diff --git a/lib/JIT.php b/lib/JIT.php
index ca47f4c2..1f13404b 100644
--- a/lib/JIT.php
+++ b/lib/JIT.php
@@ -653,10 +653,15 @@ private function assignOperand(Operand $result, Variable $value): void {
 
                     return;
                 case Variable::TYPE_STRING:
+                    $str = $this->context->helper->loadValue($value);
+                    $owned = $this->context->builder->call(
+                        $this->context->lookupFunction('__string__separate'),
+                        $str
+                    );
                     $this->context->builder->call(
                         $this->context->lookupFunction('__value__writeString'),
                         $valueRef,
-                        $this->context->helper->loadValue($value)
+                        $owned
                     );
 
                     return;
diff --git a/lib/JIT/Builtin/Type/HashTable.php b/lib/JIT/Builtin/Type/HashTable.php
index 063bec7e..8de319fd 100755
--- a/lib/JIT/Builtin/Type/HashTable.php
+++ b/lib/JIT/Builtin/Type/HashTable.php
@@ -419,6 +419,7 @@ private function implementReadStringAt(): void
         $values = $this->context->builder->load($this->context->builder->structGep($ht, $map['values']));
         $entry = $this->context->builder->inBoundsGep($values, $index);
         $str = $this->context->builder->call($this->context->lookupFunction('__value__readString'), $entry);
+        $str = $this->context->builder->call($this->context->lookupFunction('__string__separate'), $str);
         $this->context->builder->branch($merge);
         $this->context->builder->positionAtEnd($emptyBlock);
         $empty = $this->context->builder->call(
diff --git a/lib/JIT/Variable.php b/lib/JIT/Variable.php
index e3909418..77760119 100755
--- a/lib/JIT/Variable.php
+++ b/lib/JIT/Variable.php
@@ -439,11 +439,13 @@ public function dimFetch(self $dim, ?Type $expectedType = null): Variable {
                     $this->context->getTypeFromString('size_t')
                 );
                 if (null !== $expectedType && Type::TYPE_STRING === $expectedType->type) {
+                    $this->context->refcount->addref($ht);
                     $str = $this->context->builder->call(
                         $this->context->lookupFunction('__hashtable__readStringAt'),
                         $ht,
                         $index
                     );
+                    $this->context->refcount->delref($ht);
 
                     return new Variable(
                         $this->context,