diff --git a/base/boot.jl b/base/boot.jl
index dd5a425add0a9..fe360e128d31a 100644
--- a/base/boot.jl
+++ b/base/boot.jl
@@ -438,4 +438,6 @@ show(@nospecialize a) = show(STDOUT, a)
 print(@nospecialize a...) = print(STDOUT, a...)
 println(@nospecialize a...) = println(STDOUT, a...)
 
+gcuse(@nospecialize a) = ccall(:jl_gc_use, Void, (Any,), a)
+
 ccall(:jl_set_istopmod, Void, (Any, Bool), Core, true)
diff --git a/base/strings/string.jl b/base/strings/string.jl
index 4b43c2a4d7b44..42296c4fa9ad1 100644
--- a/base/strings/string.jl
+++ b/base/strings/string.jl
@@ -59,6 +59,13 @@ String(s::Symbol) = unsafe_string(Cstring(s))
 pointer(s::String) = unsafe_convert(Ptr{UInt8}, s)
 pointer(s::String, i::Integer) = pointer(s)+(i-1)
 
+function unsafe_load(s::String, i::Integer=1)
+    ptr = pointer(s, i)
+    r = unsafe_load(ptr)
+    Core.gcuse(s)
+    r
+end
+
 sizeof(s::String) = Core.sizeof(s)
 
 """
@@ -73,7 +80,7 @@ codeunit(s::AbstractString, i::Integer)
     @boundscheck if (i < 1) | (i > sizeof(s))
         throw(BoundsError(s,i))
     end
-    unsafe_load(pointer(s),i)
+    unsafe_load(s, i)
 end
 
 write(io::IO, s::String) = unsafe_write(io, pointer(s), reinterpret(UInt, sizeof(s)))
@@ -160,26 +167,24 @@ const utf8_trailing = [
 ## required core functionality ##
 
 function endof(s::String)
-    p = pointer(s)
     i = sizeof(s)
-    while i > 0 && is_valid_continuation(unsafe_load(p,i))
+    while i > 0 && is_valid_continuation(unsafe_load(s, i))
         i -= 1
     end
     i
 end
 
 function length(s::String)
-    p = pointer(s)
     cnum = 0
     for i = 1:sizeof(s)
-        cnum += !is_valid_continuation(unsafe_load(p,i))
+        cnum += !is_valid_continuation(unsafe_load(s, i))
     end
     cnum
 end
 
-@noinline function slow_utf8_next(p::Ptr{UInt8}, b::UInt8, i::Int, l::Int)
+@noinline function slow_utf8_next(s::String, b::UInt8, i::Int, l::Int)
     if is_valid_continuation(b)
-        throw(UnicodeError(UTF_ERR_INVALID_INDEX, i, unsafe_load(p,i)))
+        throw(UnicodeError(UTF_ERR_INVALID_INDEX, i, unsafe_load(s, i)))
     end
     trailing = utf8_trailing[b + 1]
     if l < i + trailing
@@ -188,7 +193,7 @@ end
     c::UInt32 = 0
     for j = 1:(trailing + 1)
         c <<= 6
-        c += unsafe_load(p,i)
+        c += unsafe_load(s, i)
         i += 1
     end
     c -= utf8_offset[trailing + 1]
@@ -206,12 +211,11 @@ done(s::String, state) = state > sizeof(s)
     @boundscheck if (i < 1) | (i > sizeof(s))
         throw(BoundsError(s,i))
     end
-    p = pointer(s)
-    b = unsafe_load(p, i)
+    b = unsafe_load(s, i)
     if b < 0x80
         return Char(b), i + 1
     end
-    return slow_utf8_next(p, b, i, sizeof(s))
+    return slow_utf8_next(s, b, i, sizeof(s))
 end
 
 function first_utf8_byte(ch::Char)
@@ -225,8 +229,7 @@ end
 
 function reverseind(s::String, i::Integer)
     j = sizeof(s) + 1 - i
-    p = pointer(s)
-    while is_valid_continuation(unsafe_load(p,j))
+    while is_valid_continuation(unsafe_load(s, j))
         j -= 1
     end
     return j
@@ -235,7 +238,7 @@ end
 ## overload methods for efficiency ##
 
 isvalid(s::String, i::Integer) =
-    (1 <= i <= sizeof(s)) && !is_valid_continuation(unsafe_load(pointer(s),i))
+    (1 <= i <= sizeof(s)) && !is_valid_continuation(unsafe_load(s, i))
 
 function getindex(s::String, r::UnitRange{Int})
     isempty(r) && return ""
@@ -438,7 +441,7 @@ function repeat(s::String, r::Integer)
     n = sizeof(s)
     out = _string_n(n*r)
     if n == 1 # common case: repeating a single ASCII char
-        ccall(:memset, Ptr{Void}, (Ptr{UInt8}, Cint, Csize_t), out, unsafe_load(pointer(s)), r)
+        ccall(:memset, Ptr{Void}, (Ptr{UInt8}, Cint, Csize_t), out, unsafe_load(s), r)
     else
         for i=1:r
             unsafe_copy!(pointer(out, 1+(i-1)*n), pointer(s), n)
diff --git a/src/ccall.cpp b/src/ccall.cpp
index 01f622623db34..046827aff214e 100644
--- a/src/ccall.cpp
+++ b/src/ccall.cpp
@@ -1687,6 +1687,13 @@ static jl_cgval_t emit_ccall(jl_codectx_t &ctx, jl_value_t **args, size_t nargs)
         emit_signal_fence(ctx);
         return ghostValue(jl_void_type);
     }
+    else if (is_libjulia_func(jl_gc_use)) {
+        assert(lrt == T_void);
+        assert(!isVa && !llvmcall && nargt == 1);
+        ctx.builder.CreateCall(prepare_call(gc_use_func), {decay_derived(boxed(ctx, argv[0]))});
+        JL_GC_POP();
+        return ghostValue(jl_void_type);
+    }
     else if (_is_libjulia_func((uintptr_t)ptls_getter, "jl_get_ptls_states")) {
         assert(lrt == T_pint8);
         assert(!isVa && !llvmcall && nargt == 0);
diff --git a/src/codegen.cpp b/src/codegen.cpp
index 24f62d52f04e4..2f03581ecbfd1 100644
--- a/src/codegen.cpp
+++ b/src/codegen.cpp
@@ -357,6 +357,7 @@ static GlobalVariable *jlgetworld_global;
 
