diff --git a/include/utils/String16.h b/include/utils/String16.h
index 6d4253d..d131bfc 100644
--- a/include/utils/String16.h
+++ b/include/utils/String16.h
@@ -41,7 +41,16 @@
 class String16
 {
 public:
+    /* use String16(StaticLinkage) if you're statically linking against
+     * libutils and declaring an empty static String16, e.g.:
+     *
+     *   static String16 sAStaticEmptyString(String16::kEmptyString);
+     *   static String16 sAnotherStaticEmptyString(sAStaticEmptyString);
+     */
+    enum StaticLinkage { kEmptyString };
+
                                 String16();
+    explicit                    String16(StaticLinkage);
                                 String16(const String16& o);
                                 String16(const String16& o,
                                          size_t len,
diff --git a/include/utils/String8.h b/include/utils/String8.h
index 9426fcf..ef59470 100644
--- a/include/utils/String8.h
+++ b/include/utils/String8.h
@@ -37,7 +37,16 @@
 class String8
 {
 public:
+    /* use String8(StaticLinkage) if you're statically linking against
+     * libutils and declaring an empty static String8, e.g.:
+     *
+     *   static String8 sAStaticEmptyString(String8::kEmptyString);
+     *   static String8 sAnotherStaticEmptyString(sAStaticEmptyString);
+     */
+    enum StaticLinkage { kEmptyString };
+
                                 String8();
+    explicit                    String8(StaticLinkage);
                                 String8(const String8& o);
     explicit                    String8(const char* o);
     explicit                    String8(const char* o, size_t numChars);