diff --git a/gojni.h b/gojni.h
index 9a1e065..ae552d6 100644
--- a/gojni.h
+++ b/gojni.h
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ __attribute__ ((visibility ("hidden"))) jfieldID _jni_GetFieldID(JNIEnv *env, jc
 __attribute__ ((visibility ("hidden"))) jfieldID _jni_GetStaticFieldID(JNIEnv *env, jclass clazz, const char *name, const char *sig);
 __attribute__ ((visibility ("hidden"))) jsize _jni_GetStringLength(JNIEnv *env, jstring str);
 __attribute__ ((visibility ("hidden"))) const jchar *_jni_GetStringChars(JNIEnv *env, jstring str);
+__attribute__ ((visibility ("hidden"))) void _jni_ReleaseStringChars(JNIEnv *env, jstring str, const jchar *chars);
 __attribute__ ((visibility ("hidden"))) jstring _jni_NewString(JNIEnv *env, const jchar *unicodeChars, jsize len);
 __attribute__ ((visibility ("hidden"))) jboolean _jni_IsSameObject(JNIEnv *env, jobject ref1, jobject ref2);
 __attribute__ ((visibility ("hidden"))) jboolean _jni_IsInstanceOf(JNIEnv *env, jobject obj, jclass cls);
diff --git a/jni.c b/jni.c
index e66bd9f..c030eb2 100644
--- a/jni.c
+++ b/jni.c
@@ -78,6 +78,10 @@ const jchar *_jni_GetStringChars(JNIEnv *env, jstring str) {
 	return (*env)->GetStringChars(env, str, NULL);
 }
 
+void _jni_ReleaseStringChars(JNIEnv *env, jstring str, const jchar *chars) {
+	(*env)->ReleaseStringChars(env, str, chars);
+}
+
 jstring _jni_NewString(JNIEnv *env, const jchar *unicodeChars, jsize len) {
 	return (*env)->NewString(env, unicodeChars, len);
 }
diff --git a/jni.go b/jni.go
index 6035453..dea3b93 100644
--- a/jni.go
+++ b/jni.go
@@ -411,6 +411,10 @@ func GoString(e Env, str String) string {
 	}
 	strlen := C._jni_GetStringLength(e.env, C.jstring(str))
 	chars := C._jni_GetStringChars(e.env, C.jstring(str))
+	if chars == nil {
+		return ""
+	}
+	defer C._jni_ReleaseStringChars(e.env, C.jstring(str), chars)
 	var utf16Chars []uint16
 	hdr := (*reflect.SliceHeader)(unsafe.Pointer(&utf16Chars))
 	hdr.Data = uintptr(unsafe.Pointer(chars))