diff --git a/include/internal/catch_stringref.cpp b/include/internal/catch_stringref.cpp
index 46b25039..9e9095e4 100644
--- a/include/internal/catch_stringref.cpp
+++ b/include/internal/catch_stringref.cpp
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ namespace Catch {
            const_cast<StringRef*>( this )->takeOwnership();
         return m_start;
     }
-    auto StringRef::data() const noexcept -> char const* {
+    auto StringRef::currentData() const noexcept -> char const* {
         return m_start;
     }
 
@@ -112,11 +112,11 @@ namespace Catch {
     }
 
     auto operator << ( std::ostream& os, StringRef const& str ) -> std::ostream& {
-        return os.write(str.m_start, str.m_size);
+        return os.write(str.currentData(), str.size());
     }
 
     auto operator+=( std::string& lhs, StringRef const& rhs ) -> std::string& {
-        lhs.append(rhs.m_start, rhs.m_size);
+        lhs.append(rhs.currentData(), rhs.size());
         return lhs;
     }
 
diff --git a/include/internal/catch_stringref.h b/include/internal/catch_stringref.h
index beee2637..757d70cc 100644
--- a/include/internal/catch_stringref.h
+++ b/include/internal/catch_stringref.h
@@ -84,16 +84,12 @@ namespace Catch {
 
         void swap( StringRef& other ) noexcept;
 
-        friend auto operator << (std::ostream& os, StringRef const& sr)->std::ostream&;
-
     public: // operators
         auto operator == ( StringRef const& other ) const noexcept -> bool;
         auto operator != ( StringRef const& other ) const noexcept -> bool;
 
         auto operator[] ( size_type index ) const noexcept -> char;
 
-        friend auto operator += ( std::string& lhs, StringRef const& rhs ) -> std::string&;
-
     public: // named queries
         auto empty() const noexcept -> bool {
             return m_size == 0;
@@ -108,16 +104,22 @@ namespace Catch {
     public: // substrings and searches
         auto substr( size_type start, size_type size ) const noexcept -> StringRef;
 
+        // Returns the current start pointer.
+        // Note that the pointer can change when if the StringRef is a substring
+        auto currentData() const noexcept -> char const*;
+
     private: // ownership queries - may not be consistent between calls
         auto isOwned() const noexcept -> bool;
         auto isSubstring() const noexcept -> bool;
-        auto data() const noexcept -> char const*;
     };
 
     auto operator + ( StringRef const& lhs, StringRef const& rhs ) -> std::string;
     auto operator + ( StringRef const& lhs, char const* rhs ) -> std::string;
     auto operator + ( char const* lhs, StringRef const& rhs ) -> std::string;
 
+    auto operator += ( std::string& lhs, StringRef const& sr ) -> std::string&;
+    auto operator << ( std::ostream& os, StringRef const& sr ) -> std::ostream&;
+
 
     inline auto operator "" _sr( char const* rawChars, std::size_t size ) noexcept -> StringRef {
         return StringRef( rawChars, size );
diff --git a/projects/SelfTest/Baselines/compact.sw.approved.txt b/projects/SelfTest/Baselines/compact.sw.approved.txt
index 2cbed817..a4f85a68 100644
--- a/projects/SelfTest/Baselines/compact.sw.approved.txt
+++ b/projects/SelfTest/Baselines/compact.sw.approved.txt
@@ -637,11 +637,11 @@ String.tests.cpp:<line number>: passed: std::strcmp( ss.c_str(), "hello" ) == 0
 String.tests.cpp:<line number>: passed: ss == "hello" for: hello == "hello"
 String.tests.cpp:<line number>: passed: isSubstring( ss ) for: true
 String.tests.cpp:<line number>: passed: isOwned( ss ) == false for: false == false
-String.tests.cpp:<line number>: passed: rawChars == data( s ) for: "hello world!" == "hello world!"
+String.tests.cpp:<line number>: passed: rawChars == s.currentData() for: "hello world!" == "hello world!"
 String.tests.cpp:<line number>: passed: ss.c_str() != rawChars for: "hello" != "hello world!"
 String.tests.cpp:<line number>: passed: isSubstring( ss ) == false for: false == false
 String.tests.cpp:<line number>: passed: isOwned( ss ) for: true
-String.tests.cpp:<line number>: passed: data( ss ) != data( s ) for: "hello" != "hello world!"
+String.tests.cpp:<line number>: passed: ss.currentData() != s.currentData() for: "hello" != "hello world!"
 String.tests.cpp:<line number>: passed: ss.size() == 6 for: 6 == 6
 String.tests.cpp:<line number>: passed: std::strcmp( ss.c_str(), "world!" ) == 0 for: 0 == 0
 String.tests.cpp:<line number>: passed: s.c_str() == s2.c_str() for: "hello world!" == "hello world!"
diff --git a/projects/SelfTest/Baselines/console.sw.approved.txt b/projects/SelfTest/Baselines/console.sw.approved.txt
index dd81bad9..9c738463 100644
--- a/projects/SelfTest/Baselines/console.sw.approved.txt
+++ b/projects/SelfTest/Baselines/console.sw.approved.txt
@@ -5076,7 +5076,7 @@ with expansion:
 
 String.tests.cpp:<line number>:
 PASSED:
-  REQUIRE( rawChars == data( s ) )
+  REQUIRE( rawChars == s.currentData() )
 with expansion:
   "hello world!" == "hello world!"
 
