diff --git a/include/ebcl/Strings.hh b/include/ebcl/Strings.hh
index c85d0cd..cf98593 100644
--- a/include/ebcl/Strings.hh
+++ b/include/ebcl/Strings.hh
@@ -459,6 +459,19 @@ M_LSHIFT_OP( T_StringBuilder , float );
 M_LSHIFT_OP( T_StringBuilder , double );
 
 
+/*= STRING LIBRARY INITIALIZER ===============================================*/
+/* A few things in the string library need to be initialised as soon as
+ * anything that may use it is loaded. This includes the string pool and the
+ * "empty string" constant.
+ */
+
+static struct T_StringLibInitializer
+{
+	T_StringLibInitializer( );
+	~T_StringLibInitializer( );
+} StringLibInitializer;
+
+
 } // namespace
 #endif // _H_EBCL_STRINGS
 #include <ebcl/inline/Strings.hh>
diff --git a/src/Strings.cc b/src/Strings.cc
index 245a102..2573b17 100644
--- a/src/Strings.cc
+++ b/src/Strings.cc
@@ -38,16 +38,14 @@ M_ABSTRACT_POINTERS( StringDataInternal );
 
 /*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
 
-// T_EmptyString - Fake storage for the empty string
-class T_EmptyString final : public A_StringDataInternal
+// T_EmptyString_ - Fake storage for the empty string
+class T_EmptyString_ final : public A_StringDataInternal
 {
    public:
-	static T_EmptyString EmptyString;
+	T_EmptyString_( );
 
-	T_EmptyString( );
-
-	T_EmptyString( T_EmptyString const& ) = delete;
-	T_EmptyString( T_EmptyString&& other ) = delete;
+	T_EmptyString_( T_EmptyString_ const& ) = delete;
+	T_EmptyString_( T_EmptyString_&& other ) = delete;
 };
 
 
@@ -120,18 +118,16 @@ class T_Substring final : public A_RefCountedString
 
 /*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
 
-// T_StringPool - Pool of string storage classes
-class T_StringPool final
+// T_StringPool_ - Pool of string storage classes
+class T_StringPool_ final
 {
    private:
 	T_HashIndex index_;
 	T_Array< T_OwnPtr< T_StaticString > > strings_;
+	mutable T_ReadWriteMutex mutex_;
 
    public:
-	static T_StringPool Pool;
-	static T_ReadWriteMutex Mutex;
-
-	T_StringPool( );
+	T_StringPool_( );
 
 	RP_StringDataInternal add( char const* data , uint32_t size );
 	RP_StringDataInternal get( char const* data , uint32_t size ) const;
@@ -146,6 +142,38 @@ class T_StringPool final
 namespace ebcl { M_DECLARE_HASH( A_StringDataInternal ); }
 
 
+/*= LIBRARY STATE AND INITIALIZATION =========================================*/
+
+namespace {
+
+	uint64_t StringLibCounter_;
+
+	T_VarStorage< T_StringPool_ > StringPoolBuffer_;
+	T_VarStorage< T_EmptyString_ > EmptyStringBuffer_;
+
+	T_StringPool_& StringPool_ = reinterpret_cast< T_StringPool_& >( StringPoolBuffer_ );
+	T_EmptyString_& EmptyString_ = reinterpret_cast< T_EmptyString_& >( EmptyStringBuffer_ );
+
+}
+
+T_StringLibInitializer::T_StringLibInitializer( )
+{
+	if ( StringLibCounter_ ++ == 0 ) {
+		new (&StringPool_) T_StringPool_( );
+		new (&EmptyString_) T_EmptyString_( );
+	}
+}
+
+T_StringLibInitializer::~T_StringLibInitializer( )
+{
+	if ( -- StringLibCounter_ == 0 ) {
+		( &StringPool_ )->~T_StringPool_( );
+		( &EmptyString_ )->~T_EmptyString_( );
+	}
+}
+
+
+
 /*= UTF-8 UTILITY FUNCTIONS ==================================================*/
 
 bool ebcl::UTF8IsValid( char const* string )
@@ -938,9 +966,9 @@ inline M_DEFINE_HASH( A_StringDataInternal )
 }
 
 
-/*= T_EmptyString ============================================================*/
+/*= T_EmptyString_ ============================================================*/
 
-T_EmptyString::T_EmptyString( )
+T_EmptyString_::T_EmptyString_( )
 	: A_StringDataInternal( false )
 {
 	data_ = nullptr;
@@ -949,8 +977,6 @@ T_EmptyString::T_EmptyString( )
 	length_ = 0;
 }
 
-T_EmptyString T_EmptyString::EmptyString;
-
 
 /*= T_StaticString ===========================================================*/
 
@@ -1076,27 +1102,22 @@ T_Substring::~T_Substring( )
 }
 
 
-/*= T_StringPool =============================================================*/
+/*= T_StringPool_ ============================================================*/
 
-T_StringPool T_StringPool::Pool;
-T_ReadWriteMutex T_StringPool::Mutex;
-
-/*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
-
-T_StringPool::T_StringPool( )
+T_StringPool_::T_StringPool_( )
 	: index_( 16384 , 4096 , 4096 ) , strings_( 4096 )
 { }
 
