diff --git a/libutils/String16.cpp b/libutils/String16.cpp
index e2a8c59a0..d514f29fb 100644
--- a/libutils/String16.cpp
+++ b/libutils/String16.cpp
@@ -90,19 +90,6 @@ String16::String16()
 {
 }
 
-String16::String16(StaticLinkage)
-    : mString(nullptr)
-{
-    // this constructor is used when we can't rely on the static-initializers
-    // having run. In this case we always allocate an empty string. It's less
-    // efficient than using getEmptyString(), but we assume it's uncommon.
-
-    SharedBuffer* buf = static_cast<SharedBuffer*>(alloc(sizeof(char16_t)));
-    char16_t* data = static_cast<char16_t*>(buf->data());
-    data[0] = 0;
-    mString = data;
-}
-
 String16::String16(const String16& o)
     : mString(o.mString)
 {
diff --git a/libutils/String8.cpp b/libutils/String8.cpp
index d13548e4c..d00e39c56 100644
--- a/libutils/String8.cpp
+++ b/libutils/String8.cpp
@@ -125,19 +125,6 @@ String8::String8()
 {
 }
 
-String8::String8(StaticLinkage)
-    : mString(nullptr)
-{
-    // this constructor is used when we can't rely on the static-initializers
-    // having run. In this case we always allocate an empty string. It's less
-    // efficient than using getEmptyString(), but we assume it's uncommon.
-
-    char* data = static_cast<char*>(
-            SharedBuffer::alloc(sizeof(char))->data());
-    data[0] = 0;
-    mString = data;
-}
-
 String8::String8(const String8& o)
     : mString(o.mString)
 {
diff --git a/libutils/include/utils/String16.h b/libutils/include/utils/String16.h
index c0e3f1eba..013705b0e 100644
--- a/libutils/include/utils/String16.h
+++ b/libutils/include/utils/String16.h
@@ -39,17 +39,7 @@ class StaticString16;
 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/libutils/include/utils/String8.h b/libutils/include/utils/String8.h
index 0ddcbb2be..d0ad31464 100644
--- a/libutils/include/utils/String8.h
+++ b/libutils/include/utils/String8.h
@@ -39,16 +39,7 @@ class String16;
 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);