
 
diff --git a/rpcs3/Emu/RSX/Overlays/overlay_progress_bar.cpp b/rpcs3/Emu/RSX/Overlays/overlay_progress_bar.cpp
index 860f54544a..b9140f2a69 100644
--- a/rpcs3/Emu/RSX/Overlays/overlay_progress_bar.cpp
+++ b/rpcs3/Emu/RSX/Overlays/overlay_progress_bar.cpp
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ namespace rsx
 			set_pos(x + dx, y + dy);
 		}
 
-		void progress_bar::set_text(const std::string& str)
+		void progress_bar::set_text(std::string_view str)
 		{
 			text_view.set_text(str);
 			text_view.align_text(text_align::center);
diff --git a/rpcs3/Emu/RSX/Overlays/overlay_progress_bar.hpp b/rpcs3/Emu/RSX/Overlays/overlay_progress_bar.hpp
index 6ed6b73c77..d622796dae 100644
--- a/rpcs3/Emu/RSX/Overlays/overlay_progress_bar.hpp
+++ b/rpcs3/Emu/RSX/Overlays/overlay_progress_bar.hpp
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ namespace rsx
 			void set_pos(s16 _x, s16 _y) override;
 			void set_size(u16 _w, u16 _h) override;
 			void translate(s16 dx, s16 dy) override;
-			void set_text(const std::string& str) override;
+			void set_text(std::string_view str) override;
 
 			compiled_resource& get_compiled() override;
 		};
diff --git a/rpcs3/Emu/RSX/Overlays/overlay_utils.cpp b/rpcs3/Emu/RSX/Overlays/overlay_utils.cpp
index 18eac492e9..047ca6fff3 100644
--- a/rpcs3/Emu/RSX/Overlays/overlay_utils.cpp
+++ b/rpcs3/Emu/RSX/Overlays/overlay_utils.cpp
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ static auto s_ascii_lowering_map = []()
 }();
 
 template<typename F>
-void process_multibyte(const std::string& s, F&& func)
+void process_multibyte(std::string_view s, F&& func)
 {
 	const usz end = s.length();
 	for (usz index = 0; index < end; ++index)
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ void process_multibyte(const std::string& s, F&& func)
 	}
 }
 
-std::string utf8_to_ascii8(const std::string& utf8_string)
+std::string utf8_to_ascii8(std::string_view utf8_string)
 {
 	std::string out;
 	out.reserve(utf8_string.length());
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ std::string utf8_to_ascii8(const std::string& utf8_string)
 	return out;
 }
 
-std::string utf16_to_ascii8(const std::u16string& utf16_string)
+std::string utf16_to_ascii8(std::u16string_view utf16_string)
 {
 	// Strip extended codes, map to '#' instead (placeholder)
 	std::string out;
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ std::string utf16_to_ascii8(const std::u16string& utf16_string)
 	return out;
 }
 
-std::u16string ascii8_to_utf16(const std::string& ascii_string)
+std::u16string ascii8_to_utf16(std::string_view ascii_string)
 {
 	std::u16string out;
 	out.reserve(ascii_string.length());
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ std::u16string ascii8_to_utf16(const std::string& ascii_string)
 	return out;
 }
 
-std::u32string utf8_to_u32string(const std::string& utf8_string)
+std::u32string utf8_to_u32string(std::string_view utf8_string)
 {
 	std::u32string result;
 	result.reserve(utf8_string.size());
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ std::u32string utf8_to_u32string(const std::string& utf8_string)
 	return result;
 }
 
-std::u16string u32string_to_utf16(const std::u32string& utf32_string)
+std::u16string u32string_to_utf16(std::u32string_view utf32_string)
 {
 	std::u16string result;
 	result.reserve(utf32_string.size());
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ std::u16string u32string_to_utf16(const std::u32string& utf32_string)
 	return result;
 }
 