@@ -5100,7 +5100,7 @@ with expansion:
 
 String.tests.cpp:<line number>:
 PASSED:
-  REQUIRE( data( ss ) != data( s ) )
+  REQUIRE( ss.currentData() != s.currentData() )
 with expansion:
   "hello" != "hello world!"
 
diff --git a/projects/SelfTest/Baselines/xml.sw.approved.txt b/projects/SelfTest/Baselines/xml.sw.approved.txt
index 8942b851..70868b59 100644
--- a/projects/SelfTest/Baselines/xml.sw.approved.txt
+++ b/projects/SelfTest/Baselines/xml.sw.approved.txt
@@ -5808,7 +5808,7 @@ Message from section two
           </Expression>
           <Expression success="true" type="REQUIRE" filename="projects/<exe-name>/IntrospectiveTests/String.tests.cpp" >
             <Original>
-              rawChars == data( s )
+              rawChars == s.currentData()
             </Original>
             <Expanded>
               "hello world!" == "hello world!"
@@ -5840,7 +5840,7 @@ Message from section two
           </Expression>
           <Expression success="true" type="REQUIRE" filename="projects/<exe-name>/IntrospectiveTests/String.tests.cpp" >
             <Original>
-              data( ss ) != data( s )
+              ss.currentData() != s.currentData()
             </Original>
             <Expanded>
               "hello" != "hello world!"
diff --git a/projects/SelfTest/IntrospectiveTests/String.tests.cpp b/projects/SelfTest/IntrospectiveTests/String.tests.cpp
index 59f73b11..ee6e4c58 100644
--- a/projects/SelfTest/IntrospectiveTests/String.tests.cpp
+++ b/projects/SelfTest/IntrospectiveTests/String.tests.cpp
@@ -14,9 +14,6 @@ namespace Catch {
         static auto isSubstring( StringRef const& stringRef ) -> bool {
             return stringRef.isSubstring();
         }
-        static auto data( StringRef const& stringRef ) -> char const* {
-            return stringRef.data();
-        }
     };
 
     auto isOwned( StringRef const& stringRef ) -> bool {
@@ -25,14 +22,11 @@ namespace Catch {
     auto isSubstring( StringRef const& stringRef ) -> bool {
         return StringRefTestAccess::isSubstring( stringRef );
     }
-    auto data( StringRef const& stringRef ) -> char const* {
-        return StringRefTestAccess::data( stringRef );
-    }
 } // namespace Catch2
 
 namespace Catch {
     inline auto toString( Catch::StringRef const& stringRef ) -> std::string {
-        return std::string( data( stringRef ), stringRef.size() );
+        return std::string( stringRef.currentData(), stringRef.size() );
     }
 } // namespace Catch
 
@@ -53,7 +47,7 @@ TEST_CASE( "StringRef", "[Strings][StringRef]" ) {
         REQUIRE( s.size() == 5 );
         REQUIRE( isSubstring( s ) == false );
 
-        auto rawChars = data( s );
+        auto rawChars = s.currentData();
         REQUIRE( std::strcmp( rawChars, "hello" ) == 0 );
 
         SECTION( "c_str() does not cause copy" ) {
@@ -74,7 +68,6 @@ TEST_CASE( "StringRef", "[Strings][StringRef]" ) {
 
         REQUIRE( isSubstring( original ) == false );
         REQUIRE( isOwned( original ) );
-
     }
 
 
@@ -92,14 +85,14 @@ TEST_CASE( "StringRef", "[Strings][StringRef]" ) {
             REQUIRE( isSubstring( ss ) );
             REQUIRE( isOwned( ss ) == false );
 
-            auto rawChars = data( ss );
-            REQUIRE( rawChars == data( s ) ); // same pointer value
+            auto rawChars = ss.currentData();
+            REQUIRE( rawChars == s.currentData() ); // same pointer value
             REQUIRE( ss.c_str() != rawChars );
 
             REQUIRE( isSubstring( ss ) == false );
             REQUIRE( isOwned( ss ) );
 
-            REQUIRE( data( ss ) != data( s ) ); // different pointer value
+            REQUIRE( ss.currentData() != s.currentData() ); // different pointer value
         }
 
         SECTION( "non-zero-based substring") {