diff --git a/include/cubescript/cubescript/value.hh b/include/cubescript/cubescript/value.hh
index bda5e09..9f92efd 100644
--- a/include/cubescript/cubescript/value.hh
+++ b/include/cubescript/cubescript/value.hh
@@ -60,9 +60,7 @@ struct LIBCUBESCRIPT_EXPORT string_ref {
         return std::string_view{*this}.length();
     }
 
-    char const *data() const {
-        return std::string_view{*this}.data();
-    }
+    char const *data() const;
 
     std::string_view view() const {
         return std::string_view{*this};
@@ -75,8 +73,7 @@ struct LIBCUBESCRIPT_EXPORT string_ref {
     bool operator==(string_ref const &s) const;
 
 private:
-    /* for internal use only */
-    string_ref(char const *p, internal_state *cs);
+    string_ref(char const *p);
 
     char const *p_str;
 };
@@ -124,12 +121,7 @@ struct LIBCUBESCRIPT_EXPORT any_value {
     ident &force_ident(state &cs);
 
 private:
-    std::aligned_union_t<1,
-        integer_type,
-        float_type,
-        void *,
-        string_ref
-    > p_stor;
+    std::aligned_union_t<1, integer_type, float_type, void *> p_stor;
     value_type p_type;
 };
 
diff --git a/src/cs_strman.cc b/src/cs_strman.cc
index 7d7fc2c..401035b 100644
--- a/src/cs_strman.cc
+++ b/src/cs_strman.cc
@@ -54,12 +54,12 @@ string_ref string_pool::steal(char *ptr) {
         if (st) {
             /* the buffer is superfluous now */
             cstate->alloc(ss, ss->length + sizeof(string_ref_state) + 1, 0);
-            return string_ref{reinterpret_cast<char const *>(st + 1), cstate};
+            return string_ref{reinterpret_cast<char const *>(st + 1)};
         }
     }
     ss->refcount = 0; /* string_ref will increment it */
     counts.emplace(sr, ss);
-    return string_ref{ptr, cstate};
+    return string_ref{ptr};
 }
 
 void string_pool::unref(char const *ptr) {
@@ -108,9 +108,19 @@ char *string_pool::alloc_buf(std::size_t len) const {
     return strp;
 }
 
-/* strref implementation */
+char const *str_managed_ref(char const *str) {
+    return get_ref_state(str)->state->strman->ref(str);
+}
 
-/* strref */
+void str_managed_unref(char const *str) {
+    get_ref_state(str)->state->strman->unref(str);
+}
+
+std::string_view str_managed_view(char const *str) {
+    return get_ref_state(str)->state->strman->get(str);
+}
+
+/* strref implementation */
 
 LIBCUBESCRIPT_EXPORT string_ref::string_ref(
     internal_state *cs, std::string_view str
@@ -129,24 +139,25 @@ LIBCUBESCRIPT_EXPORT string_ref::string_ref(string_ref const &ref):
 }
 
 /* this can be used by friends to do quick string_ref creation */
-LIBCUBESCRIPT_EXPORT string_ref::string_ref(
-    char const *p, internal_state *cs
-) {
-    p_str = cs->strman->ref(p);
+LIBCUBESCRIPT_EXPORT string_ref::string_ref(char const *p) {
+    p_str = str_managed_ref(p);
 }
 
 LIBCUBESCRIPT_EXPORT string_ref::~string_ref() {
-    get_ref_state(p_str)->state->strman->unref(p_str);
+    str_managed_unref(p_str);
 }
 
 LIBCUBESCRIPT_EXPORT string_ref &string_ref::operator=(string_ref const &ref) {
-    p_str = ref.p_str;
-    get_ref_state(p_str)->state->strman->ref(p_str);
+    p_str = str_managed_ref(ref.p_str);
     return *this;
 }
 
+LIBCUBESCRIPT_EXPORT char const *string_ref::data() const {
+    return p_str;
+}
+
 LIBCUBESCRIPT_EXPORT string_ref::operator std::string_view() const {
-    return get_ref_state(p_str)->state->strman->get(p_str);
+    return str_managed_view(p_str);
 }
 
 LIBCUBESCRIPT_EXPORT bool string_ref::operator==(string_ref const &s) const {
diff --git a/src/cs_strman.hh b/src/cs_strman.hh
index ab93712..f586eb9 100644
--- a/src/cs_strman.hh
+++ b/src/cs_strman.hh
@@ -13,6 +13,10 @@ namespace cubescript {
 
 struct string_ref_state;
 
+char const *str_managed_ref(char const *str);
+void str_managed_unref(char const *str);
+std::string_view str_managed_view(char const *str);
+
 /* string manager
  *
  * the purpose of this is to handle interning of strings; each string within
diff --git a/src/cs_val.cc b/src/cs_val.cc
index b704648..b8767d7 100644
--- a/src/cs_val.cc
+++ b/src/cs_val.cc
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #include "cs_std.hh"
 #include "cs_parser.hh"
 #include "cs_state.hh"
+#include "cs_strman.hh"
 
