diff --git a/src/tools/qstring.cpp b/src/tools/qstring.cpp
index 0c5e52c3..59f8e142 100644
--- a/src/tools/qstring.cpp
+++ b/src/tools/qstring.cpp
@@ -5999,6 +5999,14 @@ void TQString::setSecurityUnPaged(bool lock) {
 */
 TQCString TQString::utf8() const
 {
+    if (!d->cString) {
+        d->cString = new TQCString;
+    }
+    if(d == shared_null)
+    {
+        return *d->cString;
+    }
+
     int l = length();
     int rlen = l*3+1;
     TQCString rstr(rlen);
@@ -6043,11 +6051,8 @@ TQCString TQString::utf8() const
  	++ch;
     }
     rstr.truncate( cursor - (uchar*)rstr.data() );
-    if (!d->cString) {
-        d->cString = new TQCString;
-    }
     *d->cString = rstr;
-    return rstr;
+    return *d->cString;
 }
 
 static TQChar *addOne(TQChar *qch, TQString &str)
@@ -6251,6 +6256,10 @@ TQCString TQString::local8Bit() const
     if (!d->cString) {
         d->cString = new TQCString;
     }
+    if(d == shared_null)
+    {
+        return *d->cString;
+    }
 #ifdef TQT_NO_TEXTCODEC
     *d->cString = TQCString(latin1());
     return *d->cString;