diff --git a/ext/json/ext/parser/extconf.rb b/ext/json/ext/parser/extconf.rb
index f832b56a..feb586e1 100644
--- a/ext/json/ext/parser/extconf.rb
+++ b/ext/json/ext/parser/extconf.rb
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 require 'mkmf'
 
 have_func("rb_enc_raise", "ruby.h")
+have_func("rb_enc_interned_str", "ruby.h")
 
 # checking if String#-@ (str_uminus) dedupes... '
 begin
diff --git a/ext/json/ext/parser/parser.c b/ext/json/ext/parser/parser.c
index 5fad2c21..d2a726bf 100644
--- a/ext/json/ext/parser/parser.c
+++ b/ext/json/ext/parser/parser.c
@@ -2343,7 +2343,7 @@ static char *JSON_parse_array(JSON_Parser *json, char *p, char *pe, VALUE *resul
 }
 
 static const size_t MAX_STACK_BUFFER_SIZE = 128;
-static VALUE json_string_unescape(char *string, char *stringEnd)
+static VALUE json_string_unescape(char *string, char *stringEnd, int intern)
 {
 	VALUE result = Qnil;
 	size_t bufferSize = stringEnd - string;
@@ -2442,15 +2442,38 @@ static VALUE json_string_unescape(char *string, char *stringEnd)
 		buffer += pe - p;
 	}
 
-	#ifdef HAVE_RUBY_ENCODING_H
-	result = rb_utf8_str_new(bufferStart, buffer - bufferStart);
-	#else
-	result = rb_str_new(bufferStart, buffer - bufferStart);
-	#endif
+	# ifdef HAVE_RB_ENC_INTERNED_STR
+	if (intern) {
+		result = rb_enc_interned_str(bufferStart, (long)(buffer - bufferStart), rb_utf8_encoding());
+	} else {
+		result = rb_utf8_str_new(bufferStart, (long)(buffer - bufferStart));
+	}
+	if (bufferSize > MAX_STACK_BUFFER_SIZE) {
+		free(bufferStart);
+	}
+	# else
+	result = rb_utf8_str_new(bufferStart, (long)(buffer - bufferStart));
 
 	if (bufferSize > MAX_STACK_BUFFER_SIZE) {
 		free(bufferStart);
 	}
+
+	if (intern) {
+		# if STR_UMINUS_DEDUPE_FROZEN
+		// Starting from MRI 2.8 it is preferable to freeze the string
+		// before deduplication so that it can be interned directly
+		// otherwise it would be duplicated first which is wasteful.
+		result = rb_funcall(rb_str_freeze(result), i_uminus, 0);
+		# elif STR_UMINUS_DEDUPE
+		// MRI 2.5 and older do not deduplicate strings that are already
+		// frozen.
+		result = rb_funcall(result, i_uminus, 0);
+		# else
+		result = rb_str_freeze(result);
+		# endif
+	}
+	# endif
+
 	return result;
 }
 
@@ -2479,7 +2502,7 @@ static const char _JSON_string_nfa_pop_trans[] = {
 };
 
 
-#line 575 "parser.rl"
+#line 598 "parser.rl"
 
 
 static int
@@ -2504,7 +2527,7 @@ static char *JSON_parse_string(JSON_Parser *json, char *p, char *pe, VALUE *resu
 		cs = (int)JSON_string_start;
 	}
 
-	#line 595 "parser.rl"
+	#line 618 "parser.rl"
 
 	json->memo = p;
 
@@ -2565,9 +2588,9 @@ static char *JSON_parse_string(JSON_Parser *json, char *p, char *pe, VALUE *resu
 		}
 		ctr2:
 		{
-			#line 562 "parser.rl"
+			#line 585 "parser.rl"
 
