diff --git a/Source/GSString.m b/Source/GSString.m
index e3200625a..85a2b0604 100644
--- a/Source/GSString.m
+++ b/Source/GSString.m
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@ setup()
       GSCSubStringClass = [GSCSubString class];
       GSUnicodeSubStringClass = [GSUnicodeSubString class];
       GSMutableStringClass = [GSMutableString class];
-      NSConstantStringClass = [NSString constantStringClass];
+      NSConstantStringClass = [NXConstantString class];
 
       /*
        * Cache some selectors and method implementations for
@@ -3508,6 +3508,7 @@ transmute(ivars self, NSString *aString)
   if (self == [NXConstantString class])
     {
       behavior_class_add_class(self, [GSCString class]);
+      NSConstantStringClass = self;
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/Source/NSString.m b/Source/NSString.m
index 8efa5c0a4..f51269551 100644
--- a/Source/NSString.m
+++ b/Source/NSString.m
@@ -376,7 +376,6 @@ handle_printf_atsign (FILE *stream,
       NSStringClass = self;
       [self setVersion: 1];
       NSMutableStringClass = [NSMutableString class];
-      NSConstantStringClass = [NXConstantString class];
       NSDataClass = [NSData class];
       GSPlaceholderStringClass = [GSPlaceholderString class];
       GSStringClass = [GSString class];
@@ -462,8 +461,16 @@ handle_printf_atsign (FILE *stream,
     }
 }
 
+/**
+ * Return the class used to dtore constant strings (those ascii strings
+ * placed in ythe source code using the @"this is a string" syntax.
+ */
 + (Class) constantStringClass
 {
+  if (NSConstantStringClass == 0)
+    {
+      NSConstantStringClass = [NXConstantString class];
+    }
   return NSConstantStringClass;
 }