diff --git a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/crypto/key/KeyProvider.java b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/crypto/key/KeyProvider.java
index fb3dba4331..c1c371b6a4 100644
--- a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/crypto/key/KeyProvider.java
+++ b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/crypto/key/KeyProvider.java
@@ -71,8 +71,8 @@ public static class KeyVersion {
 
     protected KeyVersion(String name, String versionName,
                          byte[] material) {
-      this.name = name;
-      this.versionName = versionName;
+      this.name = name == null ? null : name.intern();
+      this.versionName = versionName == null ? null : versionName.intern();
       this.material = material;
     }
     
diff --git a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/crypto/key/KeyProviderCryptoExtension.java b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/crypto/key/KeyProviderCryptoExtension.java
index 8c879b3c14..693c7853ed 100644
--- a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/crypto/key/KeyProviderCryptoExtension.java
+++ b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/crypto/key/KeyProviderCryptoExtension.java
@@ -81,8 +81,9 @@ public static class EncryptedKeyVersion {
     protected EncryptedKeyVersion(String keyName,
         String encryptionKeyVersionName, byte[] encryptedKeyIv,
         KeyVersion encryptedKeyVersion) {
-      this.encryptionKeyName = keyName;
-      this.encryptionKeyVersionName = encryptionKeyVersionName;
+      this.encryptionKeyName = keyName == null ? null : keyName.intern();
+      this.encryptionKeyVersionName = encryptionKeyVersionName == null ?
+          null : encryptionKeyVersionName.intern();
       this.encryptedKeyIv = encryptedKeyIv;
       this.encryptedKeyVersion = encryptedKeyVersion;
     }