 #include <cmath>
 #include <iterator>
@@ -66,7 +67,7 @@ template<typename T>
 static inline void csv_cleanup(value_type tv, T *stor) {
     switch (tv) {
         case value_type::STRING:
-            csv_get<string_ref>(stor).~string_ref();
+            str_managed_unref(csv_get<char const *>(stor));
             break;
         case value_type::CODE: {
             bcode_unref(csv_get<uint32_t *>(stor));
@@ -105,9 +106,8 @@ any_value &any_value::operator=(any_value const &v) {
             break;
         case value_type::STRING:
             p_type = value_type::STRING;
-            new (&csv_get<string_ref>(&p_stor)) string_ref{
-                csv_get<string_ref>(&v.p_stor)
-            };
+            p_stor = v.p_stor;
+            str_managed_ref(csv_get<char const *>(&p_stor));
             break;
         case value_type::CODE:
             set_code(v.get_code());
@@ -142,13 +142,13 @@ void any_value::set_float(float_type val) {
 
 void any_value::set_string(std::string_view val, state &cs) {
     csv_cleanup(p_type, &p_stor);
-    new (&csv_get<string_ref>(&p_stor)) string_ref{cs, val};
+    csv_get<char const *>(&p_stor) = state_p{cs}.ts().istate->strman->add(val);
     p_type = value_type::STRING;
 }
 
 void any_value::set_string(string_ref const &val) {
     csv_cleanup(p_type, &p_stor);
-    new (&csv_get<string_ref>(&p_stor)) string_ref{val};
+    csv_get<char const *>(&p_stor) = str_managed_ref(val.p_str);
     p_type = value_type::STRING;
 }
 
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ float_type any_value::force_float() {
             rf = float_type(csv_get<integer_type>(&p_stor));
             break;
         case value_type::STRING:
-            rf = parse_float(csv_get<string_ref>(&p_stor));
+            rf = parse_float(str_managed_view(csv_get<char const *>(&p_stor)));
             break;
         case value_type::FLOAT:
             return csv_get<float_type>(&p_stor);
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ integer_type any_value::force_integer() {
             ri = integer_type(std::floor(csv_get<float_type>(&p_stor)));
             break;
         case value_type::STRING:
-            ri = parse_int(csv_get<string_ref>(&p_stor));
+            ri = parse_int(str_managed_view(csv_get<char const *>(&p_stor)));
             break;
         case value_type::INTEGER:
             return csv_get<integer_type>(&p_stor);
@@ -237,13 +237,13 @@ std::string_view any_value::force_string(state &cs) {
             str = intstr(csv_get<integer_type>(&p_stor), rs);
             break;
         case value_type::STRING:
-            return csv_get<string_ref>(&p_stor);
+            return str_managed_view(csv_get<char const *>(&p_stor));
         default:
             str = rs.str();
             break;
     }
     set_string(str, cs);
-    return csv_get<string_ref>(&p_stor);
+    return str_managed_view(csv_get<char const *>(&p_stor));
 }
 
 bcode_ref any_value::force_code(state &cs) {
@@ -281,7 +281,7 @@ integer_type any_value::get_integer() const {
         case value_type::INTEGER:
             return csv_get<integer_type>(&p_stor);
         case value_type::STRING:
-            return parse_int(csv_get<string_ref>(&p_stor));
+            return parse_int(str_managed_view(csv_get<char const *>(&p_stor)));
         default:
             break;
     }
@@ -295,7 +295,9 @@ float_type any_value::get_float() const {
         case value_type::INTEGER:
             return float_type(csv_get<integer_type>(&p_stor));
         case value_type::STRING:
-            return parse_float(csv_get<string_ref>(&p_stor));
+            return parse_float(
+                str_managed_view(csv_get<char const *>(&p_stor))
+            );
         default:
             break;
     }
@@ -319,7 +321,7 @@ ident *any_value::get_ident() const {
 string_ref any_value::get_string(state &cs) const {
     switch (get_type()) {
         case value_type::STRING:
-            return csv_get<string_ref>(&p_stor);
+            return string_ref{csv_get<char const *>(&p_stor)};
         case value_type::INTEGER: {
             charbuf rs{cs};
             return string_ref{
@@ -357,7 +359,9 @@ bool any_value::get_bool() const {
         case value_type::INTEGER:
             return csv_get<integer_type>(&p_stor) != 0;
         case value_type::STRING: {
-            std::string_view s = csv_get<string_ref>(&p_stor);
+            std::string_view s = str_managed_view(
+                csv_get<char const *>(&p_stor)
+            );
             if (s.empty()) {
                 return false;
             }