diff --git a/json_object.c b/json_object.c
index f950257..8dd6082 100644
--- a/json_object.c
+++ b/json_object.c
@@ -95,9 +95,18 @@ static void json_object_fini(void)
 #endif /* REFCOUNT_DEBUG */
 
 
+/* helper for accessing the optimized string data component in json_object
+ */
+static const char *
+get_string_component(struct json_object *jso)
+{
+	return (jso->o.c_string.len < LEN_DIRECT_STRING_DATA) ?
+		   jso->o.c_string.str.data : jso->o.c_string.str.ptr;
+}
+
 /* string escaping */
 
-static int json_escape_str(struct printbuf *pb, char *str, int len)
+static int json_escape_str(struct printbuf *pb, const char *str, int len)
 {
 	int pos = 0, start_offset = 0;
 	unsigned char c;
@@ -559,7 +568,7 @@ int32_t json_object_get_int(struct json_object *jso)
 	 * Parse strings into 64-bit numbers, then use the
 	 * 64-to-32-bit number handling below.
 	 */
-	if (json_parse_int64(jso->o.c_string.str, &cint64) != 0)
+	if (json_parse_int64(get_string_component(jso), &cint64) != 0)
 		return 0; /* whoops, it didn't work. */
 	o_type = json_type_int;
   }
@@ -607,7 +616,7 @@ int64_t json_object_get_int64(struct json_object *jso)
 	case json_type_boolean:
 		return jso->o.c_boolean;
 	case json_type_string:
-		if (json_parse_int64(jso->o.c_string.str, &cint) == 0)
+		if (json_parse_int64(get_string_component(jso), &cint) == 0)
 			return cint;
 	default:
 		return 0;
@@ -714,10 +723,10 @@ double json_object_get_double(struct json_object *jso)
     return jso->o.c_boolean;
   case json_type_string:
     errno = 0;
-    cdouble = strtod(jso->o.c_string.str,&errPtr);
+    cdouble = strtod(get_string_component(jso), &errPtr);
 
     /* if conversion stopped at the first character, return 0.0 */
-    if (errPtr == jso->o.c_string.str)
+    if (errPtr == get_string_component(jso))
         return 0.0;
 
     /*
@@ -757,14 +766,15 @@ static int json_object_string_to_json_string(struct json_object* jso,
 						 int flags)
 {
 	sprintbuf(pb, "\"");
-	json_escape_str(pb, jso->o.c_string.str, jso->o.c_string.len);
+	json_escape_str(pb, get_string_component(jso), jso->o.c_string.len);
 	sprintbuf(pb, "\"");
 	return 0;
 }
 
 static void json_object_string_delete(struct json_object* jso)
 {
-	free(jso->o.c_string.str);
+	if(jso->o.c_string.len >= LEN_DIRECT_STRING_DATA)
+		free(jso->o.c_string.str.ptr);
 	json_object_generic_delete(jso);
 }
 
@@ -775,33 +785,43 @@ struct json_object* json_object_new_string(const char *s)
 		return NULL;
 	jso->_delete = &json_object_string_delete;
 	jso->_to_json_string = &json_object_string_to_json_string;
-	jso->o.c_string.str = strdup(s);
-	if (!jso->o.c_string.str)
-	{
-		json_object_generic_delete(jso);
-		errno = ENOMEM;
-		return NULL;
-	}
 	jso->o.c_string.len = strlen(s);
+	if(jso->o.c_string.len < LEN_DIRECT_STRING_DATA) {
+		memcpy(jso->o.c_string.str.data, s, jso->o.c_string.len);
+	} else {
+		jso->o.c_string.str.ptr = strdup(s);
+		if (!jso->o.c_string.str.ptr)
+		{
+			json_object_generic_delete(jso);
+			errno = ENOMEM;
+			return NULL;
+		}
+	}
 	return jso;
 }
 
 struct json_object* json_object_new_string_len(const char *s, int len)
 {
+	char *dstbuf;
 	struct json_object *jso = json_object_new(json_type_string);
 	if (!jso)
 		return NULL;
 	jso->_delete = &json_object_string_delete;
 	jso->_to_json_string = &json_object_string_to_json_string;
-	jso->o.c_string.str = (char*)malloc(len + 1);
-	if (!jso->o.c_string.str)
-	{
-		json_object_generic_delete(jso);
-		errno = ENOMEM;
-		return NULL;
+	if(len < LEN_DIRECT_STRING_DATA) {
+		dstbuf = jso->o.c_string.str.data;
+	} else {
+		jso->o.c_string.str.ptr = (char*)malloc(len + 1);
+		if (!jso->o.c_string.str.ptr)
+		{
+			json_object_generic_delete(jso);
+			errno = ENOMEM;
+			return NULL;
+		}
+		dstbuf = jso->o.c_string.str.ptr;
 	}
-	memcpy(jso->o.c_string.str, (void *)s, len);
-	jso->o.c_string.str[len] = '\0';
+	memcpy(dstbuf, (void *)s, len);
+	dstbuf[len] = '\0';
 	jso->o.c_string.len = len;
 	return jso;
 }
@@ -813,7 +833,7 @@ const char* json_object_get_string(struct json_object *jso)
 	switch(jso->o_type)
 	{
 	case json_type_string:
-		return jso->o.c_string.str;
+		return get_string_component(jso);
 	default:
 		return json_object_to_json_string(jso);
 	}
diff --git a/json_object_private.h b/json_object_private.h
index 5ed791b..67a77f8 100644
--- a/json_object_private.h
+++ b/json_object_private.h
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@
 extern "C" {
 #endif
 
+#define LEN_DIRECT_STRING_DATA 32 /**< how many bytes are directly stored in json_object for strings? */
+
 typedef void (json_object_private_delete_fn)(struct json_object *o);
 
 struct json_object
@@ -32,7 +34,13 @@ struct json_object
     struct lh_table *c_object;
     struct array_list *c_array;
     struct {
-        char *str;
+	union {
+		/* optimize: if we have small strings, we can store them
+		 * directly. This saves considerable CPU cycles AND memory.
+		 */
+		char *ptr;
+		char data[LEN_DIRECT_STRING_DATA];
+	} str;
         int len;
     } c_string;
   } o;