diff --git a/modules/juce_core/text/juce_Identifier.h b/modules/juce_core/text/juce_Identifier.h
index cac9761b67..0f58dbc3d3 100644
--- a/modules/juce_core/text/juce_Identifier.h
+++ b/modules/juce_core/text/juce_Identifier.h
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ public:
     const String::CharPointerType getCharPointer() const noexcept       { return name; }
 
     /** Returns this identifier as a StringRef. */
-    operator StringRef() const noexcept                                 { return name.getAddress(); }
+    operator StringRef() const noexcept                                 { return name; }
 
     /** Returns true if this Identifier is not null */
     bool isValid() const noexcept                                       { return name.getAddress() != nullptr; }
diff --git a/modules/juce_core/text/juce_String.cpp b/modules/juce_core/text/juce_String.cpp
index cd24e3f085..7895571981 100644
--- a/modules/juce_core/text/juce_String.cpp
+++ b/modules/juce_core/text/juce_String.cpp
@@ -738,15 +738,20 @@ JUCE_API String& JUCE_CALLTYPE operator<< (String& s1, const double number)
 
 JUCE_API OutputStream& JUCE_CALLTYPE operator<< (OutputStream& stream, const String& text)
 {
-    const size_t numBytes = text.getNumBytesAsUTF8();
+    return operator<< (stream, StringRef (text));
+}
+
+JUCE_API OutputStream& JUCE_CALLTYPE operator<< (OutputStream& stream, StringRef text)
+{
+    const size_t numBytes = CharPointer_UTF8::getBytesRequiredFor (text.text);
 
    #if (JUCE_STRING_UTF_TYPE == 8)
-    stream.write (text.getCharPointer().getAddress(), numBytes);
+    stream.write (text.text.getAddress(), numBytes);
    #else
     // (This avoids using toUTF8() to prevent the memory bloat that it would leave behind
     // if lots of large, persistent strings were to be written to streams).
     HeapBlock<char> temp (numBytes + 1);
-    CharPointer_UTF8 (temp).writeAll (text.getCharPointer());
+    CharPointer_UTF8 (temp).writeAll (text.text);
     stream.write (temp, numBytes);
    #endif
 
@@ -2047,12 +2052,21 @@ String String::fromUTF8 (const char* const buffer, int bufferSizeBytes)
 #endif
 
 //==============================================================================
-StringRef::StringRef() noexcept  : text ("\0\0\0")
+StringRef::StringRef() noexcept  : text ((const String::CharPointerType::CharType*) "\0\0\0")
 {
 }
 
-StringRef::StringRef (const String::CharPointerType::CharType* stringLiteral) noexcept  : text (stringLiteral)
+StringRef::StringRef (const char* stringLiteral) noexcept
+   #if JUCE_STRING_UTF_TYPE != 8
+    : text (nullptr), stringCopy (stringLiteral)
+   #else
+    : text (stringLiteral)
+   #endif
 {
+   #if JUCE_STRING_UTF_TYPE != 8
+    text = stringCopy.getCharPointer();
+   #endif
+
     jassert (stringLiteral != nullptr); // This must be a valid string literal, not a null pointer!!
 
    #if JUCE_NATIVE_WCHAR_IS_UTF8
@@ -2080,6 +2094,7 @@ StringRef::StringRef (String::CharPointerType stringLiteral) noexcept  : text (s
 
 StringRef::StringRef (const String& string) noexcept  : text (string.getCharPointer()) {}
 
+
 //==============================================================================
 //==============================================================================
 #if JUCE_UNIT_TESTS
diff --git a/modules/juce_core/text/juce_String.h b/modules/juce_core/text/juce_String.h
index b368058094..0df7504b31 100644
--- a/modules/juce_core/text/juce_String.h
+++ b/modules/juce_core/text/juce_String.h
@@ -1337,5 +1337,8 @@ std::basic_ostream <wchar_t, traits>& JUCE_CALLTYPE operator<< (std::basic_ostre
 /** Writes a string to an OutputStream as UTF8. */
 JUCE_API OutputStream& JUCE_CALLTYPE operator<< (OutputStream& stream, const String& stringToWrite);
 
+/** Writes a string to an OutputStream as UTF8. */
+JUCE_API OutputStream& JUCE_CALLTYPE operator<< (OutputStream& stream, StringRef stringToWrite);
+
 
 #endif   // JUCE_STRING_H_INCLUDED
diff --git a/modules/juce_core/text/juce_StringRef.h b/modules/juce_core/text/juce_StringRef.h
index c7579608f2..4b66a791d0 100644
--- a/modules/juce_core/text/juce_StringRef.h
+++ b/modules/juce_core/text/juce_StringRef.h
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@
 #ifndef JUCE_STRINGREF_H_INCLUDED
 #define JUCE_STRINGREF_H_INCLUDED
 
-
 //==============================================================================
 /**
     A simple class for holding temporary references to a string literal or String.
@@ -71,7 +70,7 @@ public:
         ensure that the data does not change during the lifetime of the StringRef.
         Note that this pointer not be null!
     */
-    StringRef (const String::CharPointerType::CharType* stringLiteral) noexcept;
+    StringRef (const char* stringLiteral) noexcept;
 
     /** Creates a StringRef from a raw char pointer.
         The StringRef object does NOT take ownership or copy this data, so you must
@@ -115,6 +114,12 @@ public:
     //==============================================================================
     /** The text that is referenced. */
     String::CharPointerType text;
+
+    #if JUCE_STRING_UTF_TYPE != 8 && ! defined (DOXYGEN)
+     // Sorry, non-UTF8 people, you're unable to take advantage of StringRef, because
+     // you've chosen a character encoding that doesn't match C++ string literals.
+     String stringCopy;
+    #endif
 };
 
 //==============================================================================