-			*result = json_string_unescape(json->memo + 1, p);
+			*result = json_string_unescape(json->memo + 1, p, json->parsing_name || json-> freeze);
 			if (NIL_P(*result)) {
 				{p = p - 1; }
 				{p+= 1; cs = 8; goto _out;}
@@ -2577,7 +2600,7 @@ static char *JSON_parse_string(JSON_Parser *json, char *p, char *pe, VALUE *resu
 			}
 		}
 		{
-			#line 572 "parser.rl"
+			#line 595 "parser.rl"
 			{p = p - 1; } {p+= 1; cs = 8; goto _out;} }
 
 		goto st8;
@@ -2692,7 +2715,7 @@ static char *JSON_parse_string(JSON_Parser *json, char *p, char *pe, VALUE *resu
 		_out: {}
 	}
 
-	#line 597 "parser.rl"
+	#line 620 "parser.rl"
 
 
 	if (json->create_additions && RTEST(match_string = json->match_string)) {
@@ -2708,24 +2731,8 @@ static char *JSON_parse_string(JSON_Parser *json, char *p, char *pe, VALUE *resu
 
 	if (json->symbolize_names && json->parsing_name) {
 		*result = rb_str_intern(*result);
-	} else if (RB_TYPE_P(*result, T_STRING)) {
-		# if STR_UMINUS_DEDUPE_FROZEN
-		if (json->freeze) {
-			// Starting from MRI 2.8 it is preferable to freeze the string
-			// before deduplication so that it can be interned directly
-			// otherwise it would be duplicated first which is wasteful.
-			*result = rb_funcall(rb_str_freeze(*result), i_uminus, 0);
-		}
-		# elif STR_UMINUS_DEDUPE
-		if (json->freeze) {
-			// MRI 2.5 and older do not deduplicate strings that are already
-			// frozen.
-			*result = rb_funcall(*result, i_uminus, 0);
-		}
-		# else
-		rb_str_resize(*result, RSTRING_LEN(*result));
-		# endif
 	}
+
 	if (cs >= JSON_string_first_final) {
 		return p + 1;
 	} else {
@@ -2925,7 +2932,7 @@ static const char _JSON_nfa_pop_trans[] = {
 };
 
 
-#line 818 "parser.rl"
+#line 825 "parser.rl"
 
 
 /*
@@ -2946,7 +2953,7 @@ static VALUE cParser_parse(VALUE self)
 		cs = (int)JSON_start;
 	}
 
-	#line 834 "parser.rl"
+	#line 841 "parser.rl"
 
 	p = json->source;
 	pe = p + json->len;
@@ -3039,7 +3046,7 @@ static VALUE cParser_parse(VALUE self)
 		goto _out;
 		ctr2:
 		{
-			#line 810 "parser.rl"
+			#line 817 "parser.rl"
 
 			char *np = JSON_parse_value(json, p, pe, &result, 0);
 			if (np == NULL) { {p = p - 1; } {p+= 1; cs = 10; goto _out;} } else {p = (( np))-1;}
@@ -3193,7 +3200,7 @@ static VALUE cParser_parse(VALUE self)
 		_out: {}
 	}
 
-	#line 837 "parser.rl"
+	#line 844 "parser.rl"
 
 
 	if (cs >= JSON_first_final && p == pe) {
diff --git a/ext/json/ext/parser/parser.h b/ext/json/ext/parser/parser.h
index d2b074de..5d8b40ec 100644
--- a/ext/json/ext/parser/parser.h
+++ b/ext/json/ext/parser/parser.h
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ static char *JSON_parse_value(JSON_Parser *json, char *p, char *pe, VALUE *resul
 static char *JSON_parse_integer(JSON_Parser *json, char *p, char *pe, VALUE *result);
 static char *JSON_parse_float(JSON_Parser *json, char *p, char *pe, VALUE *result);
 static char *JSON_parse_array(JSON_Parser *json, char *p, char *pe, VALUE *result, int current_nesting);
-static VALUE json_string_unescape(char *string, char *stringEnd);
+static VALUE json_string_unescape(char *string, char *stringEnd, int intern);
 static char *JSON_parse_string(JSON_Parser *json, char *p, char *pe, VALUE *result);
 static VALUE convert_encoding(VALUE source);
 static VALUE cParser_initialize(int argc, VALUE *argv, VALUE self);
diff --git a/ext/json/ext/parser/parser.rl b/ext/json/ext/parser/parser.rl
index 73cf7077..9a7e177b 100644
--- a/ext/json/ext/parser/parser.rl
+++ b/ext/json/ext/parser/parser.rl
@@ -442,7 +442,7 @@ static char *JSON_parse_array(JSON_Parser *json, char *p, char *pe, VALUE *resul
 }
 
