diff --git a/src/string_bytes.h b/src/string_bytes.h
index 47a42559788502..4b83b7c0f4a0f0 100644
--- a/src/string_bytes.h
+++ b/src/string_bytes.h
@@ -7,22 +7,14 @@
 #include "node.h"
 #include "env.h"
 #include "env-inl.h"
+#include "util.h"
 
 namespace node {
 
 class StringBytes {
  public:
-  class InlineDecoder {
+  class InlineDecoder : public MaybeStackBuffer<char> {
    public:
-    InlineDecoder() : out_(nullptr) {
-    }
-
-    ~InlineDecoder() {
-      if (out_ != out_st_)
-        delete[] out_;
-      out_ = nullptr;
-    }
-
     inline bool Decode(Environment* env,
                        v8::Local<v8::String> string,
                        v8::Local<v8::Value> encoding,
@@ -33,28 +25,22 @@ class StringBytes {
         return false;
       }
 
-      size_t buflen = StringBytes::StorageSize(env->isolate(), string, enc);
-      if (buflen > sizeof(out_st_))
-        out_ = new char[buflen];
-      else
-        out_ = out_st_;
-      size_ = StringBytes::Write(env->isolate(),
-                                 out_,
-                                 buflen,
-                                 string,
-                                 enc);
+      const size_t storage = StringBytes::StorageSize(env->isolate(),
+                                                      string,
+                                                      enc);
+      AllocateSufficientStorage(storage);
+      const size_t length = StringBytes::Write(env->isolate(),
+                                               out(),
+                                               storage,
+                                               string,
+                                               enc);
+
+      // No zero terminator is included when using this method.
+      SetLength(length);
       return true;
     }
 
-    inline const char* out() const { return out_; }
-    inline size_t size() const { return size_; }
-
-   private:
-    static const int kStorageSize = 1024;
-
-    char out_st_[kStorageSize];
-    char* out_;
-    size_t size_;
+    inline size_t size() const { return length(); }
   };
 
   // Does the string match the encoding? Quick but non-exhaustive.
diff --git a/src/util.cc b/src/util.cc
index 0de8321e3f5dd8..7ce99d5c76aa93 100644
--- a/src/util.cc
+++ b/src/util.cc
@@ -10,76 +10,69 @@ using v8::Local;
 using v8::String;
 using v8::Value;
 
-static int MakeUtf8String(Isolate* isolate,
-                          Local<Value> value,
-                          char** dst,
-                          const size_t size) {
+template <typename T>
+static void MakeUtf8String(Isolate* isolate,
+                           Local<Value> value,
+                           T* target) {
   Local<String> string = value->ToString(isolate);
   if (string.IsEmpty())
-    return 0;
-  size_t len = StringBytes::StorageSize(isolate, string, UTF8) + 1;
-  if (len > size) {
-    *dst = static_cast<char*>(malloc(len));
-    CHECK_NE(*dst, nullptr);
-  }
+    return;
+
+  const size_t storage = StringBytes::StorageSize(isolate, string, UTF8) + 1;
+  target->AllocateSufficientStorage(storage);
   const int flags =
       String::NO_NULL_TERMINATION | String::REPLACE_INVALID_UTF8;
-  const int length = string->WriteUtf8(*dst, len, 0, flags);
-  (*dst)[length] = '\0';
-  return length;
+  const int length = string->WriteUtf8(target->out(), storage, 0, flags);
+  target->SetLengthAndZeroTerminate(length);
 }
 
-Utf8Value::Utf8Value(Isolate* isolate, Local<Value> value)
-    : length_(0), str_(str_st_) {
+Utf8Value::Utf8Value(Isolate* isolate, Local<Value> value) {
   if (value.IsEmpty())
     return;
-  length_ = MakeUtf8String(isolate, value, &str_, sizeof(str_st_));
+
+  MakeUtf8String(isolate, value, this);
 }
 
 
-TwoByteValue::TwoByteValue(Isolate* isolate, Local<Value> value)
-    : length_(0), str_(str_st_) {
-  if (value.IsEmpty())
+TwoByteValue::TwoByteValue(Isolate* isolate, Local<Value> value) {
+  if (value.IsEmpty()) {
     return;
+  }
 
   Local<String> string = value->ToString(isolate);
   if (string.IsEmpty())
     return;
 
   // Allocate enough space to include the null terminator
-  size_t len =
-      StringBytes::StorageSize(isolate, string, UCS2) +
-      sizeof(uint16_t);
-  if (len > sizeof(str_st_)) {
-    str_ = static_cast<uint16_t*>(malloc(len));
-    CHECK_NE(str_, nullptr);
-  }
+  const size_t storage = string->Length() + 1;
+  AllocateSufficientStorage(storage);
 
   const int flags =
       String::NO_NULL_TERMINATION | String::REPLACE_INVALID_UTF8;
-  length_ = string->Write(str_, 0, len, flags);
-  str_[length_] = '\0';
+  const int length = string->Write(out(), 0, storage, flags);
+  SetLengthAndZeroTerminate(length);
 }
 