-std::u32string utf16_to_u32string(const std::u16string& utf16_string)
+std::u32string utf16_to_u32string(std::u16string_view utf16_string)
 {
 	std::u32string result;
 	result.reserve(utf16_string.size());
diff --git a/rpcs3/Emu/RSX/Overlays/overlay_utils.h b/rpcs3/Emu/RSX/Overlays/overlay_utils.h
index aaa70f09a3..ab3ec0894d 100644
--- a/rpcs3/Emu/RSX/Overlays/overlay_utils.h
+++ b/rpcs3/Emu/RSX/Overlays/overlay_utils.h
@@ -218,9 +218,9 @@ void operator < (const vector3_base<T>& lhs, T rhs)
 using vector3i = vector3_base<int>;
 using vector3f = vector3_base<float>;
 
-std::string utf8_to_ascii8(const std::string& utf8_string);
-std::string utf16_to_ascii8(const std::u16string& utf16_string);
-std::u16string ascii8_to_utf16(const std::string& ascii_string);
-std::u32string utf8_to_u32string(const std::string& utf8_string);
-std::u16string u32string_to_utf16(const std::u32string& utf32_string);
-std::u32string utf16_to_u32string(const std::u16string& utf16_string);
+std::string utf8_to_ascii8(std::string_view utf8_string);
+std::string utf16_to_ascii8(std::u16string_view utf16_string);
+std::u16string ascii8_to_utf16(std::string_view ascii_string);
+std::u32string utf8_to_u32string(std::string_view utf8_string);
+std::u16string u32string_to_utf16(std::u32string_view utf32_string);
+std::u32string utf16_to_u32string(std::u16string_view utf16_string);
diff --git a/rpcs3/Emu/System.cpp b/rpcs3/Emu/System.cpp
index 4fdb5e47f3..8736ae70a2 100644
--- a/rpcs3/Emu/System.cpp
+++ b/rpcs3/Emu/System.cpp
@@ -2837,7 +2837,7 @@ bool Emulator::Pause(bool freeze_emulation, bool show_resume_message)
 		auto msg_ref = std::make_shared<atomic_t<u32>>(1);
 
 		// No timeout
-		rsx::overlays::queue_message(status == system_state::paused ? localized_string_id::EMULATION_PAUSED_RESUME_WITH_START : localized_string_id::EMULATION_FROZEN, -1, msg_ref);
+		rsx::overlays::queue_message(status == system_state::paused ? localized_string_id::EMULATION_PAUSED_RESUME_WITH_START : localized_string_id::EMULATION_FROZEN, umax, msg_ref);
 		m_pause_msgs_refs.emplace_back(msg_ref);
 
 		auto refresh_l = [this, msg_ref, status]()
diff --git a/rpcs3/rpcs3.cpp b/rpcs3/rpcs3.cpp
index 86e3c47171..921394e311 100644
--- a/rpcs3/rpcs3.cpp
+++ b/rpcs3/rpcs3.cpp
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ DYNAMIC_IMPORT("ntdll.dll", NtSetTimerResolution, NTSTATUS(ULONG DesiredResoluti
 #include "rpcs3_version.h"
 #include "Emu/System.h"
 #include "Emu/system_utils.hpp"
+#include "Emu/RSX/Overlays/overlay_message.h"
 #include <thread>
 #include <charconv>
 
@@ -312,7 +313,8 @@ public:
 	{
 		if (msg == logs::level::fatal || (msg == logs::level::always && m_log_always))
 		{
-			std::string _msg = "RPCS3: ";
+			static const std::string rpcs3_prefix =  "RPCS3: ";
+			std::string _msg = rpcs3_prefix;
 
 			if (!prefix.empty())
 			{
@@ -351,7 +353,11 @@ public:
 #endif
 			if (msg == logs::level::fatal)
 			{
+				std::string overlay_msg = "Fatal error: " + _msg.substr(rpcs3_prefix.size());
+				fmt::trim_back(overlay_msg, " \t\n");
+
 				// Pause emulation if fatal error encountered
+				rsx::overlays::queue_message(overlay_msg, umax);
 				Emu.Pause(true);
 			}
 		}