diff --git a/ext/mbstring/mbstring.c b/ext/mbstring/mbstring.c
index 1e7cb5bd73a..d816ee52e75 100644
--- a/ext/mbstring/mbstring.c
+++ b/ext/mbstring/mbstring.c
@@ -1437,17 +1437,17 @@ static PHP_INI_MH(OnUpdate_mbstring_encoding_translation)
 /* {{{ static PHP_INI_MH(OnUpdate_mbstring_http_output_conv_mimetypes */
 static PHP_INI_MH(OnUpdate_mbstring_http_output_conv_mimetypes)
 {
-	zval tmp;
+	zend_string *tmp;
 	void *re = NULL;
 
 	if (!new_value) {
 		new_value = entry->orig_value;
 	}
-	php_trim(new_value->val, new_value->len, NULL, 0, &tmp, 3);
+	tmp = php_trim(new_value, NULL, 0, 3);
 
-	if (Z_STRLEN(tmp) > 0) {
-		if (!(re = _php_mb_compile_regex(Z_STRVAL(tmp)))) {
-			zval_dtor(&tmp);
+	if (tmp->len > 0) {
+		if (!(re = _php_mb_compile_regex(tmp->val))) {
+			zend_string_release(tmp);
 			return FAILURE;
 		}
 	}
@@ -1458,7 +1458,7 @@ static PHP_INI_MH(OnUpdate_mbstring_http_output_conv_mimetypes)
 
 	MBSTRG(http_output_conv_mimetypes) = re;
 
-	zval_dtor(&tmp);
+	zend_string_release(tmp);
 	return SUCCESS;
 }
 /* }}} */
diff --git a/ext/simplexml/simplexml.c b/ext/simplexml/simplexml.c
index 692b5d368af..edaa48ba224 100644
--- a/ext/simplexml/simplexml.c
+++ b/ext/simplexml/simplexml.c
@@ -456,7 +456,8 @@ static int sxe_prop_dim_write(zval *object, zval *member, zval *value, zend_bool
 	int				new_value = 0;
 	zend_long            cnt = 0;
 	int				retval = SUCCESS;
-	zval            tmp_zv, trim_zv, zval_copy;
+	zval            tmp_zv, zval_copy;
+	zend_string    *trim_str;
 
 	sxe = Z_SXEOBJ_P(object);
 
@@ -474,9 +475,9 @@ static int sxe_prop_dim_write(zval *object, zval *member, zval *value, zend_bool
 		}
 	} else {
 		if (Z_TYPE_P(member) != IS_STRING) {
-			ZVAL_STR(&trim_zv, zval_get_string(member));
-			php_trim(Z_STRVAL(trim_zv), Z_STRLEN(trim_zv), NULL, 0, &tmp_zv, 3);
-			zval_dtor(&trim_zv);
+			trim_str = zval_get_string(member);
+			ZVAL_STR(&tmp_zv, php_trim(trim_str, NULL, 0, 3));
+			zend_string_release(trim_str);
 			member = &tmp_zv;
 		}
 
diff --git a/ext/standard/http_fopen_wrapper.c b/ext/standard/http_fopen_wrapper.c
index 032c6c7e360..01e3b2cfe43 100644
--- a/ext/standard/http_fopen_wrapper.c
+++ b/ext/standard/http_fopen_wrapper.c
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ php_stream *php_stream_url_wrap_http_ex(php_stream_wrapper *wrapper,
 	int use_ssl;
 	int use_proxy = 0;
 	char *scratch = NULL;
-	char *tmp = NULL;
+	zend_string *tmp = NULL;
 	char *ua_str = NULL;
 	zval *ua_zval = NULL, *tmpzval = NULL, ssl_proxy_peer_name;
 	size_t scratch_len = 0;
@@ -440,88 +440,96 @@ finish:
 			smart_str_0(&tmpstr);
 			/* Remove newlines and spaces from start and end. there's at least one extra \r\n at the end that needs to go. */
 			if (tmpstr.s) {
-				tmp = php_trim(tmpstr.s->val, tmpstr.s->len, NULL, 0, NULL, 3);
+				tmp = php_trim(tmpstr.s, NULL, 0, 3);
 				smart_str_free(&tmpstr);
 			}
-		}
-		if (Z_TYPE_P(tmpzval) == IS_STRING && Z_STRLEN_P(tmpzval)) {
+		} else if (Z_TYPE_P(tmpzval) == IS_STRING && Z_STRLEN_P(tmpzval)) {
 			/* Remove newlines and spaces from start and end php_trim will estrndup() */
-			tmp = php_trim(Z_STRVAL_P(tmpzval), Z_STRLEN_P(tmpzval), NULL, 0, NULL, 3);
+			tmp = php_trim(Z_STR_P(tmpzval), NULL, 0, 3);
 		}
-		if (tmp && tmp[0] != '\0') {
+		if (tmp && tmp->len) {
 			char *s;
+			char *t;
 
