diff --git a/src/buffer.hh b/src/buffer.hh
index 9963b7cc..084af636 100644
--- a/src/buffer.hh
+++ b/src/buffer.hh
@@ -126,8 +126,8 @@ public:
     StringView operator[](LineCount line) const
     { return m_lines[line]; }
 
-    SharedString shared_line(LineCount line) const
-    { return m_lines.get_shared(line); }
+    ref_ptr<StringStorage> line_storage(LineCount line) const
+    { return m_lines.get_storage(line); }
 
     // returns an iterator at given coordinates. clamp line_and_column
     BufferIterator iterator_at(ByteCoord coord) const;
@@ -181,10 +181,6 @@ private:
         const ref_ptr<StringStorage>& get_storage(LineCount line) const
         { return BufferLines::operator[]((int)line); }
 
-        [[gnu::always_inline]]
-        SharedString get_shared(LineCount line) const
-        { return SharedString{get_storage(line)}; }
-
         [[gnu::always_inline]]
         StringView operator[](LineCount line) const
         { return get_storage(line)->strview(); }
diff --git a/src/word_db.cc b/src/word_db.cc
index 1332dd3c..6b0eeb0a 100644
--- a/src/word_db.cc
+++ b/src/word_db.cc
@@ -80,8 +80,8 @@ WordDB::WordDB(const Buffer& buffer)
     m_lines.reserve((int)buffer.line_count());
     for (auto line = 0_line, end = buffer.line_count(); line < end; ++line)
     {
-        m_lines.push_back(buffer[line]);
-        add_words(get_words(m_lines.back()));
+        m_lines.push_back(buffer.line_storage(line));
+        add_words(get_words(SharedString{m_lines.back()}));
     }
 }
 
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ void WordDB::update_db()
         while (old_line <= modif.old_line + modif.num_removed)
         {
             kak_assert(old_line < m_lines.size());
-            remove_words(get_words(m_lines[(int)old_line++]));
+            remove_words(get_words(SharedString{m_lines[(int)old_line++]}));
         }
 
         for (auto l = 0_line; l <= modif.num_added; ++l)
@@ -119,8 +119,8 @@ void WordDB::update_db()
             if (modif.new_line + l >= buffer.line_count())
                 break;
 
-            new_lines.push_back(buffer.shared_line(modif.new_line + l));
-            add_words(get_words(new_lines.back()));
+            new_lines.push_back(buffer.line_storage(modif.new_line + l));
+            add_words(get_words(SharedString{new_lines.back()}));
         }
     }
     while (old_line != (int)m_lines.size())
diff --git a/src/word_db.hh b/src/word_db.hh
index 8034560f..81955068 100644
--- a/src/word_db.hh
+++ b/src/word_db.hh
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ private:
         int refcount;
     };
     using WordToInfo = UnorderedMap<SharedString, WordInfo, MemoryDomain::WordDB>;
-    using Lines = Vector<SharedString, MemoryDomain::WordDB>;
+    using Lines = Vector<ref_ptr<StringStorage>, MemoryDomain::WordDB>;
 
     safe_ptr<const Buffer> m_buffer;
     size_t m_timestamp;