diff --git a/vvp/vpi_event.cc b/vvp/vpi_event.cc
index 9b218ea24..15274f56c 100644
--- a/vvp/vpi_event.cc
+++ b/vvp/vpi_event.cc
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
  *    Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307, USA
  */
 #ifdef HAVE_CVS_IDENT
-#ident "$Id: vpi_event.cc,v 1.6 2003/02/02 01:40:24 steve Exp $"
+#ident "$Id: vpi_event.cc,v 1.7 2003/03/06 04:32:00 steve Exp $"
 #endif
 
 # include  "vpi_priv.h"
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ vpiHandle vpip_make_named_event(const char*name)
 	    malloc(sizeof(struct __vpiNamedEvent));
 
       obj->base.vpi_type = &vpip_named_event_rt;
-      obj->name = vpip_string(name);
+      obj->name = vpip_name_string(name);
       obj->scope = vpip_peek_current_scope();
       obj->callbacks = 0;
 
@@ -115,6 +115,9 @@ void vpip_run_named_event_callbacks(vpiHandle ref)
 
 /*
  * $Log: vpi_event.cc,v $
+ * Revision 1.7  2003/03/06 04:32:00  steve
+ *  Use hashed name strings for identifiers.
+ *
  * Revision 1.6  2003/02/02 01:40:24  steve
  *  Five vpi_free_object a default behavior.
  *
diff --git a/vvp/vpi_priv.cc b/vvp/vpi_priv.cc
index 165d0e20b..4f157bf40 100644
--- a/vvp/vpi_priv.cc
+++ b/vvp/vpi_priv.cc
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
  *    Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307, USA
  */
 #ifdef HAVE_CVS_IDENT
-#ident "$Id: vpi_priv.cc,v 1.31 2003/02/21 03:40:35 steve Exp $"
+#ident "$Id: vpi_priv.cc,v 1.32 2003/03/06 04:32:00 steve Exp $"
 #endif
 
 # include  "vpi_priv.h"
@@ -69,6 +69,39 @@ const char *vpip_string(const char*str)
       return res;
 }
 
+static unsigned hash_string(const char*text)
+{
+      unsigned h = 0;
+
+      while (*text) {
+	    h = (h << 4) ^ (h >> 28) ^ *text;
+	    text += 1;
+      }
+      return h;
+}
+
+const char* vpip_name_string(const char*text)
+{
+      const unsigned HASH_SIZE = 4096;
+      static const char*hash_table[HASH_SIZE] = {0};
+
+      unsigned hash_value = hash_string(text) % HASH_SIZE;
+
+	/* If we easily find the string in the hash table, then return
+	   that and be done. */
+      if (hash_table[hash_value]
+	  && (strcmp(hash_table[hash_value], text) == 0)) {
+	    return hash_table[hash_value];
+      }
+
+	/* The existing hash entry is not a match. Replace it with the
+	   newly allocated value, and return the new pointer as the
+	   result to the add. */
+      const char*res = vpip_string(text);
+      hash_table[hash_value] = res;
+
+      return res;
+}
 int vpi_chk_error(p_vpi_error_info info)
 {
       if (vpip_last_error.state == 0)
@@ -399,6 +432,9 @@ extern "C" void vpi_control(int operation, ...)
 
 /*
  * $Log: vpi_priv.cc,v $
+ * Revision 1.32  2003/03/06 04:32:00  steve
+ *  Use hashed name strings for identifiers.
+ *
  * Revision 1.31  2003/02/21 03:40:35  steve
  *  Add vpiStop and interactive mode.
  *
diff --git a/vvp/vpi_priv.h b/vvp/vpi_priv.h
index 0271433c3..18049474a 100644
--- a/vvp/vpi_priv.h
+++ b/vvp/vpi_priv.h
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
  *    Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307, USA
  */
 #ifdef HAVE_CVS_IDENT
-#ident "$Id: vpi_priv.h,v 1.50 2003/02/24 06:35:45 steve Exp $"
+#ident "$Id: vpi_priv.h,v 1.51 2003/03/06 04:32:00 steve Exp $"
 #endif
 
 # include  "vpi_user.h"
@@ -354,7 +354,16 @@ extern void vpip_set_time_precision(int pres);
 extern void vpip_time_to_timestruct(struct t_vpi_time*ts, vvp_time64_t ti);
 extern vvp_time64_t vpip_timestruct_to_time(const struct t_vpi_time*ts);
 
+/*
+ * These functions are used mostly as compile time to strings into
+ * permallocated memory. The vpip_string function is the most general,
+ * it allocates a fresh string no matter what. The vpip_name_string
+ * allocates a string and keeps a pointer in the hash, and tries to
+ * reuse it if it can. This us useful for handle names, which may be
+ * reused in different scopes.
+ */
 extern const char* vpip_string(const char*str);
+extern const char* vpip_name_string(const char*str);
 