-			user_headers = estrdup(tmp);
+			user_headers = estrndup(tmp->val, tmp->len);
+
+			if (IS_INTERNED(tmp)) {
+				tmp = zend_string_init(tmp->val, tmp->len, 0);
+			} else if (GC_REFCOUNT(tmp) > 1) {
+				GC_REFCOUNT(tmp)--;
+				tmp = zend_string_init(tmp->val, tmp->len, 0);
+			}
 
 			/* Make lowercase for easy comparison against 'standard' headers */
-			php_strtolower(tmp, strlen(tmp));
+			php_strtolower(tmp->val, tmp->len);
+			t = tmp->val;
 
 			if (!header_init) {
 				/* strip POST headers on redirect */
-				strip_header(user_headers, tmp, "content-length:");
-				strip_header(user_headers, tmp, "content-type:");
+				strip_header(user_headers, t, "content-length:");
+				strip_header(user_headers, t, "content-type:");
 			}
 
-			if ((s = strstr(tmp, "user-agent:")) && 
-			    (s == tmp || *(s-1) == '\r' || *(s-1) == '\n' || 
+			if ((s = strstr(t, "user-agent:")) && 
+			    (s == t || *(s-1) == '\r' || *(s-1) == '\n' || 
 			                 *(s-1) == '\t' || *(s-1) == ' ')) {
 				 have_header |= HTTP_HEADER_USER_AGENT;
 			}
-			if ((s = strstr(tmp, "host:")) &&
-			    (s == tmp || *(s-1) == '\r' || *(s-1) == '\n' || 
+			if ((s = strstr(t, "host:")) &&
+			    (s == t || *(s-1) == '\r' || *(s-1) == '\n' || 
 			                 *(s-1) == '\t' || *(s-1) == ' ')) {
 				 have_header |= HTTP_HEADER_HOST;
 			}
-			if ((s = strstr(tmp, "from:")) &&
-			    (s == tmp || *(s-1) == '\r' || *(s-1) == '\n' || 
+			if ((s = strstr(t, "from:")) &&
+			    (s == t || *(s-1) == '\r' || *(s-1) == '\n' || 
 			                 *(s-1) == '\t' || *(s-1) == ' ')) {
 				 have_header |= HTTP_HEADER_FROM;
 				}
-			if ((s = strstr(tmp, "authorization:")) &&
-			    (s == tmp || *(s-1) == '\r' || *(s-1) == '\n' || 
+			if ((s = strstr(t, "authorization:")) &&
+			    (s == t || *(s-1) == '\r' || *(s-1) == '\n' || 
 			                 *(s-1) == '\t' || *(s-1) == ' ')) {
 				 have_header |= HTTP_HEADER_AUTH;
 			}
-			if ((s = strstr(tmp, "content-length:")) &&
-			    (s == tmp || *(s-1) == '\r' || *(s-1) == '\n' || 
+			if ((s = strstr(t, "content-length:")) &&
+			    (s == t || *(s-1) == '\r' || *(s-1) == '\n' || 
 			                 *(s-1) == '\t' || *(s-1) == ' ')) {
 				 have_header |= HTTP_HEADER_CONTENT_LENGTH;
 			}
-			if ((s = strstr(tmp, "content-type:")) &&
-			    (s == tmp || *(s-1) == '\r' || *(s-1) == '\n' || 
+			if ((s = strstr(t, "content-type:")) &&
+			    (s == t || *(s-1) == '\r' || *(s-1) == '\n' || 
 			                 *(s-1) == '\t' || *(s-1) == ' ')) {
 				 have_header |= HTTP_HEADER_TYPE;
 			}
-			if ((s = strstr(tmp, "connection:")) &&
-			    (s == tmp || *(s-1) == '\r' || *(s-1) == '\n' || 
+			if ((s = strstr(t, "connection:")) &&
+			    (s == t || *(s-1) == '\r' || *(s-1) == '\n' || 
 			                 *(s-1) == '\t' || *(s-1) == ' ')) {
 				 have_header |= HTTP_HEADER_CONNECTION;
 			}
 			/* remove Proxy-Authorization header */
-			if (use_proxy && use_ssl && (s = strstr(tmp, "proxy-authorization:")) &&
-			    (s == tmp || *(s-1) == '\r' || *(s-1) == '\n' || 
+			if (use_proxy && use_ssl && (s = strstr(t, "proxy-authorization:")) &&
+			    (s == t || *(s-1) == '\r' || *(s-1) == '\n' || 
 			                 *(s-1) == '\t' || *(s-1) == ' ')) {
 				char *p = s + sizeof("proxy-authorization:") - 1;
 				
