diff --git a/lapi.c b/lapi.c
index 9fffcc16..03e756d6 100644
--- a/lapi.c
+++ b/lapi.c
@@ -871,12 +871,10 @@ LUA_API void lua_seti (lua_State *L, int idx, lua_Integer n) {
 
 static void aux_rawset (lua_State *L, int idx, TValue *key, int n) {
   Table *t;
-  TValue *slot;
   lua_lock(L);
   api_checknelems(L, n);
   t = gettable(L, idx);
-  slot = luaH_set(L, t, key);
-  setobj2t(L, slot, s2v(L->top - 1));
+  luaH_set(L, t, key, s2v(L->top - 1));
   invalidateTMcache(t);
   luaC_barrierback(L, obj2gco(t), s2v(L->top - 1));
   L->top -= n;
diff --git a/lcode.c b/lcode.c
index 97e427b2..d8d353fe 100644
--- a/lcode.c
+++ b/lcode.c
@@ -545,11 +545,14 @@ static void freeexps (FuncState *fs, expdesc *e1, expdesc *e2) {
 ** and try to reuse constants. Because some values should not be used
 ** as keys (nil cannot be a key, integer keys can collapse with float
 ** keys), the caller must provide a useful 'key' for indexing the cache.
+** Note that all functions share the same table, so entering or exiting
+** a function can make some indices wrong.
 */
 static int addk (FuncState *fs, TValue *key, TValue *v) {
+  TValue val;
   lua_State *L = fs->ls->L;
   Proto *f = fs->f;
-  TValue *idx = luaH_set(L, fs->ls->h, key);  /* index scanner table */
+  const TValue *idx = luaH_get(fs->ls->h, key);  /* query scanner table */
   int k, oldsize;
   if (ttisinteger(idx)) {  /* is there an index there? */
     k = cast_int(ivalue(idx));
@@ -563,7 +566,8 @@ static int addk (FuncState *fs, TValue *key, TValue *v) {
   k = fs->nk;
   /* numerical value does not need GC barrier;
      table has no metatable, so it does not need to invalidate cache */
-  setivalue(idx, k);
+  setivalue(&val, k);
+  luaH_finishset(L, fs->ls->h, key, idx, &val);
   luaM_growvector(L, f->k, k, f->sizek, TValue, MAXARG_Ax, "constants");
   while (oldsize < f->sizek) setnilvalue(&f->k[oldsize++]);
   setobj(L, &f->k[k], v);
diff --git a/llex.c b/llex.c
index 4b8dec99..e9915178 100644
--- a/llex.c
+++ b/llex.c
@@ -122,26 +122,29 @@ l_noret luaX_syntaxerror (LexState *ls, const char *msg) {
 
 
 /*
-** creates a new string and anchors it in scanner's table so that
-** it will not be collected until the end of the compilation
-** (by that time it should be anchored somewhere)
+** Creates a new string and anchors it in scanner's table so that it
+** will not be collected until the end of the compilation; by that time
+** it should be anchored somewhere. It also internalizes long strings,
+** ensuring there is only one copy of each unique string.  The table
+** here is used as a set: the string enters as the key, while its value
+** is irrelevant. We use the string itself as the value only because it
+** is a TValue readly available. Later, the code generation can change
+** this value.
 */
 TString *luaX_newstring (LexState *ls, const char *str, size_t l) {
   lua_State *L = ls->L;
-  TValue *o;  /* entry for 'str' */
   TString *ts = luaS_newlstr(L, str, l);  /* create new string */
-  setsvalue2s(L, L->top++, ts);  /* temporarily anchor it in stack */
-  o = luaH_set(L, ls->h, s2v(L->top - 1));
-  if (isempty(o)) {  /* not in use yet? */
-    /* boolean value does not need GC barrier;
-       table is not a metatable, so it does not need to invalidate cache */
-    setbtvalue(o);  /* t[string] = true */
+  const TValue *o = luaH_getstr(ls->h, ts);
+  if (!ttisnil(o))  /* string already present? */
+    ts = keystrval(nodefromval(o));  /* get saved copy */
+  else {  /* not in use yet */
+    TValue *stv = s2v(L->top++);  /* reserve stack space for string */
+    setsvalue(L, stv, ts);  /* temporarily anchor the string */
+    luaH_finishset(L, ls->h, stv, o, stv);  /* t[string] = string */
+    /* table is not a metatable, so it does not need to invalidate cache */
     luaC_checkGC(L);
+    L->top--;  /* remove string from stack */
   }
-  else {  /* string already present */
-    ts = keystrval(nodefromval(o));  /* re-use value previously stored */
-  }
-  L->top--;  /* remove string from stack */
   return ts;
 }
 
