diff --git a/coding/coding.pro b/coding/coding.pro
index 71f257ffba..11b8a19e5e 100644
--- a/coding/coding.pro
+++ b/coding/coding.pro
@@ -76,3 +76,4 @@ HEADERS += \
     bit_shift.hpp \
     base64.hpp \
     sha2.hpp \
+	value_opt_string.hpp \
diff --git a/coding/coding_tests/coding_tests.pro b/coding/coding_tests/coding_tests.pro
index ea22eaab3c..05072e9c7b 100644
--- a/coding/coding_tests/coding_tests.pro
+++ b/coding/coding_tests/coding_tests.pro
@@ -33,7 +33,8 @@ SOURCES += ../../testing/testingmain.cpp \
     coder_util_test.cpp \
     bit_shift_test.cpp \
     base64_test.cpp \
-    sha2_test.cpp
+    sha2_test.cpp \
+	value_opt_string_test.cpp \
 
 HEADERS += \
     reader_test.hpp \
diff --git a/coding/coding_tests/value_opt_string_test.cpp b/coding/coding_tests/value_opt_string_test.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d25d4b37a1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/coding/coding_tests/value_opt_string_test.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+#include "../../testing/testing.hpp"
+
+#include "../value_opt_string.hpp"
+
+#include "../reader.hpp"
+#include "../writer.hpp"
+
+
+namespace
+{
+  template <class T>
+  void TestStringCodingT(T const * arr, size_t count, size_t maxSize)
+  {
+    for (size_t i = 0; i < count; ++i)
+    {
+      StringNumericOptimal s;
+      s.Set(arr[i]);
+
+      vector<char> buffer;
+      MemWriter<vector<char> > w(buffer);
+
+      s.Write(w);
+
+      size_t const sz = buffer.size();
+      TEST_GREATER(sz, 0, ());
+      TEST_LESS_OR_EQUAL(sz, maxSize, ());
+
+      MemReader r(&buffer[0], sz);
+      ReaderSource<MemReader> src(r);
+      s.Read(src);
+
+      TEST_EQUAL(utils::to_string(arr[i]), s.Get(), ());
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+UNIT_TEST(StringNumericOptimal_IntCoding1)
+{
+  int arr[] = { 0, 1, 2, 666, 0x0FFFFFFF, 0x7FFFFFFF-1, 0x7FFFFFFF };
+  TestStringCodingT(arr, ARRAY_SIZE(arr), 5);  // should be coded as VarUint
+}
+
+UNIT_TEST(StringNumericOptimal_IntCoding2)
+{
+  int arr[] = { -1, -2, -666666, 0xFFFFFFFE, 0xFFFFFFFF };
+  TestStringCodingT(arr, ARRAY_SIZE(arr), 12);  // should be coded as String
+}
+
+UNIT_TEST(StringNumericOptimal_StringCoding)
+{
+  char const * arr[] = { "xxx", "yyy", "a", "0xFFFFFF", "123456UL" };
+  TestStringCodingT(arr, ARRAY_SIZE(arr), 12);  // should be coded as String
+}
+
+UNIT_TEST(StringNumericOptimal_LargeStringCoding)
+{
+  string s;
+  std::fill_n(back_inserter(s), 10000, 'x');
+
+  TestStringCodingT(&s, 1, 10006);
+}
diff --git a/coding/strutil.hpp b/coding/strutil.hpp
index ccbe109e58..e643b076ff 100644
--- a/coding/strutil.hpp
+++ b/coding/strutil.hpp
@@ -12,15 +12,15 @@
 
 #include "../base/start_mem_debug.hpp"
 
-typedef basic_string<uint8_t> byte_string;
-
-inline byte_string StringToByteString(string const & str)
-{
-  byte_string result;
-  result.resize(str.size());
-  memcpy(&result[0], &str[0], str.size());
-  return result;
-}
+//typedef basic_string<uint8_t> byte_string;
+//
+//inline byte_string StringToByteString(string const & str)
+//{
+//  byte_string result;
+//  result.resize(str.size());
+//  memcpy(&result[0], &str[0], str.size());
+//  return result;
+//}
 
 inline string ToUtf8(wstring const & wstr)
 {
diff --git a/coding/value_opt_string.hpp b/coding/value_opt_string.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7bbdf5cd24
--- /dev/null
+++ b/coding/value_opt_string.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include "varint.hpp"
+
+#include "../base/string_utils.hpp"
+#include "../base/assert.hpp"
+
+#include "../std/string.hpp"
+
+
+class StringNumericOptimal
+{
+  string m_s;
+
+  static const uint8_t numeric_bit = 1;
+
+public:
+  inline void Set(string const & s)
+  {
+    CHECK ( !s.empty(), () );
+    m_s = s;
+  }
+  inline void Set(char const * p)
+  {
+    m_s = p;
+    CHECK ( !m_s.empty(), () );
+  }
+  template <class T> void Set(T const & s)
+  {
+    m_s = utils::to_string(s);
+    CHECK ( !m_s.empty(), () );
+  }
+
+  inline string Get() const { return m_s; }
+
+  template <class TSink> void Write(TSink & sink)
+  {
+    int n;
+    if (utils::to_int(m_s, n) && n >= 0)
+      WriteVarUint(sink, static_cast<uint32_t>((n << 1) | numeric_bit));
+    else
+    {
+      size_t const sz = m_s.size();
+      ASSERT_GREATER ( sz, 0, () );
+
+      WriteVarUint(sink, static_cast<uint32_t>((sz-1) << 1));
+      sink.Write(m_s.c_str(), sz);
+    }
+  }
+
+  template <class TSource> void Read(TSource & src)
+  {
+    uint32_t sz = ReadVarUint<uint32_t>(src);
+
+    if ((sz & numeric_bit) != 0)
+      m_s = utils::to_string(sz >> 1);
+    else
+    {
+      sz = (sz >> 1) + 1;
+      m_s.resize(sz);
+      src.Read(&m_s[0], sz);
+    }
+  }
+};