diff --git a/server/client.go b/server/client.go
index 4886369b..f1b60db3 100644
--- a/server/client.go
+++ b/server/client.go
@@ -2504,8 +2504,7 @@ func (c *client) addShadowSubscriptions(acc *Account, sub *subscription) error {
 	acc.mu.RLock()
 	subj := string(sub.subject)
 	if len(acc.imports.streams) > 0 {
-		tokens = tsa[:0]
-		tokenizeSubjectIntoSlice(subj, &tokens)
+		tokens = tokenizeSubjectIntoSlice(tsa[:0], subj)
 		for _, tk := range tokens {
 			if tk == pwcs {
 				hasWC = true
@@ -2530,12 +2529,10 @@ func (c *client) addShadowSubscriptions(acc *Account, sub *subscription) error {
 		}
 		if tokensModified {
 			// re-tokenize subj to overwrite modifications from a previous iteration
-			tokens = tsa[:0]
-			tokenizeSubjectIntoSlice(subj, &tokens)
+			tokens = tokenizeSubjectIntoSlice(tsa[:0], subj)
 			tokensModified = false
 		}
-		imTokens := imTsa[:0]
-		tokenizeSubjectIntoSlice(im.to, &imTokens)
+		imTokens := tokenizeSubjectIntoSlice(imTsa[:0], im.to)
 
 		if isSubsetMatchTokenized(tokens, imTokens) {
 			ims = append(ims, ime{im, _EMPTY_, true})
diff --git a/server/sublist.go b/server/sublist.go
index bf9b91f7..16225d76 100644
--- a/server/sublist.go
+++ b/server/sublist.go
@@ -1187,22 +1187,24 @@ func tokenAt(subject string, index uint8) string {
 	return _EMPTY_
 }
 
-func tokenizeSubjectIntoSlice(subject string, tts *[]string) {
+// use similar to append. meaning, the updated slice will be returned
+func tokenizeSubjectIntoSlice(tts []string, subject string) []string {
 	start := 0
 	for i := 0; i < len(subject); i++ {
 		if subject[i] == btsep {
-			*tts = append(*tts, subject[start:i])
+			tts = append(tts, subject[start:i])
 			start = i + 1
 		}
 	}
-	*tts = append(*tts, subject[start:])
+	tts = append(tts, subject[start:])
+	return tts
 }
 
 // Calls into the function isSubsetMatch()
 func subjectIsSubsetMatch(subject, test string) bool {
 	tsa := [32]string{}
 	tts := tsa[:0]
-	tokenizeSubjectIntoSlice(subject, &tts)
+	tts = tokenizeSubjectIntoSlice(tts, subject)
 	return isSubsetMatch(tts, test)
 }
 
@@ -1211,7 +1213,7 @@ func subjectIsSubsetMatch(subject, test string) bool {
 func isSubsetMatch(tokens []string, test string) bool {
 	tsa := [32]string{}
 	tts := tsa[:0]
-	tokenizeSubjectIntoSlice(test, &tts)
+	tts = tokenizeSubjectIntoSlice(tts, test)
 	return isSubsetMatchTokenized(tokens, tts)
 }