diff --git a/lib/std/Build/Module.zig b/lib/std/Build/Module.zig
index 0e421280f0..cc7c5a65c0 100644
--- a/lib/std/Build/Module.zig
+++ b/lib/std/Build/Module.zig
@@ -430,7 +430,7 @@ pub const DependencyIterator = struct {
                     if (!it.chase_dyn_libs and compile.isDynamicLibrary()) continue;
 
                     it.set.put(it.allocator, .{
-                        .module = &compile.root_module,
+                        .module = compile.root_module,
                         .compile = compile,
                     }, "root") catch @panic("OOM");
                 },
diff --git a/lib/std/Build/Step/Compile.zig b/lib/std/Build/Step/Compile.zig
index a85a67bd9b..cdb0ddeb0c 100644
--- a/lib/std/Build/Step/Compile.zig
+++ b/lib/std/Build/Step/Compile.zig
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ const Path = std.Build.Cache.Path;
 pub const base_id: Step.Id = .compile;
 
 step: Step,
-root_module: Module,
+root_module: *Module,
 
 name: []const u8,
 linker_script: ?LazyPath = null,
@@ -432,7 +432,9 @@ pub fn create(owner: *std.Build, options: Options) *Compile {
         .zig_process = null,
     };
 
-    compile.root_module.init(owner, options.root_module, compile);
+    const root_module = owner.allocator.create(Module) catch @panic("OOM");
+    root_module.init(owner, options.root_module, compile);
+    compile.root_module = root_module;
 
     if (options.zig_lib_dir) |lp| {
         compile.zig_lib_dir = lp.dupe(compile.step.owner);
@@ -1089,7 +1091,7 @@ fn getZigArgs(compile: *Compile, fuzz: bool) ![][]const u8 {
             }
         }
 
-        var cli_named_modules = try CliNamedModules.init(arena, &compile.root_module);
+        var cli_named_modules = try CliNamedModules.init(arena, compile.root_module);
 
         // For this loop, don't chase dynamic libraries because their link
         // objects are already linked.
diff --git a/lib/std/Build/Step/Run.zig b/lib/std/Build/Step/Run.zig
index 270090d07c..5408bb287b 100644
--- a/lib/std/Build/Step/Run.zig
+++ b/lib/std/Build/Step/Run.zig
@@ -1722,7 +1722,7 @@ fn addPathForDynLibs(run: *Run, artifact: *Step.Compile) void {
     var it = artifact.root_module.iterateDependencies(artifact, true);
     while (it.next()) |item| {
         const other = item.compile.?;
-        if (item.module == &other.root_module) {
+        if (item.module == other.root_module) {
             if (item.module.resolved_target.?.result.os.tag == .windows and
                 other.isDynamicLibrary())
             {
diff --git a/test/standalone/depend_on_main_mod/build.zig b/test/standalone/depend_on_main_mod/build.zig
index 42e96e0aa0..ae1dc8fb75 100644
--- a/test/standalone/depend_on_main_mod/build.zig
+++ b/test/standalone/depend_on_main_mod/build.zig
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ pub fn build(b: *std.Build) void {
         .root_source_file = b.path("src/foo.zig"),
     });
 
-    foo_module.addImport("root2", &exe.root_module);
+    foo_module.addImport("root2", exe.root_module);
     exe.root_module.addImport("foo", foo_module);
 
     const run_cmd = b.addRunArtifact(exe);