diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 33ec5d1f..c98c326b 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -170,7 +170,6 @@ set(INTERNAL_HEADERS
         ${HEADER_DIR}/internal/catch_startup_exception_registry.h
         ${HEADER_DIR}/internal/catch_stream.h
         ${HEADER_DIR}/internal/catch_streambuf.h
-        ${HEADER_DIR}/internal/catch_stringdata.h
         ${HEADER_DIR}/internal/catch_stringref.h
         ${HEADER_DIR}/internal/catch_string_manip.h
         ${HEADER_DIR}/internal/catch_suppress_warnings.h
@@ -222,7 +221,6 @@ set(IMPL_SOURCES
         ${HEADER_DIR}/internal/catch_section_info.cpp
         ${HEADER_DIR}/internal/catch_startup_exception_registry.cpp
         ${HEADER_DIR}/internal/catch_stream.cpp
-        ${HEADER_DIR}/internal/catch_stringdata.cpp
         ${HEADER_DIR}/internal/catch_stringref.cpp
         ${HEADER_DIR}/internal/catch_string_manip.cpp
         ${HEADER_DIR}/internal/catch_tag_alias.cpp
diff --git a/include/internal/catch_stringdata.cpp b/include/internal/catch_stringdata.cpp
deleted file mode 100644
index 5261739a..00000000
--- a/include/internal/catch_stringdata.cpp
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,48 +0,0 @@
-/*
- *  Copyright 2016 Two Blue Cubes Ltd. All rights reserved.
- *
- *  Distributed under the Boost Software License, Version 1.0. (See accompanying
- *  file LICENSE_1_0.txt or copy at http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt)
- */
-
-#include "catch_stringdata.h"
-#include "catch_stringref.h"
-
-#include <new>
-#include <cstring>
-#include <cassert>
-
-namespace Catch {
-    
-    auto StringData::getEmpty() -> StringData* {
-        static StringData s_empty( 0 );
-        return &s_empty;
-    }
-    auto StringData::create( StringRef const& stringRef ) -> StringData* {
-        return create( stringRef, stringRef.size() );
-    }
-    auto StringData::create( StringRef const& stringRef, size_t capacity ) -> StringData* {
-        if( capacity == 0 ) {
-            return getEmpty();
-        }
-        else {
-            assert( stringRef.size() <= capacity );
-            auto bufferLen = sizeof(StringData)+capacity;
-            void* buffer = new char[bufferLen];
-            
-            return new(buffer) StringData( stringRef, capacity );
-        }
-    }
-    StringData::StringData( unsigned int initialRef )
-    :   m_refs( initialRef ),
-        size( 0 )
-    {}
-    StringData::StringData( StringRef const& stringRef, size_t capacity )
-    :   m_refs( 1 ),
-        size( capacity)
-    {
-        std::memcpy( chars, stringRef.data(), stringRef.size() );
-        chars[stringRef.size() ] = 0;
-    }
-    
-} // namespace Catch
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/include/internal/catch_stringdata.h b/include/internal/catch_stringdata.h
deleted file mode 100644
index d4016976..00000000
--- a/include/internal/catch_stringdata.h
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,53 +0,0 @@
-/*
- *  Copyright 2016 Two Blue Cubes Ltd. All rights reserved.
- *
- *  Distributed under the Boost Software License, Version 1.0. (See accompanying
- *  file LICENSE_1_0.txt or copy at http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt)
- */
-#ifndef CATCH_STRINGDATA_H_INCLUDED
-#define CATCH_STRINGDATA_H_INCLUDED
-
-#include <atomic>
-#include <cstddef>
-
-namespace Catch {
-    
-    class StringRef;
-
-    class StringData {
-        mutable std::atomic<unsigned int> m_refs;
-    public:
-        size_t size;
-        union {
-            char chars[1];
-        };
-
-        auto isUniquelyOwned() const noexcept -> bool {
-            return m_refs == 1;
-        }
-        static auto getEmpty() -> StringData*;
-        static auto create( StringRef const& stringRef ) -> StringData*;
-        static auto create( StringRef const& stringRef, size_t capacity ) -> StringData*;
-
-        void addRef() const noexcept {
-            if( m_refs > 0 )
-                ++m_refs;
-        }
-        void release() const noexcept {
-            unsigned int refs = m_refs;
-            if( refs > 1 )
-                --m_refs;
-            else if( refs == 1 )
-                delete[] reinterpret_cast<char const*>( this );
-        }
-    private:
-        StringData( unsigned int initialRef = 1 );
-        StringData( StringRef const& stringRef, size_t capacity );
-        
-        StringData( StringData const& ) = delete;
-        StringData& operator=( StringData const& ) = delete;
-    };
-
-} // namespace Catch
-
-#endif // CATCH_STRINGDATA_H_INCLUDED
diff --git a/include/internal/catch_stringref.cpp b/include/internal/catch_stringref.cpp
index 61e001bc..a6389bd4 100644
--- a/include/internal/catch_stringref.cpp
+++ b/include/internal/catch_stringref.cpp
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@
  */
 
 #include "catch_stringref.h"
-#include "catch_stringdata.h"
 
 #include <cstring>
 #include <ostream>
@@ -25,12 +24,8 @@ namespace Catch {
     
     StringRef::StringRef( StringRef const& other ) noexcept
     :   m_start( other.m_start ),
-        m_size( other.m_size ),
-        m_data( other.m_data )
-    {
-        if( m_data )
-            m_data->addRef();
-    }
+        m_size( other.m_size )
+    {}
     
     StringRef::StringRef( StringRef&& other ) noexcept
     :   m_start( other.m_start ),
@@ -62,8 +57,7 @@ namespace Catch {
     {}
 
     StringRef::~StringRef() noexcept {
-        if( isOwned() )
-            m_data->release();
+        delete[] m_data;
     }
     
     auto StringRef::operator = ( StringRef other ) noexcept -> StringRef& {
@@ -98,8 +92,10 @@ namespace Catch {
     
     void StringRef::takeOwnership() {
         if( !isOwned() ) {
-            m_data = StringData::create( *this );
-            m_start = m_data->chars;
+            m_data = new char[m_size+1];
+            strncpy( m_data, m_start, m_size );
+            m_data[m_size] = '\0';
+            m_start = m_data;
         }
     }
     auto StringRef::substr( size_type start, size_type size ) const noexcept -> StringRef {
diff --git a/include/internal/catch_stringref.h b/include/internal/catch_stringref.h
index b1f1c41e..5870151c 100644
--- a/include/internal/catch_stringref.h
+++ b/include/internal/catch_stringref.h
@@ -24,14 +24,13 @@ namespace Catch {
     /// threads.
     class StringRef {
         friend struct StringRefTestAccess;
-        friend class StringData;
 
         using size_type = size_t;
         
         char const* m_start;
         size_type m_size;
         
-        StringData const* m_data = nullptr;
+        char* m_data = nullptr;
         
         void takeOwnership();