diff --git a/src/tools/qstring.cpp b/src/tools/qstring.cpp
index 02d5cac..483efb9 100644
--- a/src/tools/qstring.cpp
+++ b/src/tools/qstring.cpp
@@ -5724,6 +5724,14 @@ const char* QString::ascii() const
 */
 QCString QString::utf8() const
 {
+    if (!d->cString) {
+        d->cString = new QCString;
+    }
+    if(d == shared_null)
+    {
+        return *d->cString;
+    }
+
     int l = length();
     int rlen = l*3+1;
     QCString rstr(rlen);
@@ -5768,11 +5776,8 @@ QCString QString::utf8() const
  	++ch;
     }
     rstr.truncate( cursor - (uchar*)rstr.data() );
-    if (!d->cString) {
-        d->cString = new QCString;
-    }
     *d->cString = rstr;
-    return rstr;
+    return *d->cString;
 }
 
 static QChar *addOne(QChar *qch, QString &str)
@@ -5971,6 +5976,10 @@ QCString QString::local8Bit() const
     if (!d->cString) {
         d->cString = new QCString;
     }
+    if(d == shared_null)
+    {
+        return *d->cString;
+    }
 #ifdef QT_NO_TEXTCODEC
     *d->cString = QCString(latin1());
     return *d->cString;