diff --git a/src/core/Makefile.am b/src/core/Makefile.am
index c01b8f10..7cf172ef 100644
--- a/src/core/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/core/Makefile.am
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ libcore_a_SOURCES = \
 	queries.c \
 	rawlog.c \
 	recode.c \
+	refstrings.c \
 	servers.c \
 	servers-reconnect.c \
 	servers-setup.c \
@@ -102,6 +103,7 @@ pkginc_core_HEADERS = \
 	queries.h \
 	rawlog.h \
 	recode.h \
+	refstrings.h \
 	servers.h \
 	servers-reconnect.h \
 	servers-setup.h \
diff --git a/src/core/core.c b/src/core/core.c
index 8562836a..878d9eb6 100644
--- a/src/core/core.c
+++ b/src/core/core.c
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@
 #include <irssi/src/core/rawlog.h>
 #include <irssi/src/core/ignore.h>
 #include <irssi/src/core/recode.h>
+#include <irssi/src/core/refstrings.h>
 
 #include <irssi/src/core/channels.h>
 #include <irssi/src/core/queries.h>
@@ -261,6 +262,7 @@ void core_init(void)
 	nicklist_init();
 
 	chat_commands_init();
+	i_refstr_init();
 	wcwidth_wrapper_init();
 
 	settings_add_str("misc", "ignore_signals", "");
@@ -286,6 +288,7 @@ void core_deinit(void)
 	signal_remove("irssi init finished", (SIGNAL_FUNC) sig_irssi_init_finished);
 
 	wcwidth_wrapper_deinit();
+	i_refstr_deinit();
 	chat_commands_deinit();
 
 	nicklist_deinit();
diff --git a/src/core/meson.build b/src/core/meson.build
index dd5a4d49..b22a16de 100644
--- a/src/core/meson.build
+++ b/src/core/meson.build
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ libcore_a = static_library('core',
     'queries.c',
     'rawlog.c',
     'recode.c',
+    'refstrings.c',
     'servers-reconnect.c',
     'servers-setup.c',
     'servers.c',
@@ -114,6 +115,7 @@ install_headers(
     'queries.h',
     'rawlog.h',
     'recode.h',
+    'refstrings.h',
     'servers-reconnect.h',
     'servers-setup.h',
     'servers.h',
diff --git a/src/core/refstrings.c b/src/core/refstrings.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4b675fa5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/core/refstrings.c
@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+#include <string.h>
+
+#include <irssi/src/core/refstrings.h>
+
+#if GLIB_CHECK_VERSION(2, 58, 0)
+/* nothing */
+#else
+
+GHashTable *i_refstr_table;
+
+void i_refstr_init(void)
+{
+	i_refstr_table = g_hash_table_new(g_str_hash, g_str_equal);
+}
+
+char *i_refstr_intern(const char *str)
+{
+	char *ret;
+	gpointer rc_p, ret_p;
+	size_t rc;
+
+	if (str == NULL)
+		return NULL;
+
+	if (g_hash_table_lookup_extended(i_refstr_table, str, &ret_p, &rc_p)) {
+		rc = GPOINTER_TO_SIZE(rc_p);
+		ret = ret_p;
+	} else {
+		rc = 0;
+		ret = g_strdup(str);
+	}
+
+	if (rc + 1 <= G_MAXSIZE) {
+		g_hash_table_insert(i_refstr_table, ret, GSIZE_TO_POINTER(rc + 1));
+		return ret;
+	} else {
+		return g_strdup(str);
+	}
+}
+
+void i_refstr_release(char *str)
+{
+	char *ret;
+	gpointer rc_p, ret_p;
+	size_t rc;
+
+	if (str == NULL)
+		return;
+
+	if (g_hash_table_lookup_extended(i_refstr_table, str, &ret_p, &rc_p)) {
+		rc = GPOINTER_TO_SIZE(rc_p);
+		ret = ret_p;
+	} else {
+		rc = 0;
+		ret = NULL;
+	}
+
+	if (ret == str) {
+		if (rc > 1) {
+			g_hash_table_insert(i_refstr_table, ret, GSIZE_TO_POINTER(rc - 1));
+		} else {
+			g_hash_table_remove(i_refstr_table, ret);
+			g_free(ret);
+		}
+	} else {
+		g_free(str);
+	}
+}
+
+void i_refstr_deinit(void)
+{
+	g_hash_table_foreach(i_refstr_table, (GHFunc) g_free, NULL);
+	g_hash_table_destroy(i_refstr_table);
+}
+
+char *i_refstr_table_size_info(void)
+{
+	GHashTableIter iter;
+	void *k_p, *v_p;
+	size_t count, mem;
+	count = 0;
+	mem = 0;
+	g_hash_table_iter_init(&iter, i_refstr_table);
+	while (g_hash_table_iter_next(&iter, &k_p, &v_p)) {
+		char *key = k_p;
+		count++;
+		mem += sizeof(char) * (strlen(key) + 1) + 2 * sizeof(void *);
+	}
+
+	return g_strdup_printf("Shared strings: %ld, %dkB of data", count,
+	          (int) (mem / 1024));
+}
+
+#endif
diff --git a/src/core/refstrings.h b/src/core/refstrings.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..79036a20
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/core/refstrings.h
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+#ifndef IRSSI_CORE_REFSTRINGS_H
+#define IRSSI_CORE_REFSTRINGS_H
+
+#include <glib.h>
+
+#if GLIB_CHECK_VERSION(2, 58, 0)
+
+#define i_refstr_init() /* nothing */
+#define i_refstr_release(str) ((str) == NULL ? NULL : g_ref_string_release(str))
+#define i_refstr_intern(str) ((str) == NULL ? NULL : g_ref_string_new_intern(str))
+#define i_refstr_deinit() /* nothing */
+#define i_refstr_table_size_info() NULL
+
+#else
+
+void i_refstr_init(void);
+char *i_refstr_intern(const char *str);
+void i_refstr_release(char *str);
+void i_refstr_deinit(void);
+char *i_refstr_table_size_info(void);
+
+#endif
+
+#endif
diff --git a/src/fe-text/textbuffer-commands.c b/src/fe-text/textbuffer-commands.c
index 318ee077..11c0f123 100644
--- a/src/fe-text/textbuffer-commands.c
+++ b/src/fe-text/textbuffer-commands.c
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 #include <irssi/src/core/levels.h>
 #include <irssi/src/core/settings.h>
 #include <irssi/src/core/servers.h>
+#include <irssi/src/core/refstrings.h>
 
 #include <irssi/src/fe-common/core/printtext.h>
 #include <irssi/src/fe-text/gui-windows.h>
@@ -358,6 +359,13 @@ static void cmd_scrollback_status(void)
 	printtext(NULL, NULL, MSGLEVEL_CLIENTCRAP,
 		  "Total: %d lines, %dkB of data",
 		  total_lines, (int)(total_mem / 1024));
+	{
+		char *tmp = i_refstr_table_size_info();
+		if (tmp != NULL)
+			printtext(NULL, NULL, MSGLEVEL_CLIENTCRAP,
+				  "%s", tmp);
+		g_free(tmp);
+	}
 }
 
 static void sig_away_changed(SERVER_REC *server)