diff --git a/hphp/compiler/analysis/function_scope.cpp b/hphp/compiler/analysis/function_scope.cpp
index c4ee90f33..80f2f026f 100644
--- a/hphp/compiler/analysis/function_scope.cpp
+++ b/hphp/compiler/analysis/function_scope.cpp
@@ -775,8 +775,7 @@ void FunctionScope::setParamName(int index, const std::string &name) {
 void FunctionScope::setParamDefault(int index, const char* value, int64_t len,
                                     const std::string &text) {
   assert(index >= 0 && index < (int)m_paramNames.size());
-  StringData* sd = new StringData(value, len, AttachLiteral);
-  sd->setStatic();
+  auto sd = StringData::GetStaticString(value, len);
   m_paramDefaults[index] = String(sd);
   m_paramDefaultTexts[index] = text;
 }
diff --git a/hphp/runtime/base/string_data.cpp b/hphp/runtime/base/string_data.cpp
index 59ebe8eb5..27c52c3e6 100644
--- a/hphp/runtime/base/string_data.cpp
+++ b/hphp/runtime/base/string_data.cpp
@@ -72,6 +72,17 @@ const StringData* StringData::convert_integer_helper(int64_t n) {
  return StringData::GetStaticString(p);
 }
 
+// If a string is static it better be the one in the table.
+#ifndef NDEBUG
+static bool checkStaticStr(const StringData* s) {
+  assert(s->isStatic());
+  StringDataMap::const_iterator it = s_stringDataMap->find(s);
+  assert(it != s_stringDataMap->end());
+  assert(it->first == s);
+  return true;
+}
+#endif
+
 size_t StringData::GetStaticStringCount() {
   if (!s_stringDataMap) return 0;
   return s_stringDataMap->size();
@@ -85,6 +96,10 @@ StringData *StringData::GetStaticString(const StringData *str) {
       new StringDataMap(RuntimeOption::EvalInitialStaticStringTableSize,
                         config);
   }
+  if (str->isStatic()) {
+    assert(checkStaticStr(str));
+    return const_cast<StringData*>(str);
+  }
   StringDataMap::const_iterator it = s_stringDataMap->find(str);
   if (it != s_stringDataMap->end()) {
     return const_cast<StringData*>(it->first);
@@ -105,6 +120,10 @@ StringData *StringData::GetStaticString(const StringData *str) {
 
 StringData *StringData::LookupStaticString(const StringData *str) {
   if (UNLIKELY(!s_stringDataMap)) return nullptr;
+  if (str->isStatic()) {
+    assert(checkStaticStr(str));
+    return const_cast<StringData*>(str);
+  }
   StringDataMap::const_iterator it = s_stringDataMap->find(str);
   if (it != s_stringDataMap->end()) {
     return const_cast<StringData*>(it->first);
@@ -117,29 +136,17 @@ StringData* StringData::GetStaticString(const String& str) {
   return GetStaticString(str.get());
 }
 
-StringData* StringData::FindStaticString(const StringData* str) {
-  if (UNLIKELY(!s_stringDataMap)) {
-    StringDataMap::Config config;
-    config.growthFactor = 1;
-    s_stringDataMap =
-      new StringDataMap(RuntimeOption::EvalInitialStaticStringTableSize,
-                        config);
-  }
-  StringDataMap::const_iterator it = s_stringDataMap->find(str);
-  if (it != s_stringDataMap->end()) {
-    return const_cast<StringData*>(it->first);
-  }
-  return nullptr;
+StringData *StringData::GetStaticString(const char *str, size_t len) {
+  StackStringData sd(str, len, AttachLiteral);
+  return GetStaticString(&sd);
 }
 
 StringData *StringData::GetStaticString(const std::string &str) {
-  StackStringData sd(str.c_str(), str.size(), AttachLiteral);
-  return GetStaticString(&sd);
+  return GetStaticString(str.c_str(), str.size());
 }
 
