diff --git a/crates/objects/src/store_builtins.rs b/crates/objects/src/store_builtins.rs
index d6ddcf8..4f14309 100644
--- a/crates/objects/src/store_builtins.rs
+++ b/crates/objects/src/store_builtins.rs
@@ -196,19 +196,7 @@ impl ObjectStore {
     }
 
     fn key_equal(&self, left: &Value, right: &Value) -> Result<bool, VmError> {
-        let text = |value: &Value| -> Result<Option<String>, VmError> {
-            Ok(match value {
-                Value::Text(text) => Some(text.clone()),
-                Value::Object(reference) => self
-                    .object(*reference)?
-                    .payload()
-                    .as_any()
-                    .downcast_ref::<EndorStringObject>()
-                    .map(|string| string.as_str().to_owned()),
-                _ => None,
-            })
-        };
-        if let (Some(left), Some(right)) = (text(left)?, text(right)?) {
+        if let (Some(left), Some(right)) = (self.key_text(left)?, self.key_text(right)?) {
             return Ok(left == right);
         }
         match (left, right) {
@@ -219,6 +207,19 @@ impl ObjectStore {
         }
     }
 
+    fn key_text<'a>(&'a self, value: &'a Value) -> Result<Option<&'a str>, VmError> {
+        Ok(match value {
+            Value::Text(text) => Some(text.as_str()),
+            Value::Object(reference) => self
+                .object(*reference)?
+                .payload()
+                .as_any()
+                .downcast_ref::<EndorStringObject>()
+                .map(EndorStringObject::as_str),
+            _ => None,
+        })
+    }
+
     pub fn new_cell(&mut self, value: Option<Value>) -> Result<ObjectRef, VmError> {
         self.allocate(EndorCellObject::new(value))
     }
diff --git a/crates/objects/tests/store.rs b/crates/objects/tests/store.rs
index 7486d00..d02872f 100644
--- a/crates/objects/tests/store.rs
+++ b/crates/objects/tests/store.rs
@@ -5,6 +5,38 @@ use objects::{
     Value, VmError,
 };
 
+#[test]
+fn dictionary_text_and_managed_string_keys_share_entries_and_keep_first_identity() {
+    let mut store = ObjectStore::new().unwrap();
+    let dict = store.new_dict().unwrap();
+    for text in ["", "camera", "中文🙂"] {
+        let key = store.new_string(text).unwrap();
+        store
+            .dict_set(dict, Value::Object(key), Value::Bool(false))
+            .unwrap();
+        store
+            .dict_set(dict, Value::Text(text.into()), Value::Bool(true))
+            .unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(
+            store.dict_get_name(dict, text).unwrap(),
+            Some(Value::Bool(true))
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            store.dict_items(dict).unwrap().last().unwrap().0,
+            Value::Object(key)
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            store.dict_get(dict, &Value::Object(key)).unwrap(),
+            Some(Value::Bool(true))
+        );
+        store.release(key).unwrap();
+        assert!(store.dict_delete(dict, &Value::Text(text.into())).unwrap());
+        assert_eq!(store.dict_get_name(dict, text).unwrap(), None);
+    }
+    store.release(dict).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(store.object_count(), 0);
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn standalone_storage_preserves_identity_validates_edges_and_collects_cycles() {
     let mut store = ObjectStore::new().unwrap();