diff --git a/lix/libexpr/nixexpr.cc b/lix/libexpr/nixexpr.cc
index 9b37de980..4f894c7dd 100644
--- a/lix/libexpr/nixexpr.cc
+++ b/lix/libexpr/nixexpr.cc
@@ -19,6 +19,12 @@ std::ostream & operator <<(std::ostream & str, const SymbolStr & symbol)
     return printIdentifier(str, s);
 }
 
+std::ostream & operator<<(std::ostream & str, const InternedSymbol & symbol)
+{
+    str << SymbolStr(symbol);
+    return str;
+}
+
 AttrName::AttrName(PosIdx pos, Symbol s) : pos(pos), symbol(s)
 {
 }
diff --git a/lix/libexpr/primops.cc b/lix/libexpr/primops.cc
index 6c7410b6a..3ed9c68c9 100644
--- a/lix/libexpr/primops.cc
+++ b/lix/libexpr/primops.cc
@@ -810,7 +810,7 @@ drvName, Bindings * attrs, Value & v)
 
     for (auto & i : attrs->lexicographicOrder(state.ctx.symbols)) {
         if (i->name == state.ctx.s.ignoreNulls) continue;
-        const std::string & key = state.ctx.symbols[i->name];
+        auto & key = state.ctx.symbols[i->name];
         vomit("processing attribute '%1%'", key);
 
         auto handleHashMode = [&](const std::string_view s, NeverAsync = {}) {
@@ -1539,7 +1539,7 @@ static void prim_path(EvalState & state, Value * * args, Value & v)
     state.forceAttrs(*args[0], noPos, "while evaluating the argument passed to 'builtins.path'");
 
     for (auto & attr : *args[0]->attrs) {
-        auto n = state.ctx.symbols[attr.name];
+        auto & n = state.ctx.symbols[attr.name];
         if (n == "path")
             path.emplace(state.coerceToPath(attr.pos, *attr.value, context, "while evaluating the 'path' attribute passed to 'builtins.path'"));
         else if (attr.name == state.ctx.s.name)
diff --git a/lix/libexpr/symbol-table.hh b/lix/libexpr/symbol-table.hh
index 156fd38ae..93c38662e 100644
--- a/lix/libexpr/symbol-table.hh
+++ b/lix/libexpr/symbol-table.hh
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
 #include "lix/libutil/types.hh"
 #include "lix/libutil/chunked-vector.hh"
 
+#include "lix/libexpr/value.hh"
+
 namespace nix {
 
 /**
@@ -16,6 +18,7 @@ namespace nix {
 class SymbolStr
 {
     friend class SymbolTable;
+    friend class InternedSymbol;
 
 private:
     const std::string * s;
@@ -41,6 +44,59 @@ public:
     friend std::ostream & operator <<(std::ostream & os, const SymbolStr & symbol);
 };
 
+class InternedSymbol
+{
+private:
+    /*
+     * The type that actually stores the string contained inside of the Value.
+     */
+    std::string contents;
+
+    /*
+     * A value containing a string that can be immediately passed to the evaluator.
+     */
+    Value underlyingValue;
+
+public:
+    explicit InternedSymbol(std::string_view s)
+        : contents(s)
+        , underlyingValue(NewValueAs::string, contents.c_str(), nullptr)
+    {
+    }
+
+    InternedSymbol(InternedSymbol &&) = default;
+    InternedSymbol & operator=(InternedSymbol &&) = default;
+
+    KJ_DISALLOW_COPY(InternedSymbol);
+
+    operator SymbolStr() const
+    {
+        return SymbolStr(contents);
+    }
+
+    bool operator==(std::string_view s2) const
+    {
+        return contents == s2;
+    }
+
+    operator const std::string &() const
+    {
+        return contents;
+    }
+
+    operator std::string_view() const
+    {
+        return contents;
+    }
+
+    const Value * toValuePtr() const
+    {
+        return &underlyingValue;
+    }
+
+    friend std::ostream & operator<<(std::ostream & os, const InternedSymbol & symbol);
+};
+
 /**
  * Symbols have the property that they can be compared efficiently
  * (using an equality test), because the symbol table stores only one
@@ -77,7 +133,7 @@ private:
      * ChunkedVector references are never invalidated.
      */
     std::unordered_map<std::string_view, uint32_t> symbols;
-    ChunkedVector<std::string, 8192> store{16};
+    ChunkedVector<InternedSymbol, 8192> store{16};
 
 public:
 
@@ -101,11 +157,11 @@ public:
         return Symbol(idx + 1);
     }
 
-    SymbolStr operator[](Symbol s) const
+    const InternedSymbol & operator[](Symbol s) const
     {
         if (s.id == 0 || s.id > store.size())
             abort();
-        return SymbolStr(store[s.id - 1]);
+        return store[s.id - 1];
     }
 
     size_t size() const