diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 74eeb9f9..196ac33a 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -782,7 +782,9 @@ name = "oxide_kernel"
 version = "0.1.0"
 dependencies = [
  "dashmap",
+ "hashbrown 0.14.5",
  "oxide_compiler",
+ "rustc-hash",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
diff --git a/crates/oxide_kernel/Cargo.toml b/crates/oxide_kernel/Cargo.toml
index 0eeb5484..37de18ce 100644
--- a/crates/oxide_kernel/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/oxide_kernel/Cargo.toml
@@ -9,3 +9,5 @@ description = "OxideJS - Shared kernel (CodeForge, ShapeForge, IcForge, StringFo
 [dependencies]
 oxide_compiler = { path = "../oxide_compiler" }
 dashmap.workspace = true
+hashbrown.workspace = true
+rustc-hash.workspace = true
diff --git a/crates/oxide_kernel/src/lib.rs b/crates/oxide_kernel/src/lib.rs
index 409dab20..a35e2c20 100644
--- a/crates/oxide_kernel/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/oxide_kernel/src/lib.rs
@@ -1 +1,3 @@
 #![doc = "OxideJS - Shared kernel (CodeForge, ShapeForge, IcForge, StringForge, BuiltinWorld)"]
+
+pub mod string_forge;
diff --git a/crates/oxide_kernel/src/string_forge.rs b/crates/oxide_kernel/src/string_forge.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4648485e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/oxide_kernel/src/string_forge.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,210 @@
+use std::hash::{Hash, Hasher};
+use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicU32, Ordering};
+use std::sync::RwLock;
+
+use hashbrown::hash_map::DefaultHashBuilder as FxBuildHasher;
+use hashbrown::HashMap;
+
+pub fn hash16(s: &str) -> u16 {
+    let mut h = rustc_hash::FxHasher::default();
+    s.hash(&mut h);
+    (h.finish() >> 48) as u16
+}
+
+pub struct StringEntry {
+    pub data: String,
+    pub ref_count: AtomicU32,
+    pub hash: u16,
+}
+
+struct InternerInner {
+    map: HashMap<String, u32, FxBuildHasher>,
+    entries: Vec<StringEntry>,
+}
+
+pub struct Interner {
+    inner: RwLock<InternerInner>,
+}
+
+impl Interner {
+    pub fn new() -> Self {
+        Self {
+            inner: RwLock::new(InternerInner {
+                map: HashMap::with_hasher(FxBuildHasher::default()),
+                entries: Vec::new(),
+            }),
+        }
+    }
+
+    pub fn intern(&self, s: &str) -> (u32, u16) {
+        {
+            let inner = self.inner.read().unwrap();
+            if let Some(&idx) = inner.map.get(s) {
+                let entry = &inner.entries[idx as usize];
+                entry.ref_count.fetch_add(1, Ordering::Release);
+                return (idx, entry.hash);
+            }
+        }
+
+        let mut inner = self.inner.write().unwrap();
+        if let Some(&idx) = inner.map.get(s) {
+            let entry = &inner.entries[idx as usize];
+            entry.ref_count.fetch_add(1, Ordering::Release);
+            return (idx, entry.hash);
+        }
+
+        let h = hash16(s);
+        let idx = inner.entries.len() as u32;
+        inner.map.insert(s.to_string(), idx);
+        inner.entries.push(StringEntry {
+            data: s.to_string(),
+            ref_count: AtomicU32::new(1),
+            hash: h,
+        });
+        (idx, h)
+    }
+
+    pub fn lookup(&self, idx: u32) -> Option<String> {
+        let inner = self.inner.read().unwrap();
+        inner.entries.get(idx as usize).map(|e| e.data.clone())
+    }
+
+    pub fn decref(&self, idx: u32) {
+        let inner = self.inner.read().unwrap();
+        if let Some(entry) = inner.entries.get(idx as usize) {
+            entry.ref_count.fetch_sub(1, Ordering::Release);
+        }
+    }
+
+    pub fn maybe_sweep(&self, max_dead: Option<usize>) {
+        let threshold = match max_dead {
+            Some(t) => t,
+            None => return,
+        };
+
+        let mut inner = self.inner.write().unwrap();
+        let dead_count = inner
+            .entries
+            .iter()
+            .filter(|e| e.ref_count.load(Ordering::Acquire) == 0)
+            .count();
+
+        if dead_count < threshold {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        let mut new_map: HashMap<String, u32, FxBuildHasher> =
+            HashMap::with_hasher(FxBuildHasher::default());
+        let mut new_entries = Vec::with_capacity(inner.entries.len() - dead_count);
+
+        for entry in inner.entries.drain(..) {
+            let rc = entry.ref_count.load(Ordering::Acquire);
+            if rc > 0 {
+                let new_idx = new_entries.len() as u32;
+                new_map.insert(entry.data.clone(), new_idx);
+                new_entries.push(entry);
+            }
+        }
+
+        inner.map = new_map;
+        inner.entries = new_entries;
+    }
+}
+
+impl Default for Interner {
+    fn default() -> Self {
+        Self::new()
+    }
+}
+
+pub struct KernelConfig {
+    pub min_pool_size: usize,
+    pub max_pool_size: Option<usize>,
+    pub max_dead_strings: Option<usize>,
+    pub warmup_builtin_shapes: bool,
+    pub warmup_builtin_code: bool,
+    pub warmup_builtin_ic: bool,
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_hash16_same() {
+        assert_eq!(hash16("hello"), hash16("hello"));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_hash16_different() {
+        assert_ne!(hash16("hello"), hash16("world"));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_intern_dedup() {
+        let interner = Interner::new();
+        let (i1, h1) = interner.intern("abc");
+        let (i2, h2) = interner.intern("abc");
+        assert_eq!(i1, i2);
+        assert_eq!(h1, h2);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_intern_different() {
+        let interner = Interner::new();
+        let (i1, _) = interner.intern("x");
+        let (i2, _) = interner.intern("y");
+        assert_ne!(i1, i2);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_lookup_found() {
+        let interner = Interner::new();
+        let (idx, _) = interner.intern("hello");
+        assert_eq!(interner.lookup(idx), Some("hello".to_string()));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_lookup_not_found() {
+        let interner = Interner::new();
+        assert_eq!(interner.lookup(99999), None);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_ref_count_and_decref() {
+        let interner = Interner::new();
+        let (idx, _) = interner.intern("s");
+        assert_eq!(interner.lookup(idx), Some("s".to_string()));
+        interner.decref(idx);
+        assert_eq!(interner.lookup(idx), Some("s".to_string()));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_maybe_sweep_noop_when_none() {
+        let interner = Interner::new();
+        interner.intern("live");
+        interner.maybe_sweep(None);
+        assert!(interner.lookup(0).is_some());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_maybe_sweep_skip_below_threshold() {
+        let interner = Interner::new();
+        interner.intern("live");
+        interner.maybe_sweep(Some(100));
+        assert_eq!(interner.lookup(0), Some("live".to_string()));
+    }
+}
+
+impl Default for KernelConfig {
+    fn default() -> Self {
+        Self {
+            min_pool_size: 4,
+            max_pool_size: None,
+            max_dead_strings: Some(10_000),
+            warmup_builtin_shapes: true,
+            warmup_builtin_code: false,
+            warmup_builtin_ic: false,
+        }
+    }
+}