diff --git a/fmt/format.h b/fmt/format.h
index a284468b..dc8ce0c9 100644
--- a/fmt/format.h
+++ b/fmt/format.h
@@ -371,6 +371,9 @@ class BasicWriter;
 typedef BasicWriter<char> Writer;
 typedef BasicWriter<wchar_t> WWriter;
 
+template <typename Char>
+class basic_format_arg;
+
 template <typename Char>
 class ArgFormatter;
 
@@ -1329,6 +1332,9 @@ class MakeValue : public Value<typename Context::char_type> {
 
 template <typename Char>
 class ArgMap;
+
+template <typename Context, typename T>
+basic_format_arg<typename Context::char_type> make_arg(const T &value);
 }  // namespace internal
 
 struct monostate {};
@@ -1340,10 +1346,14 @@ class basic_format_args;
 // allow storage in internal::MemoryBuffer.
 template <typename Char>
 class basic_format_arg {
- protected:
+ private:
   internal::Value<Char> value_;
   internal::Type type_;
 
+  template <typename Context, typename T>
+  friend basic_format_arg<typename Context::char_type>
+    internal::make_arg(const T &value);
+
   template <typename Visitor, typename CharType>
   friend typename std::result_of<Visitor(int)>::type
     visit(Visitor &&vis, basic_format_arg<CharType> arg);
@@ -1426,19 +1436,13 @@ typename std::result_of<Visitor(int)>::type
 
 namespace internal {
 
-template <typename Context>
-  class MakeArg : public basic_format_arg<typename Context::char_type> {
- public:
-  MakeArg() {
-    this->type_ = internal::NONE;
-  }
-
-  template <typename T>
-  MakeArg(const T &value) {
-    this->value_ = internal::MakeValue<Context>(value);
-    this->type_ = internal::type<T>();
-  }
-};
+template <typename Context, typename T>
+basic_format_arg<typename Context::char_type> make_arg(const T &value) {
+  basic_format_arg<typename Context::char_type> arg;
+  arg.type_ = internal::type<T>();
+  arg.value_ = internal::MakeValue<Context>(value);
+  return arg;
+}
 
 template <typename T, T> struct LConvCheck {
   LConvCheck(int) {}
@@ -1490,7 +1494,7 @@ struct NamedArg : basic_format_arg<Char> {
 
   template <typename T>
   NamedArg(BasicStringRef<Char> argname, const T &value)
-  : basic_format_arg<Char>(MakeArg< basic_format_context<Char> >(value)),
+  : basic_format_arg<Char>(make_arg< basic_format_context<Char> >(value)),
     name(argname) {}
 };
 
@@ -1522,7 +1526,7 @@ template <bool IS_PACKED, typename Context, typename T>
 inline typename std::enable_if<
   !IS_PACKED, basic_format_arg<typename Context::char_type>>::type
     make_arg(const T& value) {
-  return MakeArg<Context>(value);
+  return make_arg<Context>(value);
 }
 }  // namespace internal
 
diff --git a/fmt/ostream.h b/fmt/ostream.h
index c623b542..74ccadf4 100644
--- a/fmt/ostream.h
+++ b/fmt/ostream.h
@@ -87,8 +87,8 @@ void format_value(BasicWriter<Char> &w, const T &value,
                   basic_format_context<Char> &ctx) {
   internal::MemoryBuffer<Char, internal::INLINE_BUFFER_SIZE> buffer;
   auto str = internal::format_value(buffer, value);
-  typedef internal::MakeArg< basic_format_context<Char> > MakeArg;
-  do_format_arg< ArgFormatter<Char> >(w, MakeArg(str), ctx);
+  do_format_arg< ArgFormatter<Char> >(
+        w, internal::make_arg< basic_format_context<Char> >(str), ctx);
 }
 
 FMT_API void vprint(std::ostream &os, CStringRef format_str, format_args args);
diff --git a/fmt/printf.h b/fmt/printf.h
index 47d868e6..c0064ae7 100644
--- a/fmt/printf.h
+++ b/fmt/printf.h
@@ -105,11 +105,11 @@ class ArgConverter {
     if (sizeof(TargetType) <= sizeof(int)) {
       // Extra casts are used to silence warnings.
       if (is_signed) {
-        arg_ = internal::MakeArg<format_context>(
+        arg_ = internal::make_arg<format_context>(
           static_cast<int>(static_cast<TargetType>(value)));
       } else {
         typedef typename internal::MakeUnsigned<TargetType>::Type Unsigned;
-        arg_ = internal::MakeArg<format_context>(
+        arg_ = internal::make_arg<format_context>(
           static_cast<unsigned>(static_cast<Unsigned>(value)));
       }
     } else {
@@ -117,10 +117,10 @@ class ArgConverter {
         // glibc's printf doesn't sign extend arguments of smaller types:
         //   std::printf("%lld", -42);  // prints "4294967254"
         // but we don't have to do the same because it's a UB.
-        arg_ = internal::MakeArg<format_context>(
+        arg_ = internal::make_arg<format_context>(
           static_cast<LongLong>(value));
       } else {
-        arg_ = internal::MakeArg<format_context>(
+        arg_ = internal::make_arg<format_context>(
           static_cast<typename internal::MakeUnsigned<U>::Type>(value));
       }
     }
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ class CharConverter {
   typename std::enable_if<std::is_integral<T>::value>::type
       operator()(T value) {
     arg_ =
-      internal::MakeArg<basic_format_context<Char>>(static_cast<char>(value));
+      internal::make_arg<basic_format_context<Char>>(static_cast<char>(value));
   }
 
   template <typename T>
diff --git a/test/format-impl-test.cc b/test/format-impl-test.cc
index ff702a53..8a0afb02 100644
--- a/test/format-impl-test.cc
+++ b/test/format-impl-test.cc
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ struct ValueExtractor {
 TEST(FormatTest, ArgConverter) {
   using fmt::format_arg;
   fmt::LongLong value = std::numeric_limits<fmt::LongLong>::max();
-  format_arg arg = fmt::internal::MakeArg<fmt::format_context>(value);
+  format_arg arg = fmt::internal::make_arg<fmt::format_context>(value);
   visit(fmt::internal::ArgConverter<fmt::LongLong, char>(arg, 'd'), arg);
   EXPECT_EQ(value, visit(ValueExtractor<fmt::LongLong>(), arg));
 }
diff --git a/test/ostream-test.cc b/test/ostream-test.cc
index b46418b4..069c8092 100644
--- a/test/ostream-test.cc
+++ b/test/ostream-test.cc
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ TEST(OStreamTest, CustomArg) {
   fmt::format_context ctx("}", fmt::format_args());
   fmt::FormatSpec spec;
   TestArgFormatter af(writer, ctx, spec);
-  visit(af, fmt::internal::MakeArg<fmt::format_context>(TestEnum()));
+  visit(af, fmt::internal::make_arg<fmt::format_context>(TestEnum()));
   EXPECT_EQ("TestEnum", writer.str());
 }
 
diff --git a/test/util-test.cc b/test/util-test.cc
index 69569e43..e02b68d8 100644
--- a/test/util-test.cc
+++ b/test/util-test.cc
@@ -75,8 +75,7 @@ void format_value(fmt::BasicWriter<Char> &w, Test,
 
 template <typename Char, typename T>
 basic_format_arg<Char> make_arg(const T &value) {
-  typedef fmt::internal::MakeArg< fmt::basic_format_context<Char> > MakeArg;
-  return MakeArg(value);
+  return fmt::internal::make_arg< fmt::basic_format_context<Char> >(value);
 }
 }  // namespace