diff --git a/src/zstring.cpp b/src/zstring.cpp
index a74edd01b..e9b41a6d7 100644
--- a/src/zstring.cpp
+++ b/src/zstring.cpp
@@ -66,8 +66,7 @@ FString::FString (const char *copyStr)
 {
 	if (copyStr == NULL || *copyStr == '\0')
 	{
-		NullString.RefCount++;
-		Chars = &NullString.Nothing[0];
+		ResetToNull();
 	}
 	else
 	{
@@ -87,8 +86,7 @@ FString::FString (char oneChar)
 {
 	if (oneChar == '\0')
 	{
-		NullString.RefCount++;
-		Chars = &NullString.Nothing[0];
+		ResetToNull();
 	}
 	else
 	{
@@ -220,8 +218,7 @@ FString &FString::operator = (const char *copyStr)
 		if (copyStr == NULL || *copyStr == '\0')
 		{
 			Data()->Release();
-			NullString.RefCount++;
-			Chars = &NullString.Nothing[0];
+			ResetToNull();
 		}
 		else
 		{
@@ -362,8 +359,7 @@ FString &FString::CopyCStrPart(const char *tail, size_t tailLen)
 	else
 	{
 		Data()->Release();
-		NullString.RefCount++;
-		Chars = &NullString.Nothing[0];
+		ResetToNull();
 	}
 	return *this;
 }
@@ -373,8 +369,7 @@ void FString::Truncate(size_t newlen)
 	if (newlen == 0)
 	{
 		Data()->Release();
-		NullString.RefCount++;
-		Chars = &NullString.Nothing[0];
+		ResetToNull();
 	}
 	else if (newlen < Len())
 	{
diff --git a/src/zstring.h b/src/zstring.h
index cdb4dc521..e7ab098dd 100644
--- a/src/zstring.h
+++ b/src/zstring.h
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ enum ELumpNum
 class FString
 {
 public:
-	FString () : Chars(&NullString.Nothing[0]) { NullString.RefCount++; }
+	FString () { ResetToNull(); }
 
 	// Copy constructors
 	FString (const FString &other) { AttachToOther (other); }
@@ -311,6 +311,12 @@ protected:
 	const FStringData *Data() const { return (FStringData *)Chars - 1; }
 	FStringData *Data() { return (FStringData *)Chars - 1; }
 
+	void ResetToNull()
+	{
+		NullString.RefCount++;
+		Chars = &NullString.Nothing[0];
+	}
+
 	void AttachToOther (const FString &other);
 	void AllocBuffer (size_t len);
 	void ReallocBuffer (size_t newlen);