-				while (s > tmp && (*(s-1) == ' ' || *(s-1) == '\t')) s--;
+				while (s > t && (*(s-1) == ' ' || *(s-1) == '\t')) s--;
 				while (*p != 0 && *p != '\r' && *p != '\n') p++;
 				while (*p == '\r' || *p == '\n') p++;
 				if (*p == 0) {
-					if (s == tmp) {
+					if (s == t) {
 						efree(user_headers);
 						user_headers = NULL;
 					} else {
-						while (s > tmp && (*(s-1) == '\r' || *(s-1) == '\n')) s--;
-						user_headers[s - tmp] = 0;
+						while (s > t && (*(s-1) == '\r' || *(s-1) == '\n')) s--;
+						user_headers[s - t] = 0;
 					}
 				} else {
-					memmove(user_headers + (s - tmp), user_headers + (p - tmp), strlen(p) + 1);
+					memmove(user_headers + (s - t), user_headers + (p - t), strlen(p) + 1);
 				}
 			}
 
 		}
 		if (tmp) {
-			efree(tmp);
+			zend_string_release(tmp);
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/ext/standard/mail.c b/ext/standard/mail.c
index 69b80e7baae..e752c042fea 100644
--- a/ext/standard/mail.c
+++ b/ext/standard/mail.c
@@ -100,16 +100,16 @@ PHP_FUNCTION(ezmlm_hash)
    Send an email message */
 PHP_FUNCTION(mail)
 {
-	char *to=NULL, *message=NULL, *headers=NULL, *headers_trimmed=NULL;
+	char *to=NULL, *message=NULL;
 	char *subject=NULL;
-	zend_string *extra_cmd=NULL;
-	size_t to_len, message_len, headers_len = 0;
+	zend_string *extra_cmd=NULL, *headers=NULL, *headers_trimmed=NULL;
+	size_t to_len, message_len;
 	size_t subject_len, i;
 	char *force_extra_parameters = INI_STR("mail.force_extra_parameters");
 	char *to_r, *subject_r;
 	char *p, *e;
 
-	if (zend_parse_parameters(ZEND_NUM_ARGS(), "sss|sS",	&to, &to_len, &subject, &subject_len, &message, &message_len, &headers, &headers_len, &extra_cmd) == FAILURE) {
+	if (zend_parse_parameters(ZEND_NUM_ARGS(), "sss|SS",	&to, &to_len, &subject, &subject_len, &message, &message_len, &headers, &extra_cmd) == FAILURE) {
 		return;
 	}
 
@@ -118,8 +118,8 @@ PHP_FUNCTION(mail)
 	MAIL_ASCIIZ_CHECK(subject, subject_len);
 	MAIL_ASCIIZ_CHECK(message, message_len);
 	if (headers) {
-		MAIL_ASCIIZ_CHECK(headers, headers_len);
-		headers_trimmed = php_trim(headers, headers_len, NULL, 0, NULL, 2);
+		MAIL_ASCIIZ_CHECK(headers->val, headers->len);
+		headers_trimmed = php_trim(headers, NULL, 0, 2);
 	}
 	if (extra_cmd) {
 		MAIL_ASCIIZ_CHECK(extra_cmd->val, extra_cmd->len);
@@ -171,14 +171,14 @@ PHP_FUNCTION(mail)
 		extra_cmd = php_escape_shell_cmd(extra_cmd->val);
 	}
 
-	if (php_mail(to_r, subject_r, message, headers_trimmed, extra_cmd ? extra_cmd->val : NULL)) {
+	if (php_mail(to_r, subject_r, message, headers_trimmed ? headers_trimmed->val : NULL, extra_cmd ? extra_cmd->val : NULL)) {
 		RETVAL_TRUE;
 	} else {
 		RETVAL_FALSE;
 	}
 
 	if (headers_trimmed) {
-		efree(headers_trimmed);
+		zend_string_release(headers_trimmed);
 	}
 
