diff --git a/src/ArduinoJson/Variant/VariantImpl.hpp b/src/ArduinoJson/Variant/VariantImpl.hpp
index e5cfe95e..e9c42dab 100644
--- a/src/ArduinoJson/Variant/VariantImpl.hpp
+++ b/src/ArduinoJson/Variant/VariantImpl.hpp
@@ -61,13 +61,15 @@ class VariantImpl {
       case VariantType::TinyString:
         return visit.visit(JsonString(data_->content.asTinyString));
 
-      case VariantType::LongString:
-        return visit.visit(JsonString(data_->content.asStringNode->data,
-                                      data_->content.asStringNode->length));
+      case VariantType::LongString: {
+        auto s = asStringNode();
+        return visit.visit(JsonString(s->data, s->length));
+      }
 
-      case VariantType::RawString:
-        return visit.visit(RawString(data_->content.asStringNode->data,
-                                     data_->content.asStringNode->length));
+      case VariantType::RawString: {
+        auto s = asStringNode();
+        return visit.visit(RawString(s->data, s->length));
+      }
 
       case VariantType::Int32:
         return visit.visit(static_cast<JsonInteger>(data_->content.asInt32));
@@ -154,7 +156,7 @@ class VariantImpl {
         str = data_->content.asTinyString;
         break;
       case VariantType::LongString:
-        str = data_->content.asStringNode->data;
+        str = asStringNode()->data;
         break;
       case VariantType::Float:
         return static_cast<T>(data_->content.asFloat);
@@ -197,7 +199,7 @@ class VariantImpl {
         str = data_->content.asTinyString;
         break;
       case VariantType::LongString:
-        str = data_->content.asStringNode->data;
+        str = asStringNode()->data;
         break;
       case VariantType::Float:
         return convertNumber<T>(data_->content.asFloat);
@@ -215,9 +217,10 @@ class VariantImpl {
 
   JsonString asRawString() const {
     switch (type()) {
-      case VariantType::RawString:
-        return JsonString(data_->content.asStringNode->data,
-                          data_->content.asStringNode->length);
+      case VariantType::RawString: {
+        auto s = asStringNode();
+        return JsonString(s->data, s->length);
+      }
       default:
         return JsonString();
     }
@@ -227,14 +230,20 @@ class VariantImpl {
     switch (type()) {
       case VariantType::TinyString:
         return JsonString(data_->content.asTinyString);
-      case VariantType::LongString:
-        return JsonString(data_->content.asStringNode->data,
-                          data_->content.asStringNode->length);
+      case VariantType::LongString: {
+        auto s = asStringNode();
+        return JsonString(s->data, s->length);
+      }
       default:
         return JsonString();
     }
   }
 
+  StringNode* asStringNode() const {
+    ARDUINOJSON_ASSERT(type() & VariantTypeBits::OwnedStringBit);
+    return data_->content.asStringNode;
+  }
+
 #if ARDUINOJSON_USE_8_BYTE_POOL
   const EightByteValue* getEightByte() const {
     return type() & VariantTypeBits::EightByteBit