diff --git a/ltable.c b/ltable.c
index 7e7cbed9..e9410f99 100644
--- a/ltable.c
+++ b/ltable.c
@@ -485,7 +485,7 @@ static void reinsert (lua_State *L, Table *ot, Table *t) {
          already present in the table */
       TValue k;
       getnodekey(L, &k, old);
-      setobjt2t(L, luaH_set(L, t, &k), gval(old));
+      luaH_set(L, t, &k, gval(old));
     }
   }
 }
@@ -632,7 +632,7 @@ static Node *getfreepos (Table *t) {
 ** put new key in its main position; otherwise (colliding node is in its main
 ** position), new key goes to an empty position.
 */
-TValue *luaH_newkey (lua_State *L, Table *t, const TValue *key) {
+void luaH_newkey (lua_State *L, Table *t, const TValue *key, TValue *value) {
   Node *mp;
   TValue aux;
   if (unlikely(ttisnil(key)))
@@ -654,7 +654,8 @@ TValue *luaH_newkey (lua_State *L, Table *t, const TValue *key) {
     if (f == NULL) {  /* cannot find a free place? */
       rehash(L, t, key);  /* grow table */
       /* whatever called 'newkey' takes care of TM cache */
-      return luaH_set(L, t, key);  /* insert key into grown table */
+      luaH_set(L, t, key, value);  /* insert key into grown table */
+      return;
     }
     lua_assert(!isdummy(t));
     othern = mainposition(t, keytt(mp), &keyval(mp));
@@ -682,7 +683,7 @@ TValue *luaH_newkey (lua_State *L, Table *t, const TValue *key) {
   setnodekey(L, mp, key);
   luaC_barrierback(L, obj2gco(t), key);
   lua_assert(isempty(gval(mp)));
-  return gval(mp);
+  setobj2t(L, gval(mp), value);
 }
 
 
@@ -769,29 +770,40 @@ const TValue *luaH_get (Table *t, const TValue *key) {
 }
 
 
+/*
+** Finish a raw "set table" operation, where 'slot' is where the value
+** should have been (the result of a previous "get table").
+** Beware: when using this function you probably need to check a GC
+** barrier and invalidate the TM cache.
+*/
+void luaH_finishset (lua_State *L, Table *t, const TValue *key,
+                                   const TValue *slot, TValue *value) {
+  if (isabstkey(slot))
+    luaH_newkey(L, t, key, value);
+  else
+    setobj2t(L, cast(TValue *, slot), value);
+}
+
+
 /*
 ** beware: when using this function you probably need to check a GC
 ** barrier and invalidate the TM cache.
 */
-TValue *luaH_set (lua_State *L, Table *t, const TValue *key) {
-  const TValue *p = luaH_get(t, key);
-  if (!isabstkey(p))
-    return cast(TValue *, p);
-  else return luaH_newkey(L, t, key);
+void luaH_set (lua_State *L, Table *t, const TValue *key, TValue *value) {
+  const TValue *slot = luaH_get(t, key);
+  luaH_finishset(L, t, key, slot, value);
 }
 
 
 void luaH_setint (lua_State *L, Table *t, lua_Integer key, TValue *value) {
   const TValue *p = luaH_getint(t, key);
-  TValue *cell;
-  if (!isabstkey(p))
-    cell = cast(TValue *, p);
-  else {
+  if (isabstkey(p)) {
     TValue k;
     setivalue(&k, key);
-    cell = luaH_newkey(L, t, &k);
+    luaH_newkey(L, t, &k, value);
   }
-  setobj2t(L, cell, value);
+  else
+    setobj2t(L, cast(TValue *, p), value);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/ltable.h b/ltable.h
index c0060f4b..7bbbcb21 100644
--- a/ltable.h
+++ b/ltable.h
@@ -41,8 +41,12 @@ LUAI_FUNC void luaH_setint (lua_State *L, Table *t, lua_Integer key,
 LUAI_FUNC const TValue *luaH_getshortstr (Table *t, TString *key);
 LUAI_FUNC const TValue *luaH_getstr (Table *t, TString *key);
 LUAI_FUNC const TValue *luaH_get (Table *t, const TValue *key);
-LUAI_FUNC TValue *luaH_newkey (lua_State *L, Table *t, const TValue *key);
-LUAI_FUNC TValue *luaH_set (lua_State *L, Table *t, const TValue *key);
+LUAI_FUNC void luaH_newkey (lua_State *L, Table *t, const TValue *key,
+                                                    TValue *value);
+LUAI_FUNC void luaH_set (lua_State *L, Table *t, const TValue *key,
+                                                 TValue *value);
+LUAI_FUNC void luaH_finishset (lua_State *L, Table *t, const TValue *key,
+                                       const TValue *slot, TValue *value);
 LUAI_FUNC Table *luaH_new (lua_State *L);
 LUAI_FUNC void luaH_resize (lua_State *L, Table *t, unsigned int nasize,
                                                     unsigned int nhsize);
diff --git a/lvm.c b/lvm.c
index aa3b22bf..ccebdbe0 100644
--- a/lvm.c
+++ b/lvm.c
@@ -337,10 +337,7 @@ void luaV_finishset (lua_State *L, const TValue *t, TValue *key,
       lua_assert(isempty(slot));  /* slot must be empty */
       tm = fasttm(L, h->metatable, TM_NEWINDEX);  /* get metamethod */
       if (tm == NULL) {  /* no metamethod? */
-        if (isabstkey(slot))  /* no previous entry? */
-          slot = luaH_newkey(L, h, key);  /* create one */
-        /* no metamethod and (now) there is an entry with given key */
-        setobj2t(L, cast(TValue *, slot), val);  /* set its new value */
+        luaH_finishset(L, h, key, slot, val);  /* set new value */
         invalidateTMcache(h);
         luaC_barrierback(L, obj2gco(h), val);
         return;