diff --git a/lib/cretonne/src/dbg.rs b/lib/cretonne/src/dbg.rs
index dc7793f3d9..bf1b92ef75 100644
--- a/lib/cretonne/src/dbg.rs
+++ b/lib/cretonne/src/dbg.rs
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ use std::env;
 use std::ffi::OsStr;
 use std::fmt;
 use std::fs::File;
-use std::io::{Write, BufWriter};
+use std::io::{self, Write};
 use std::sync::atomic;
 use std::thread;
 
@@ -56,20 +56,18 @@ fn initialize() -> bool {
 }
 
 thread_local! {
-    static WRITER : RefCell<BufWriter<File>> = RefCell::new(open_file());
+    static WRITER : RefCell<io::BufWriter<File>> = RefCell::new(open_file());
 }
 
-/// Execute a closure with mutable access to the tracing file writer.
+/// Write a line with the given format arguments.
 ///
 /// This is for use by the `dbg!` macro.
-pub fn with_writer<F, R>(f: F) -> R
-    where F: FnOnce(&mut Write) -> R
-{
-    WRITER.with(|rc| f(&mut *rc.borrow_mut()))
+pub fn writeln_with_format_args(args: fmt::Arguments) -> io::Result<()> {
+    WRITER.with(|rc| writeln!(*rc.borrow_mut(), "{}", args))
 }
 
 /// Open the tracing file for the current thread.
-fn open_file() -> BufWriter<File> {
+fn open_file() -> io::BufWriter<File> {
     let file = match thread::current().name() {
             None => File::create("cretonne.dbg"),
             Some(name) => {
@@ -83,7 +81,7 @@ fn open_file() -> BufWriter<File> {
             }
         }
         .expect("Can't open tracing file");
-    BufWriter::new(file)
+    io::BufWriter::new(file)
 }
 
 /// Write a line to the debug trace file if tracing is enabled.
@@ -95,7 +93,7 @@ macro_rules! dbg {
         if $crate::dbg::enabled() {
             // Drop the error result so we don't get compiler errors for ignoring it.
             // What are you going to do, log the error?
-            $crate::dbg::with_writer(|w| { writeln!(w, $($arg)+).ok(); })
+            $crate::dbg::writeln_with_format_args(format_args!($($arg)+)).ok();
         }
     }
 }