-BufferValue::BufferValue(Isolate* isolate, Local<Value> value)
-    : str_(str_st_), fail_(true) {
+BufferValue::BufferValue(Isolate* isolate, Local<Value> value) {
   // Slightly different take on Utf8Value. If value is a String,
   // it will return a Utf8 encoded string. If value is a Buffer,
   // it will copy the data out of the Buffer as is.
-  if (value.IsEmpty())
+  if (value.IsEmpty()) {
+    // Dereferencing this object will return nullptr.
+    Invalidate();
     return;
+  }
+
   if (value->IsString()) {
-    MakeUtf8String(isolate, value, &str_, sizeof(str_st_));
-    fail_ = false;
+    MakeUtf8String(isolate, value, this);
   } else if (Buffer::HasInstance(value)) {
-    size_t len = Buffer::Length(value) + 1;
-    if (len > sizeof(str_st_)) {
-      str_ = static_cast<char*>(malloc(len));
-      CHECK_NE(str_, nullptr);
-    }
-    memcpy(str_, Buffer::Data(value), len);
-    str_[len - 1] = '\0';
-    fail_ = false;
+    const size_t len = Buffer::Length(value);
+    // Leave place for the terminating '\0' byte.
+    AllocateSufficientStorage(len + 1);
+    memcpy(out(), Buffer::Data(value), len);
+    SetLengthAndZeroTerminate(len);
+  } else {
+    Invalidate();
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/util.h b/src/util.h
index 2c4d8c6286be8b..1f9f81cfd38e16 100644
--- a/src/util.h
+++ b/src/util.h
@@ -178,77 +178,102 @@ inline TypeName* Unwrap(v8::Local<v8::Object> object);
 
 inline void SwapBytes(uint16_t* dst, const uint16_t* src, size_t buflen);
 
-class Utf8Value {
+// Allocates an array of member type T. For up to kStackStorageSize items,
+// the stack is used, otherwise malloc().
+template <typename T, size_t kStackStorageSize = 1024>
+class MaybeStackBuffer {
   public:
-    explicit Utf8Value(v8::Isolate* isolate, v8::Local<v8::Value> value);
+    const T* out() const {
+      return buf_;
+    }
 
-    ~Utf8Value() {
-      if (str_ != str_st_)
-        free(str_);
+    T* out() {
+      return buf_;
     }
 
-    char* operator*() {
-      return str_;
-    };
+    // operator* for compatibility with `v8::String::(Utf8)Value`
+    T* operator*() {
+      return buf_;
+    }
 
-    const char* operator*() const {
-      return str_;
-    };
+    const T* operator*() const {
+      return buf_;
+    }
 
     size_t length() const {
       return length_;
-    };
-
-  private:
-    size_t length_;
-    char* str_;
-    char str_st_[1024];
-};
+    }
 
-class TwoByteValue {
-  public:
-    explicit TwoByteValue(v8::Isolate* isolate, v8::Local<v8::Value> value);
+    // Call to make sure enough space for `storage` entries is available.
+    // There can only be 1 call to AllocateSufficientStorage or Invalidate
+    // per instance.
+    void AllocateSufficientStorage(size_t storage) {
+      if (storage <= kStackStorageSize) {
+        buf_ = buf_st_;
+      } else {
+        // Guard against overflow.
+        CHECK_LE(storage, sizeof(T) * storage);
+
+        buf_ = static_cast<T*>(malloc(sizeof(T) * storage));
+        CHECK_NE(buf_, nullptr);
+      }
+
+      // Remember how much was allocated to check against that in SetLength().
+      length_ = storage;
+    }
 
-    ~TwoByteValue() {
-      if (str_ != str_st_)
-        free(str_);
+    void SetLength(size_t length) {
+      // length_ stores how much memory was allocated.
+      CHECK_LE(length, length_);
+      length_ = length;
     }
 
-    uint16_t* operator*() {
-      return str_;
-    };
+    void SetLengthAndZeroTerminate(size_t length) {
+      // length_ stores how much memory was allocated.
+      CHECK_LE(length + 1, length_);
+      SetLength(length);
 
-    const uint16_t* operator*() const {
-      return str_;
-    };
+      // T() is 0 for integer types, nullptr for pointers, etc.
+      buf_[length] = T();
+    }
 
-    size_t length() const {
-      return length_;
-    };
+    // Make derefencing this object return nullptr.
+    // Calling this is mutually exclusive with calling
+    // AllocateSufficientStorage.
+    void Invalidate() {
+      CHECK_EQ(buf_, buf_st_);
+      length_ = 0;
+      buf_ = nullptr;
+    }
+
+    MaybeStackBuffer() : length_(0), buf_(buf_st_) {
+      // Default to a zero-length, null-terminated buffer.
+      buf_[0] = T();
+    }
 
+    ~MaybeStackBuffer() {
+      if (buf_ != buf_st_)
+        free(buf_);
+    }
   private:
     size_t length_;
-    uint16_t* str_;
-    uint16_t str_st_[1024];
+    T* buf_;
+    T buf_st_[kStackStorageSize];
 };
 
-class BufferValue {
+class Utf8Value : public MaybeStackBuffer<char> {
   public:
-    explicit BufferValue(v8::Isolate* isolate, v8::Local<v8::Value> value);
-
-    ~BufferValue() {
-      if (str_ != str_st_)
-        free(str_);
-    }
+    explicit Utf8Value(v8::Isolate* isolate, v8::Local<v8::Value> value);
+};
 
-    const char* operator*() const {
-      return fail_ ? nullptr : str_;
-    };
+class TwoByteValue : public MaybeStackBuffer<uint16_t> {
+  public:
+    explicit TwoByteValue(v8::Isolate* isolate, v8::Local<v8::Value> value);
+};
 
-  private:
-    char* str_;
-    char str_st_[1024];
-    bool fail_;
+class BufferValue : public MaybeStackBuffer<char> {
+  public:
+    explicit BufferValue(v8::Isolate* isolate, v8::Local<v8::Value> value);
 };
 
 }  // namespace node