 static const size_t MAX_STACK_BUFFER_SIZE = 128;
-static VALUE json_string_unescape(char *string, char *stringEnd)
+static VALUE json_string_unescape(char *string, char *stringEnd, int intern)
 {
     VALUE result = Qnil;
     size_t bufferSize = stringEnd - string;
@@ -541,15 +541,38 @@ static VALUE json_string_unescape(char *string, char *stringEnd)
       buffer += pe - p;
     }
 
-    #ifdef HAVE_RUBY_ENCODING_H
-      result = rb_utf8_str_new(bufferStart, buffer - bufferStart);
-    #else
-      result = rb_str_new(bufferStart, buffer - bufferStart);
-    #endif
+# ifdef HAVE_RB_ENC_INTERNED_STR
+      if (intern) {
+        result = rb_enc_interned_str(bufferStart, (long)(buffer - bufferStart), rb_utf8_encoding());
+      } else {
+        result = rb_utf8_str_new(bufferStart, (long)(buffer - bufferStart));
+      }
+      if (bufferSize > MAX_STACK_BUFFER_SIZE) {
+        free(bufferStart);
+      }
+# else
+      result = rb_utf8_str_new(bufferStart, (long)(buffer - bufferStart));
+
+      if (bufferSize > MAX_STACK_BUFFER_SIZE) {
+        free(bufferStart);
+      }
+
+      if (intern) {
+  # if STR_UMINUS_DEDUPE_FROZEN
+        // Starting from MRI 2.8 it is preferable to freeze the string
+        // before deduplication so that it can be interned directly
+        // otherwise it would be duplicated first which is wasteful.
+        result = rb_funcall(rb_str_freeze(result), i_uminus, 0);
+  # elif STR_UMINUS_DEDUPE
+        // MRI 2.5 and older do not deduplicate strings that are already
+        // frozen.
+        result = rb_funcall(result, i_uminus, 0);
+  # else
+        result = rb_str_freeze(result);
+  # endif
+      }
+# endif
 
-    if (bufferSize > MAX_STACK_BUFFER_SIZE) {
-      free(bufferStart);
-    }
     return result;
 }
 
@@ -560,7 +583,7 @@ static VALUE json_string_unescape(char *string, char *stringEnd)
     write data;
 
     action parse_string {
-        *result = json_string_unescape(json->memo + 1, p);
+        *result = json_string_unescape(json->memo + 1, p, json->parsing_name || json-> freeze);
         if (NIL_P(*result)) {
             fhold;
             fbreak;
@@ -608,24 +631,8 @@ static char *JSON_parse_string(JSON_Parser *json, char *p, char *pe, VALUE *resu
 
     if (json->symbolize_names && json->parsing_name) {
       *result = rb_str_intern(*result);
-    } else if (RB_TYPE_P(*result, T_STRING)) {
-# if STR_UMINUS_DEDUPE_FROZEN
-      if (json->freeze) {
-        // Starting from MRI 2.8 it is preferable to freeze the string
-        // before deduplication so that it can be interned directly
-        // otherwise it would be duplicated first which is wasteful.
-        *result = rb_funcall(rb_str_freeze(*result), i_uminus, 0);
-      }
-# elif STR_UMINUS_DEDUPE
-      if (json->freeze) {
-        // MRI 2.5 and older do not deduplicate strings that are already
-        // frozen.
-        *result = rb_funcall(*result, i_uminus, 0);
-      }
-# else
-      rb_str_resize(*result, RSTRING_LEN(*result));
-# endif
     }
+
     if (cs >= JSON_string_first_final) {
         return p + 1;
     } else {