 StringData *StringData::GetStaticString(const char *str) {
-  StackStringData sd(str, strlen(str), AttachLiteral);
-  return GetStaticString(&sd);
+  return GetStaticString(str, strlen(str));
 }
 
 uint32_t StringData::GetCnsHandle(const StringData* cnsName) {
diff --git a/hphp/runtime/base/string_data.h b/hphp/runtime/base/string_data.h
index d605e9194..3d89f9b26 100644
--- a/hphp/runtime/base/string_data.h
+++ b/hphp/runtime/base/string_data.h
@@ -122,9 +122,6 @@ class StringData {
   IMPLEMENT_COUNTABLE_METHODS_NO_STATIC
 
   void setRefCount(int32_t n) { _count = n;}
-  /* Only call preCompute() and setStatic() in a thread-neutral context! */
-  void preCompute() const;
-  void setStatic() const;
   bool isStatic() const { return _count == RefCountStaticValue; }
 
   static StringData *Escalate(StringData *in);
@@ -330,10 +327,10 @@ public:
   void dump() const;
   std::string toCPPString() const;
 
-  static StringData *FindStaticString(const StringData* str);
   static StringData *GetStaticString(const StringData* str);
   static StringData *GetStaticString(const std::string& str);
   static StringData *GetStaticString(const String& str);
+  static StringData *GetStaticString(const char* str, size_t len);
   static StringData *GetStaticString(const char* str);
   static StringData *GetStaticString(char c);
 
@@ -401,6 +398,9 @@ public:
     assert(!isSmall());
     return m_big.cap & ~IsMask;
   }
+  /* Only call preCompute() and setStatic() in a thread-neutral context! */
+  void preCompute() const;
+  void setStatic() const;
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/hphp/runtime/base/type_string.cpp b/hphp/runtime/base/type_string.cpp
index 44390a089..d6f67d7c4 100644
--- a/hphp/runtime/base/type_string.cpp
+++ b/hphp/runtime/base/type_string.cpp
@@ -747,12 +747,5 @@ String& String::operator=(Variant&& src) {
   return *this = src.toString();
 }
 
-void String::checkStaticHelper() {
-  if (StringData* t = StringData::FindStaticString(m_px)) {
-    decRefStr(m_px);
-    m_px = t;
-  }
-}
-
 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 }
diff --git a/hphp/runtime/base/type_string.h b/hphp/runtime/base/type_string.h
index 44facc625..ab53fc97f 100644
--- a/hphp/runtime/base/type_string.h
+++ b/hphp/runtime/base/type_string.h
@@ -194,9 +194,6 @@ public:
     m_px->setRefCount(1);
   }
 
-  void checkStaticHelper();
-  void checkStatic() {}
-
   void clear() { reset();}
   /**
    * Informational
diff --git a/hphp/runtime/ext/ext_apc.cpp b/hphp/runtime/ext/ext_apc.cpp
index 0d7b36600..d8735c88e 100644
--- a/hphp/runtime/ext/ext_apc.cpp
+++ b/hphp/runtime/ext/ext_apc.cpp
@@ -575,7 +575,6 @@ void apc_load_impl(struct cache_info *info,
         item.len = (int)(int64_t)*(p+1);
         // Strings would be copied into APC anyway.
         String value(*(p+2), (int)(int64_t)*(p+3), AttachLiteral);
-        value.checkStatic();
         s.constructPrime(value, item, false);
       }
       s.prime(vars);
@@ -858,7 +857,7 @@ void apc_load_impl_compressed
         p += string_lens[i + i + 2] + 1; // skip \0
         // Strings would be copied into APC anyway.
         String value(p, string_lens[i + i + 3], AttachLiteral);
-        value.checkStatic();
+        // todo: t2539893: check if value is already a static string
         s.constructPrime(value, item, false);
         p += string_lens[i + i + 3] + 1; // skip \0
       }