 /*
 **  Functions defined in vpi_scope.cc, to keep track of functor scope.
@@ -403,6 +412,9 @@ extern char *need_result_buf(unsigned cnt, vpi_rbuf_t type);
 
 /*
  * $Log: vpi_priv.h,v $
+ * Revision 1.51  2003/03/06 04:32:00  steve
+ *  Use hashed name strings for identifiers.
+ *
  * Revision 1.50  2003/02/24 06:35:45  steve
  *  Interactive task calls take string arguments.
  *
diff --git a/vvp/vpi_real.cc b/vvp/vpi_real.cc
index 7fe4f1737..8612d47cf 100644
--- a/vvp/vpi_real.cc
+++ b/vvp/vpi_real.cc
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
  *    Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307, USA
  */
 #ifdef HAVE_CVS_IDENT
-#ident "$Id: vpi_real.cc,v 1.6 2003/02/28 21:20:34 steve Exp $"
+#ident "$Id: vpi_real.cc,v 1.7 2003/03/06 04:32:00 steve Exp $"
 #endif
 
 # include  "vpi_priv.h"
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ vpiHandle vpip_make_real_var(const char*name)
 	    malloc(sizeof(struct __vpiRealVar));
 
       obj->base.vpi_type = &vpip_real_var_rt;
-      obj->name = vpip_string(name);
+      obj->name = vpip_name_string(name);
       obj->value = 0.0;
       obj->cb = 0;
 
@@ -178,6 +178,9 @@ vpiHandle vpip_make_real_var(const char*name)
 
 /*
  * $Log: vpi_real.cc,v $
+ * Revision 1.7  2003/03/06 04:32:00  steve
+ *  Use hashed name strings for identifiers.
+ *
  * Revision 1.6  2003/02/28 21:20:34  steve
  *  Allow read of realvar as int.
  *
diff --git a/vvp/vpi_scope.cc b/vvp/vpi_scope.cc
index bdf92090b..e07a61185 100644
--- a/vvp/vpi_scope.cc
+++ b/vvp/vpi_scope.cc
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
  *    Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307, USA
  */
 #ifdef HAVE_CVS_IDENT
-#ident "$Id: vpi_scope.cc,v 1.27 2003/03/03 01:47:50 steve Exp $"
+#ident "$Id: vpi_scope.cc,v 1.28 2003/03/06 04:32:00 steve Exp $"
 #endif
 
 # include  "compile.h"
@@ -390,7 +390,7 @@ void compile_scope_decl(char*label, char*type, char*name, char*parent)
 
       assert(scope->base.vpi_type);
 
-      scope->name = vpip_string(name);
+      scope->name = vpip_name_string(name);
       scope->intern = 0;
       scope->nintern = 0;
       scope->threads = 0;
@@ -460,6 +460,9 @@ void vpip_attach_to_current_scope(vpiHandle obj)
 
 /*
  * $Log: vpi_scope.cc,v $
+ * Revision 1.28  2003/03/06 04:32:00  steve
+ *  Use hashed name strings for identifiers.
+ *
  * Revision 1.27  2003/03/03 01:47:50  steve
  *  .scope directives store only the base names.
  *
diff --git a/vvp/vpi_signal.cc b/vvp/vpi_signal.cc
index 01d8cff07..6646c8dcd 100644
--- a/vvp/vpi_signal.cc
+++ b/vvp/vpi_signal.cc
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
  *    Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307, USA
  */
 #ifdef HAVE_CVS_IDENT
-#ident "$Id: vpi_signal.cc,v 1.53 2003/02/16 23:40:05 steve Exp $"
+#ident "$Id: vpi_signal.cc,v 1.54 2003/03/06 04:32:00 steve Exp $"
 #endif
 
 /*
@@ -761,7 +761,7 @@ vpiHandle vpip_make_net(const char*name, int msb, int lsb,
 {
       struct __vpiSignal*obj = allocate_vpiSignal();
       obj->base.vpi_type = &vpip_net_rt;
-      obj->name = vpip_string(name);
+      obj->name = vpip_name_string(name);
       obj->msb = msb;
       obj->lsb = lsb;
       obj->signed_flag = signed_flag? 1 : 0;
@@ -779,6 +779,9 @@ vpiHandle vpip_make_net(const char*name, int msb, int lsb,
 
 /*
  * $Log: vpi_signal.cc,v $
+ * Revision 1.54  2003/03/06 04:32:00  steve
+ *  Use hashed name strings for identifiers.
+ *
  * Revision 1.53  2003/02/16 23:40:05  steve
  *  Permanent allocate vpiSignals more efficiently.
  *