diff --git a/source/extensions/common/wasm/BUILD b/source/extensions/common/wasm/BUILD
index cfeafcc591..cdc13181b1 100644
--- a/source/extensions/common/wasm/BUILD
+++ b/source/extensions/common/wasm/BUILD
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ envoy_cc_library(
         "//include/envoy/server:wasm_interface",
         "//include/envoy/upstream:cluster_manager_interface",
         "//source/common/common:stack_array",
+        "//source/common/stats:symbol_table_lib",
         "//source/extensions/filters/http:well_known_names",
         "@envoy_api//envoy/config/filter/http/wasm/v2:wasm_cc",
     ],
diff --git a/source/extensions/common/wasm/wasm.cc b/source/extensions/common/wasm/wasm.cc
index 621ca981fd..93e0adf8fd 100644
--- a/source/extensions/common/wasm/wasm.cc
+++ b/source/extensions/common/wasm/wasm.cc
@@ -1680,23 +1680,21 @@ void Context::onGrpcReceiveTrailingMetadata(uint32_t token, Http::HeaderMapPtr&&
 }
 
 uint32_t Context::defineMetric(MetricType type, absl::string_view name) {
+  auto stat_name = wasm_->stat_name_set_.getStatName(name);
   if (type == MetricType::Counter) {
     auto id = wasm_->nextCounterMetricId();
-    wasm_->counters_.emplace(id, &wasm_->scope_.counter(std::string(
-                                     name))); // This is inefficient, but it is the Scope API.
+    auto c = &wasm_->scope_.counterFromStatName(stat_name);
+    wasm_->counters_.emplace(id, c);
     return id;
   } else if (type == MetricType::Gauge) {
     auto id = wasm_->nextGaugeMetricId();
-    wasm_->gauges_.emplace(
-        id,
-        &wasm_->scope_.gauge(
-            std::string(name),
-            Stats::Gauge::ImportMode::Accumulate)); // This is inefficient, but it is the Scope API.
+    auto g = &wasm_->scope_.gaugeFromStatName(stat_name, Stats::Gauge::ImportMode::Accumulate);
+    wasm_->gauges_.emplace(id, g);
     return id;
   } else if (type == MetricType::Histogram) {
     auto id = wasm_->nextHistogramMetricId();
-    wasm_->histograms_.emplace(id, &wasm_->scope_.histogram(std::string(
-                                       name))); // This is inefficient, but it is the Scope API.
+    auto h = &wasm_->scope_.histogramFromStatName(stat_name);
+    wasm_->histograms_.emplace(id, h);
     return id;
   }
   return 0;
@@ -1766,7 +1764,8 @@ Wasm::Wasm(absl::string_view vm, absl::string_view id, absl::string_view vm_conf
            Stats::ScopeSharedPtr owned_scope)
     : cluster_manager_(cluster_manager), dispatcher_(dispatcher), scope_(scope),
       local_info_(local_info), listener_metadata_(listener_metadata), owned_scope_(owned_scope),
-      time_source_(dispatcher.timeSource()), vm_configuration_(vm_configuration) {
+      time_source_(dispatcher.timeSource()), vm_configuration_(vm_configuration),
+      stat_name_set_(scope_.symbolTable()) {
   wasm_vm_ = Common::Wasm::createWasmVm(vm);
   id_ = std::string(id);
 }
@@ -1946,7 +1945,7 @@ Wasm::Wasm(const Wasm& wasm, Event::Dispatcher& dispatcher)
     : std::enable_shared_from_this<Wasm>(wasm), cluster_manager_(wasm.cluster_manager_),
       dispatcher_(dispatcher), scope_(wasm.scope_), local_info_(wasm.local_info_),
       listener_metadata_(wasm.listener_metadata_), id_(wasm.id_), owned_scope_(wasm.owned_scope_),
-      time_source_(dispatcher.timeSource()) {
+      time_source_(dispatcher.timeSource()), stat_name_set_(scope_.symbolTable()) {
   wasm_vm_ = wasm.wasmVm()->clone();
   vm_context_ = std::make_shared<Context>(this);
   getFunctions();
diff --git a/source/extensions/common/wasm/wasm.h b/source/extensions/common/wasm/wasm.h
index 6ea8f1bc0f..937432962f 100644
--- a/source/extensions/common/wasm/wasm.h
+++ b/source/extensions/common/wasm/wasm.h
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 #include "common/common/c_smart_ptr.h"
 #include "common/common/logger.h"
 #include "common/common/stack_array.h"
+#include "common/stats/symbol_table_impl.h"
 
 #include "extensions/common/wasm/well_known_names.h"
 #include "extensions/filters/http/well_known_names.h"
@@ -761,6 +762,11 @@ class Wasm : public Envoy::Server::Wasm,
   std::unique_ptr<Global<double>> global_Infinity_;
 
   // Stats/Metrics
+  // TODO(jplevyak): replace the use of Stats::StatNameSet with something more efficient.
+  // By having a separate StatNameSet per Wasm we are duplicating all the strings but
+  // avoiding locks. Consider lock-free hash tables or pre-registering stats.
+  Stats::StatNameSet stat_name_set_;
+  absl::flat_hash_map<std::string, Stats::StatName> stat_names_;
   uint32_t next_counter_metric_id_ = kMetricTypeCounter;
   uint32_t next_gauge_metric_id_ = kMetricTypeGauge;
   uint32_t next_histogram_metric_id_ = kMetricTypeHistogram;
diff --git a/tools/check_format.py b/tools/check_format.py
index 77fd8bbfcb..e28ca04160 100755
--- a/tools/check_format.py
+++ b/tools/check_format.py
@@ -49,8 +49,7 @@
 # https://github.com/envoyproxy/envoy/pull/7573 and others.
 #
 # TODO(#4196): Eliminate this list completely and then merge #4980.
-STAT_FROM_STRING_WHITELIST = ("./source/extensions/common/wasm/wasm.cc",
-                              "./source/extensions/filters/http/fault/fault_filter.cc",
+STAT_FROM_STRING_WHITELIST = ("./source/extensions/filters/http/fault/fault_filter.cc",
                               "./source/extensions/filters/http/ip_tagging/ip_tagging_filter.cc",
                               "./source/extensions/filters/network/mongo_proxy/proxy.cc",
                               "./source/extensions/stat_sinks/common/statsd/statsd.cc",