 	if (extra_cmd) {
diff --git a/ext/standard/php_string.h b/ext/standard/php_string.h
index c79bfb20fe5..8e0ad5c97a0 100644
--- a/ext/standard/php_string.h
+++ b/ext/standard/php_string.h
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ PHPAPI zend_string *php_str_to_str_ex(char *haystack, size_t length, char *needl
 		size_t needle_len, char *str, size_t str_len, int case_sensitivity, size_t *replace_count);
 PHPAPI zend_string *php_str_to_str(char *haystack, size_t length, char *needle,
 		size_t needle_len, char *str, size_t str_len);
-PHPAPI char *php_trim(char *c, size_t len, char *what, size_t what_len, zval *return_value, int mode);
+PHPAPI zend_string *php_trim(zend_string *str, char *what, size_t what_len, int mode);
 PHPAPI size_t php_strip_tags(char *rbuf, size_t len, int *state, char *allow, size_t allow_len);
 PHPAPI size_t php_strip_tags_ex(char *rbuf, size_t len, int *stateptr, char *allow, size_t allow_len, zend_bool allow_tag_spaces);
 PHPAPI size_t php_char_to_str_ex(char *str, size_t len, char from, char *to, size_t to_len, zval *result, int case_sensitivity, size_t *replace_count);
diff --git a/ext/standard/string.c b/ext/standard/string.c
index 2668161c09d..e275e6456ce 100644
--- a/ext/standard/string.c
+++ b/ext/standard/string.c
@@ -788,48 +788,73 @@ static inline int php_charmask(unsigned char *input, size_t len, char *mask)
  * mode 3 : trim left and right
  * what indicates which chars are to be trimmed. NULL->default (' \t\n\r\v\0')
  */
-PHPAPI char *php_trim(char *c, size_t len, char *what, size_t what_len, zval *return_value, int mode)
+PHPAPI zend_string *php_trim(zend_string *str, char *what, size_t what_len, int mode)
 {
+	const char *c = str->val;
+	size_t len = str->len;
 	register size_t i;
 	size_t trimmed = 0;
 	char mask[256];
 
 	if (what) {
 		php_charmask((unsigned char*)what, what_len, mask);
-	} else {
-		php_charmask((unsigned char*)" \n\r\t\v\0", 6, mask);
-	}
 
-	if (mode & 1) {
-		for (i = 0; i < len; i++) {
-			if (mask[(unsigned char)c[i]]) {
-				trimmed++;
-			} else {
-				break;
-			}
-		}
-		len -= trimmed;
-		c += trimmed;
-	}
-	if (mode & 2) {
-		if (len > 0) {
-			i = len - 1;
-			do {
+		if (mode & 1) {
+			for (i = 0; i < len; i++) {
 				if (mask[(unsigned char)c[i]]) {
-					len--;
+					trimmed++;
 				} else {
 					break;
 				}
-			} while (i-- != 0);
+			}
+			len -= trimmed;
+			c += trimmed;
+		}
+		if (mode & 2) {
+			if (len > 0) {
+				i = len - 1;
+				do {
+					if (mask[(unsigned char)c[i]]) {
+						len--;
+					} else {
+						break;
+					}
+				} while (i-- != 0);
+			}
+		}
+	} else {
+		if (mode & 1) {
+			for (i = 0; i < len; i++) {
+				if ((unsigned char)c[i] <= ' ' &&
+				    (c[i] == ' ' || c[i] == '\n' || c[i] == '\r' || c[i] == '\t' || c[i] == '\v' || c[i] == '\0')) {
+					trimmed++;
+				} else {
+					break;
+				}
+			}
+			len -= trimmed;
+			c += trimmed;
+		}
+		if (mode & 2) {
+			if (len > 0) {
+				i = len - 1;
+				do {
+					if ((unsigned char)c[i] <= ' ' &&
+					    (c[i] == ' ' || c[i] == '\n' || c[i] == '\r' || c[i] == '\t' || c[i] == '\v' || c[i] == '\0')) {
+						len--;
+					} else {
+						break;
+					}
+				} while (i-- != 0);
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
-	if (return_value) {
-		RETVAL_STRINGL(c, len);
+	if (str->len == len) {
+		return zend_string_copy(str);
 	} else {
-		return estrndup(c, len);
+		return zend_string_init(c, len, 0);
 	}
-	return "";
 }
 /* }}} */
 
@@ -853,7 +878,7 @@ static void php_do_trim(INTERNAL_FUNCTION_PARAMETERS, int mode)
 	ZEND_PARSE_PARAMETERS_END();
 #endif
 
-	php_trim(str->val, str->len, (what ? what->val : NULL), (what ? what->len : 0), return_value, mode);
+	ZVAL_STR(return_value, php_trim(str, (what ? what->val : NULL), (what ? what->len : 0), mode));
 }
 /* }}} */