diff --git a/glib/grefstring.c b/glib/grefstring.c
index 8d46a7f4c..ea15d544f 100644
--- a/glib/grefstring.c
+++ b/glib/grefstring.c
@@ -27,6 +27,60 @@
  * instead of copying the string among callers; when the last reference on
  * the string is released, the resources allocated for it are freed.
  *
+ * Typically, reference counted strings can be used when parsing data from
+ * files and storing them into data structures that are passed to various
+ * callers:
+ *
+ * |[<!-- language="C" -->
+ * PersonDetails *
+ * person_details_from_data (const char *data)
+ * {
+ *   // Use g_autoptr() to simplify error cases
+ *   g_autoptr(GRefString) full_name = NULL;
+ *   g_autoptr(GRefString) address =  NULL;
+ *   g_autoptr(GRefString) city = NULL;
+ *   g_autoptr(GRefString) state = NULL;
+ *   g_autoptr(GRefString) zip_code = NULL;
+ *
+ *   // parse_person_details() is defined elsewhere; returns refcounted strings
+ *   if (!parse_person_details (data, &full_name, &address, &city, &state, &zip_code))
+ *     return NULL;
+ *
+ *   if (!validate_zip_code (zip_code))
+ *     return NULL;
+ *
+ *   // add_address_to_cache() and add_full_name_to_cache() are defined
+ *   // elsewhere; they add strings to various caches, using refcounted
+ *   // strings to avoid copying data over and over again
+ *   add_address_to_cache (address, city, state, zip_code);
+ *   add_full_name_to_cache (full_name);
+ *
+ *   // person_details_new() is defined elsewhere; it takes a reference
+ *   // on each string
+ *   PersonDetails *res = person_details_new (full_name,
+ *                                            address,
+ *                                            city,
+ *                                            state,
+ *                                            zip_code);
+ *
+ *   return res;
+ * }
+ * ]|
+ *
+ * In the example above, we have multiple functions taking the same strings
+ * for different uses; with typical C strings, we'd have to copy the strings
+ * every time the life time rules of the data differ from the life time of
+ * the string parsed from the original buffer. With reference counted strings,
+ * each caller can take a reference on the data, and keep it as long as it
+ * needs to own the string.
+ *
+ * Reference counted strings can also be "interned" inside a global table
+ * owned by GLib; while an interned string has at least a reference, creating
+ * a new interned reference counted string with the same contents will return
+ * a reference to the existing string instead of creating a new reference
+ * counted string instance. Once the string loses its last reference, it will
+ * be automatically removed from the global interned strings table.
+ *
  * Since: 2.58
  */
 
@@ -41,6 +95,11 @@
 
 #include <string.h>
 
+/* A global table of refcounted strings; the hash table does not own
+ * the strings, just a pointer to them. Strings are interned as long
+ * as they are alive; once their reference count drops to zero, they
+ * are removed from the table
+ */
 G_LOCK_DEFINE_STATIC (interned_ref_strings);
 static GHashTable *interned_ref_strings;
 
@@ -71,6 +130,26 @@ g_ref_string_new (const char *str)
   return res;
 }
 
+/* interned_str_equal: variant of g_str_equal() that compares
+ * pointers as well as contents; this avoids running strcmp()
+ * on arbitrarily long strings, as it's more likely to have
+ * g_ref_string_new_intern() being called on the same refcounted
+ * string instance, than on a different string with the same
+ * contents
+ */
+static gboolean
+interned_str_equal (gconstpointer v1,
+                    gconstpointer v2)
+{
+  const char *str1 = v1;
+  const char *str2 = v2;
+
+  if (v1 == v2)
+    return TRUE;
+
+  return strcmp (str1, str2) == 0;
+}
+
 /**
  * g_ref_string_new_intern:
  * @str: (not nullable): a NUL-terminated string
@@ -82,15 +161,14 @@ g_ref_string_new (const char *str)
  * the same contents of @str, it will return a new reference, instead of
  * creating a new string.
  *
- * Returns: (not nullable): the newly created reference counted string, or
- *   a new reference to an existing string
+ * Returns: (transfer full) (not nullable): the newly created reference
+ *   counted string, or a new reference to an existing string
  *
  * Since: 2.58
  */
 char *
 g_ref_string_new_intern (const char *str)
 {
-  gsize len;
   char *res;
 
   g_return_val_if_fail (str != NULL && *str != '\0', NULL);
@@ -98,23 +176,23 @@ g_ref_string_new_intern (const char *str)
   G_LOCK (interned_ref_strings);
 
   if (G_UNLIKELY (interned_ref_strings == NULL))
-    interned_ref_strings = g_hash_table_new_full (g_str_hash, g_str_equal,
-                                                  (GDestroyNotify) g_atomic_rc_box_release,
-                                                  NULL);
+    interned_ref_strings = g_hash_table_new (g_str_hash, interned_str_equal);
 
   res = g_hash_table_lookup (interned_ref_strings, str);
   if (res != NULL)
     {
+      /* We acquire the reference while holding the lock, to
+       * avoid a potential race between releasing the lock on
+       * the hash table and another thread releasing the reference
+       * on the same string
+       */
+      g_atomic_rc_box_acquire (res);
       G_UNLOCK (interned_ref_strings);
-      return g_atomic_rc_box_acquire (res);
+      return res;
     }
 
-  len = strlen (str);
-  res = (char *) g_atomic_rc_box_dup (sizeof (char) * len + 1, str);
-  res[len] = '\0';
-
-  g_hash_table_add (interned_ref_strings, g_atomic_rc_box_acquire (res));
-
+  res = g_ref_string_new (str);
+  g_hash_table_add (interned_ref_strings, res);
   G_UNLOCK (interned_ref_strings);
 
   return res;
@@ -147,8 +225,7 @@ remove_if_interned (gpointer data)
 
   if (G_LIKELY (interned_ref_strings != NULL))
     {
-      if (g_hash_table_contains (interned_ref_strings, str))
-        g_hash_table_remove (interned_ref_strings, str);
+      g_hash_table_remove (interned_ref_strings, str);
 
       if (g_hash_table_size (interned_ref_strings) == 0)
         g_clear_pointer (&interned_ref_strings, g_hash_table_destroy);