diff --git a/AK/AKString.h b/AK/AKString.h
index 86108dae16..742913167d 100644
--- a/AK/AKString.h
+++ b/AK/AKString.h
@@ -38,8 +38,8 @@ public:
 
     String(const StringView& view)
     {
-        if (view.m_string)
-            *this = String(*view.m_string);
+        if (view.m_impl)
+            m_impl = *view.m_impl;
         else
             m_impl = StringImpl::create(view.characters(), view.length());
     }
diff --git a/AK/StringView.cpp b/AK/StringView.cpp
index 7e110c894a..9b98c219e9 100644
--- a/AK/StringView.cpp
+++ b/AK/StringView.cpp
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@
 
 namespace AK {
 
-StringView::StringView(const AK::String& string)
-    : m_string(&string)
+StringView::StringView(const String& string)
+    : m_impl(string.impl())
     , m_characters(string.characters())
     , m_length(string.length())
 {
diff --git a/AK/StringView.h b/AK/StringView.h
index 495c2055fe..febebb8c48 100644
--- a/AK/StringView.h
+++ b/AK/StringView.h
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 namespace AK {
 
 class String;
+class StringImpl;
 
 class StringView {
 public:
@@ -27,7 +28,7 @@ public:
                 ++m_length;
         }
     }
-    StringView(const AK::String& string);
+    StringView(const String& string);
 
     bool is_null() const { return !m_characters; }
     bool is_empty() const { return m_length == 0; }
@@ -59,7 +60,7 @@ public:
 
 private:
     friend class String;
-    const AK::String* m_string { nullptr };
+    const StringImpl* m_impl { nullptr };
     const char* m_characters { nullptr };
     int m_length { 0 };
 };