diff --git a/format.h b/format.h
index 23c1ba82..134730ef 100644
--- a/format.h
+++ b/format.h
@@ -29,7 +29,8 @@
 #define FORMAT_H_
 
 #include <cstddef>
-#include <cstdio>
+#include <cstdio>>
+#include <cstring>
 #include <stdexcept>
 #include <string>
 #include <sstream>
@@ -308,6 +309,8 @@ class Formatter {
   void Write(const std::string &s, unsigned width);
 };
 
+class StringRef;
+
 namespace internal {
 
 // This is a transient object that normally exists only as a temporary
@@ -319,6 +322,7 @@ class ArgInserter {
   mutable Formatter *formatter_;
 
   friend class format::Formatter;
+  friend class format::StringRef;
 
   // Do not implement.
   void operator=(const ArgInserter& other);
@@ -354,12 +358,12 @@ class ArgInserter {
   struct Proxy {
     Formatter *formatter;
     explicit Proxy(Formatter *f) : formatter(f) {}
-  };
 
-  static Formatter *Format(Proxy p) {
-    p.formatter->CompleteFormatting();
-    return p.formatter;
-  }
+    Formatter *Format() {
+      formatter->CompleteFormatting();
+      return formatter;
+    }
+  };
 
  public:
   ~ArgInserter() {
@@ -382,21 +386,54 @@ class ArgInserter {
 
   // Performs formatting and returns a std::string with the output.
   friend std::string str(Proxy p) {
-    return Format(p)->str();
+    return p.Format()->str();
   }
 
   // Performs formatting and returns a C string with the output.
   friend const char *c_str(Proxy p) {
-    return Format(p)->c_str();
+    return p.Format()->c_str();
   }
 };
 
-const char *c_str(ArgInserter::Proxy p);
 std::string str(ArgInserter::Proxy p);
+const char *c_str(ArgInserter::Proxy p);
 }
 
-using format::internal::c_str;
 using format::internal::str;
+using format::internal::c_str;
+
+// A reference to a string. It can be constructed from a C string,
+// std::string or as a result of a formatting operation. It is most useful
+// as a parameter type to allow passing different types of strings in a
+// function, for example:
+//   void SetName(StringRef s) {
+//     std::string name = s;
+//     ...
+//   }
+class StringRef {
+ private:
+  const char *data_;
+  mutable std::size_t size_;
+
+ public:
+  StringRef(const char *s) : data_(s), size_(0) {}
+  StringRef(const std::string &s) : data_(s.c_str()), size_(s.size()) {}
+
+  StringRef(internal::ArgInserter::Proxy p) {
+    Formatter *f = p.Format();
+    data_ = f->c_str();
+    size_ = f->size();
+  }
+
+  operator std::string() const { return std::string(data_, size_); }
+
+  const char *c_str() const { return data_; }
+
+  std::size_t size() const {
+    if (size_ == 0) size_ = std::strlen(data_);
+    return size_;
+  }
+};
 
 // ArgFormatter provides access to the format buffer within custom
 // Format functions. It is not desirable to pass Formatter to these
diff --git a/format_test.cc b/format_test.cc
index 3f518cff..7c1020bb 100644
--- a/format_test.cc
+++ b/format_test.cc
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ using fmt::internal::Array;
 using fmt::Formatter;
 using fmt::Format;
 using fmt::FormatError;
+using fmt::StringRef;
 
 #define FORMAT_TEST_THROW_(statement, expected_exception, message, fail) \
   GTEST_AMBIGUOUS_ELSE_BLOCKER_ \
@@ -734,6 +735,17 @@ TEST(FormatterTest, StrNamespace) {
   fmt::c_str(Format(""));
 }
 
+TEST(FormatterTest, StringRef) {
+  EXPECT_STREQ("abc", StringRef("abc").c_str());
+  EXPECT_EQ(3u, StringRef("abc").size());
+
+  EXPECT_STREQ("defg", StringRef(std::string("defg")).c_str());
+  EXPECT_EQ(4u, StringRef(std::string("defg")).size());
+
+  EXPECT_STREQ("hijkl", StringRef(Format("hi{0}kl") << 'j').c_str());
+  EXPECT_EQ(5u, StringRef(Format("hi{0}kl") << 'j').size());
+}
+
 struct CountCalls {
   int &num_calls;