diff --git a/runtime/class_linker_test.cc b/runtime/class_linker_test.cc
index 8d93265..69c281e 100644
--- a/runtime/class_linker_test.cc
+++ b/runtime/class_linker_test.cc
@@ -68,7 +68,8 @@
     ASSERT_TRUE(primitive->GetClass() != NULL);
     ASSERT_EQ(primitive->GetClass(), primitive->GetClass()->GetClass());
     EXPECT_TRUE(primitive->GetClass()->GetSuperClass() != NULL);
-    ASSERT_STREQ(descriptor.c_str(), primitive->GetDescriptor().c_str());
+    std::string temp;
+    ASSERT_STREQ(descriptor.c_str(), primitive->GetDescriptor(&temp));
     EXPECT_TRUE(primitive->GetSuperClass() == NULL);
     EXPECT_FALSE(primitive->HasSuperClass());
     EXPECT_TRUE(primitive->GetClassLoader() == NULL);
@@ -106,7 +107,8 @@
     Handle<mirror::ClassLoader> loader(hs.NewHandle(class_loader));
     Handle<mirror::Class> array(
         hs.NewHandle(class_linker_->FindClass(self, array_descriptor.c_str(), loader)));
-    EXPECT_STREQ(component_type.c_str(), array->GetComponentType()->GetDescriptor().c_str());
+    std::string temp;
+    EXPECT_STREQ(component_type.c_str(), array->GetComponentType()->GetDescriptor(&temp));
     EXPECT_EQ(class_loader, array->GetClassLoader());
     EXPECT_EQ(kAccFinal | kAccAbstract, (array->GetAccessFlags() & (kAccFinal | kAccAbstract)));
     AssertArrayClass(array_descriptor, array);
@@ -118,13 +120,14 @@
     ASSERT_TRUE(array->GetClass() != NULL);
     ASSERT_EQ(array->GetClass(), array->GetClass()->GetClass());
     EXPECT_TRUE(array->GetClass()->GetSuperClass() != NULL);
-    ASSERT_STREQ(array_descriptor.c_str(), array->GetDescriptor().c_str());
+    std::string temp;
+    ASSERT_STREQ(array_descriptor.c_str(), array->GetDescriptor(&temp));
     EXPECT_TRUE(array->GetSuperClass() != NULL);
     Thread* self = Thread::Current();
     EXPECT_EQ(class_linker_->FindSystemClass(self, "Ljava/lang/Object;"), array->GetSuperClass());
     EXPECT_TRUE(array->HasSuperClass());
     ASSERT_TRUE(array->GetComponentType() != NULL);
-    ASSERT_TRUE(!array->GetComponentType()->GetDescriptor().empty());
+    ASSERT_GT(strlen(array->GetComponentType()->GetDescriptor(&temp)), 0U);
     EXPECT_EQ(mirror::Class::kStatusInitialized, array->GetStatus());
     EXPECT_FALSE(array->IsErroneous());
     EXPECT_TRUE(array->IsLoaded());
@@ -148,9 +151,9 @@
     ASSERT_TRUE(array->GetIfTable() != NULL);
     mirror::Class* direct_interface0 = mirror::Class::GetDirectInterface(self, array, 0);
     EXPECT_TRUE(direct_interface0 != nullptr);
-    EXPECT_STREQ(direct_interface0->GetDescriptor().c_str(), "Ljava/lang/Cloneable;");
+    EXPECT_STREQ(direct_interface0->GetDescriptor(&temp), "Ljava/lang/Cloneable;");
     mirror::Class* direct_interface1 = mirror::Class::GetDirectInterface(self, array, 1);
-    EXPECT_STREQ(direct_interface1->GetDescriptor().c_str(), "Ljava/io/Serializable;");
+    EXPECT_STREQ(direct_interface1->GetDescriptor(&temp), "Ljava/io/Serializable;");
     mirror::Class* array_ptr = array->GetComponentType();
     EXPECT_EQ(class_linker_->FindArrayClass(self, &array_ptr), array.Get());
   }
@@ -185,7 +188,8 @@
 