 /*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
 
-RP_StringDataInternal T_StringPool::add( char const* data , uint32_t size )
+RP_StringDataInternal T_StringPool_::add( char const* data , uint32_t size )
 {
-	T_ReadLock lock( T_StringPool::Mutex );
-	const auto hash( HashData( (uint8_t const*) data , size ) );
-	const auto idx( find( data , size , hash ) );
+	T_ReadLock lock{ mutex_ };
+	const auto hash{ HashData( (uint8_t const*) data , size ) };
+	const auto idx{ find( data , size , hash ) };
 
 	if ( idx == T_HashIndex::INVALID_INDEX ) {
-		const T_WriteLock wLock( lock.upgrade( ) );
+		const T_WriteLock wLock{ lock.upgrade( ) };
 		index_.add( hash );
 		const auto str( strings_.add( NewOwned< T_StaticString >( data , size ) ) );
 		return strings_[ str ].get( );
@@ -1107,11 +1128,11 @@ RP_StringDataInternal T_StringPool::add( char const* data , uint32_t size )
 
 /*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
 
-RP_StringDataInternal T_StringPool::get( char const* data , uint32_t size ) const
+RP_StringDataInternal T_StringPool_::get( char const* data , uint32_t size ) const
 {
-	const T_ReadLock lock( T_StringPool::Mutex );
-	const auto hash( HashData( reinterpret_cast< uint8_t const* >( data ) , size ) );
-	const auto idx( find( data , size , hash ) );
+	const T_ReadLock lock{ mutex_ };
+	const auto hash{ HashData( reinterpret_cast< uint8_t const* >( data ) , size ) };
+	const auto idx{ find( data , size , hash ) };
 
 	if ( idx == T_HashIndex::INVALID_INDEX ) {
 		return nullptr;
@@ -1122,7 +1143,7 @@ RP_StringDataInternal T_StringPool::get( char const* data , uint32_t size ) cons
 
 /*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
 
-uint32_t T_StringPool::find( char const* data , uint32_t sz , uint32_t hash ) const
+uint32_t T_StringPool_::find( char const* data , uint32_t sz , uint32_t hash ) const
 {
 	uint32_t idx = index_.first( hash );
 	while ( idx != T_HashIndex::INVALID_INDEX ) {
@@ -1220,16 +1241,16 @@ bool T_StringIterator::next( )
 /*= T_String =================================================================*/
 
 T_String::T_String( ) noexcept
-	: data_( &T_EmptyString::EmptyString )
+	: data_( &EmptyString_ )
 { }
 
 T_String::T_String( char const* initial )
 {
 	if ( initial == nullptr || *initial == 0 ) {
-		data_ = &T_EmptyString::EmptyString;
+		data_ = &EmptyString_;
 	} else {
 		const uint32_t len( strlen( initial ) );
-		data_ = T_StringPool::Pool.get( initial , len );
+		data_ = StringPool_.get( initial , len );
 		if ( data_ == nullptr ) {
 			data_ = new T_DynamicString( initial , len , false );
 		}
@@ -1250,7 +1271,7 @@ T_String::T_String( T_StringBuilder const& sb )
 T_String::T_String( char const* data , uint32_t size , bool nodup )
 {
 	if ( data == nullptr || size == 0 ) {
-		data_ = &T_EmptyString::EmptyString;
+		data_ = &EmptyString_;
 	} else {
 		data_ = new T_DynamicString( data , size , nodup );
 	}
@@ -1265,7 +1286,7 @@ T_String::T_String( T_String const& source )
 }
 
 T_String::T_String( T_String&& source ) noexcept
-	: data_( &T_EmptyString::EmptyString )
+	: data_( &EmptyString_ )
 {
 	swap( *this , source );
 }
@@ -1285,7 +1306,7 @@ T_String& T_String::operator= ( T_String&& string ) noexcept
 	assert( data_ != nullptr );
 	dynamic_cast< RP_StringDataInternal >( data_ )->removeUser( );
 	data_ = string.data_;
-	string.data_ = &T_EmptyString::EmptyString;
+	string.data_ = &EmptyString_;
 	return *this;
 }
 
@@ -1334,7 +1355,7 @@ T_String T_String::Pooled( char const* data , uint32_t size )
 	assert( data != nullptr );
 	T_String s;
 	if ( size ) {
-		s.data_ = T_StringPool::Pool.add( data , size );
+		s.data_ = StringPool_.add( data , size );
 	}
 	return s;
 }
@@ -1345,7 +1366,7 @@ T_String& T_String::addToPool( )
 {
 	const auto d( dynamic_cast< RP_StringDataInternal >( data_ ) );
 	if ( d->poolable ) {
-		data_ = T_StringPool::Pool.add( d->data( ) , d->size( ) );
+		data_ = StringPool_.add( d->data( ) , d->size( ) );
 		d->removeUser( );
 	}
 	return *this;
@@ -1356,7 +1377,7 @@ T_String& T_String::usePool( )
 {
 	const auto d( dynamic_cast< RP_StringDataInternal >( data_ ) );
 	if ( d->poolable ) {
-		const auto nd( T_StringPool::Pool.get( d->data( ) , d->size( ) ) );
+		const auto nd( StringPool_.get( d->data( ) , d->size( ) ) );
 		if ( nd != nullptr ) {
 			data_ = nd;
 			d->removeUser( );