 // placeholder functions
 static Function *gcroot_flush_func;
+static Function *gc_use_func;
 static Function *except_enter_func;
 static Function *pointer_from_objref_func;
 
@@ -6489,6 +6490,12 @@ static void init_julia_llvm_env(Module *m)
                                          "julia.gcroot_flush");
     add_named_global(gcroot_flush_func, (void*)NULL, /*dllimport*/false);
 
+    gc_use_func = Function::Create(FunctionType::get(T_void,
+                                         ArrayRef<Type*>(PointerType::get(T_jlvalue, AddressSpace::Derived)), false),
+                                         Function::ExternalLinkage,
+                                         "julia.gc_use");
+    add_named_global(gc_use_func, (void*)NULL, /*dllimport*/false);
+
     pointer_from_objref_func = Function::Create(FunctionType::get(T_pjlvalue,
                                          ArrayRef<Type*>(PointerType::get(T_jlvalue, AddressSpace::Derived)), false),
                                          Function::ExternalLinkage,
diff --git a/src/julia.h b/src/julia.h
index 5fda2e5415f25..c56d28b5f4f8a 100644
--- a/src/julia.h
+++ b/src/julia.h
@@ -648,6 +648,7 @@ JL_DLLEXPORT jl_value_t *jl_gc_alloc_1w(void);
 JL_DLLEXPORT jl_value_t *jl_gc_alloc_2w(void);
 JL_DLLEXPORT jl_value_t *jl_gc_alloc_3w(void);
 JL_DLLEXPORT jl_value_t *jl_gc_allocobj(size_t sz);
+JL_DLLEXPORT void jl_gc_use(jl_value_t *a);
 
 JL_DLLEXPORT void jl_clear_malloc_data(void);
 
diff --git a/src/llvm-late-gc-lowering.cpp b/src/llvm-late-gc-lowering.cpp
index dc77551d192c3..431c1a27550ec 100644
--- a/src/llvm-late-gc-lowering.cpp
+++ b/src/llvm-late-gc-lowering.cpp
@@ -320,6 +320,7 @@ struct LateLowerGCFrame: public FunctionPass {
     MDNode *tbaa_tag;
     Function *ptls_getter;
     Function *gc_flush_func;
+    Function *gc_use_func;
     Function *pointer_from_objref_func;
     Function *alloc_obj_func;
     Function *pool_alloc_func;
@@ -745,7 +746,8 @@ State LateLowerGCFrame::LocalScan(Function &F) {
                 }
                 if (auto callee = CI->getCalledFunction()) {
                     // Known functions emitted in codegen that are not safepoints
-                    if (callee == pointer_from_objref_func || callee->getName() == "memcmp") {
+                    if (callee == pointer_from_objref_func || callee == gc_use_func ||
+                        callee->getName() == "memcmp") {
                         continue;
                     }
                 }
@@ -1137,7 +1139,8 @@ bool LateLowerGCFrame::CleanupIR(Function &F) {
             }
             CallingConv::ID CC = CI->getCallingConv();
             auto callee = CI->getCalledValue();
-            if (gc_flush_func != nullptr && callee == gc_flush_func) {
+            if ((gc_flush_func != nullptr && callee == gc_flush_func) ||
+                (gc_use_func != nullptr && callee == gc_use_func)) {
                 /* No replacement */
             } else if (pointer_from_objref_func != nullptr && callee == pointer_from_objref_func) {
                 auto *ASCI = new AddrSpaceCastInst(CI->getOperand(0),
@@ -1405,6 +1408,7 @@ static void addRetNoAlias(Function *F)
 bool LateLowerGCFrame::doInitialization(Module &M) {
     ptls_getter = M.getFunction("jl_get_ptls_states");
     gc_flush_func = M.getFunction("julia.gcroot_flush");
+    gc_use_func = M.getFunction("julia.gc_use");
     pointer_from_objref_func = M.getFunction("julia.pointer_from_objref");
     auto &ctx = M.getContext();
     T_size = M.getDataLayout().getIntPtrType(ctx);
diff --git a/src/rtutils.c b/src/rtutils.c
index a2385e24dd364..748c308d9d0a4 100644
--- a/src/rtutils.c
+++ b/src/rtutils.c
@@ -305,6 +305,10 @@ JL_DLLEXPORT jl_value_t *jl_value_ptr(jl_value_t *a)
 {
     return a;
 }
+JL_DLLEXPORT void jl_gc_use(jl_value_t *a)
+{
+    (void)a;
+}
 
 // parsing --------------------------------------------------------------------