   void AssertClass(const std::string& descriptor, Handle<mirror::Class> klass)
       SHARED_LOCKS_REQUIRED(Locks::mutator_lock_) {
-    EXPECT_STREQ(descriptor.c_str(), klass->GetDescriptor().c_str());
+    std::string temp;
+    EXPECT_STREQ(descriptor.c_str(), klass->GetDescriptor(&temp));
     if (descriptor == "Ljava/lang/Object;") {
       EXPECT_FALSE(klass->HasSuperClass());
     } else {
@@ -201,8 +205,9 @@
     EXPECT_FALSE(klass->IsArrayClass());
     EXPECT_TRUE(klass->GetComponentType() == NULL);
     EXPECT_TRUE(klass->IsInSamePackage(klass.Get()));
-    EXPECT_TRUE(mirror::Class::IsInSamePackage(klass->GetDescriptor().c_str(),
-                                               klass->GetDescriptor().c_str()));
+    std::string temp2;
+    EXPECT_TRUE(mirror::Class::IsInSamePackage(klass->GetDescriptor(&temp),
+                                               klass->GetDescriptor(&temp2)));
     if (klass->IsInterface()) {
       EXPECT_TRUE(klass->IsAbstract());
       if (klass->NumDirectMethods() == 1) {
@@ -311,7 +316,8 @@
     Handle<mirror::Class> klass(
         hs.NewHandle(class_linker_->FindSystemClass(self, descriptor.c_str())));
     ASSERT_TRUE(klass.Get() != nullptr);
-    EXPECT_STREQ(descriptor.c_str(), klass.Get()->GetDescriptor().c_str());
+    std::string temp;
+    EXPECT_STREQ(descriptor.c_str(), klass.Get()->GetDescriptor(&temp));
     EXPECT_EQ(class_loader, klass->GetClassLoader());
     if (klass->IsPrimitive()) {
       AssertPrimitiveClass(descriptor, klass.Get());
@@ -671,7 +677,8 @@
   ASSERT_TRUE(JavaLangObject->GetClass() != NULL);
   ASSERT_EQ(JavaLangObject->GetClass(), JavaLangObject->GetClass()->GetClass());
   EXPECT_EQ(JavaLangObject, JavaLangObject->GetClass()->GetSuperClass());
-  ASSERT_STREQ(JavaLangObject->GetDescriptor().c_str(), "Ljava/lang/Object;");
+  std::string temp;
+  ASSERT_STREQ(JavaLangObject->GetDescriptor(&temp), "Ljava/lang/Object;");
   EXPECT_TRUE(JavaLangObject->GetSuperClass() == NULL);
   EXPECT_FALSE(JavaLangObject->HasSuperClass());
   EXPECT_TRUE(JavaLangObject->GetClassLoader() == NULL);
@@ -715,7 +722,7 @@
   ASSERT_TRUE(MyClass->GetClass() != NULL);
   ASSERT_EQ(MyClass->GetClass(), MyClass->GetClass()->GetClass());
   EXPECT_EQ(JavaLangObject, MyClass->GetClass()->GetSuperClass());
-  ASSERT_STREQ(MyClass->GetDescriptor().c_str(), "LMyClass;");
+  ASSERT_STREQ(MyClass->GetDescriptor(&temp), "LMyClass;");
   EXPECT_TRUE(MyClass->GetSuperClass() == JavaLangObject);
   EXPECT_TRUE(MyClass->HasSuperClass());
   EXPECT_EQ(class_loader.Get(), MyClass->GetClassLoader());
@@ -860,7 +867,8 @@
   EXPECT_EQ(9U, statics->NumStaticFields());
 
   mirror::ArtField* s0 = mirror::Class::FindStaticField(soa.Self(), statics, "s0", "Z");
-  EXPECT_STREQ(s0->GetClass()->GetDescriptor().c_str(), "Ljava/lang/reflect/ArtField;");
+  std::string temp;
+  EXPECT_STREQ(s0->GetClass()->GetDescriptor(&temp), "Ljava/lang/reflect/ArtField;");
   EXPECT_EQ(s0->GetTypeAsPrimitiveType(), Primitive::kPrimBoolean);
   EXPECT_EQ(true, s0->GetBoolean(statics.Get()));
   s0->SetBoolean<false>(statics.Get(), false);
@@ -1051,10 +1059,11 @@
 
 TEST_F(ClassLinkerTest, ClassRootDescriptors) {
   ScopedObjectAccess soa(Thread::Current());
+  std::string temp;
   for (int i = 0; i < ClassLinker::kClassRootsMax; i++) {
     mirror::Class* klass = class_linker_->GetClassRoot(ClassLinker::ClassRoot(i));
-    EXPECT_TRUE(!klass->GetDescriptor().empty());
-    EXPECT_STREQ(klass->GetDescriptor().c_str(),
+    EXPECT_GT(strlen(klass->GetDescriptor(&temp)), 0U);
+    EXPECT_STREQ(klass->GetDescriptor(&temp),
                  class_linker_->GetClassRootDescriptor(ClassLinker::ClassRoot(i))) << " i = " << i;
   }
 }