diff --git a/include/sol/state_view.hpp b/include/sol/state_view.hpp
index 3c3c6e2a..be62ff1a 100644
--- a/include/sol/state_view.hpp
+++ b/include/sol/state_view.hpp
@@ -652,9 +652,9 @@ namespace sol {
 			return *this;
 		}
 
-		template <typename Class>
-		usertype<Class> new_usertype(const std::string& name, optional<no_construction> no_default_constructor = nullopt) {
-			return global.new_usertype<Class>(name, std::move(no_default_constructor));
+		template <typename Class, typename... Args>
+		usertype<Class> new_usertype(const std::string& name, Args&&... args) {
+			return global.new_usertype<Class>(name, std::forward<Args>(args)...);
 		}
 
 		template <bool read_only = true, typename... Args>
diff --git a/include/sol/table.hpp b/include/sol/table.hpp
index d58d96ef..06224ff3 100644
--- a/include/sol/table.hpp
+++ b/include/sol/table.hpp
@@ -31,10 +31,11 @@ namespace sol {
 	typedef table_core<false> table;
 
 	template <bool top_level, typename base_type>
-	template <typename Class, typename Key>
-	usertype<Class> basic_table_core<top_level, base_type>::new_usertype(Key&& key, optional<no_construction> no_default_constructor /* = nullopt*/) {
-		int mt_index = u_detail::register_usertype<Class>(this->lua_state(), std::move(no_default_constructor));
+	template <typename Class, typename Key, typename... Args>
+	usertype<Class> basic_table_core<top_level, base_type>::new_usertype(Key&& key, Args&&... args) {
+		int mt_index = u_detail::register_usertype<Class>(this->lua_state(), detail::any_is_constructor_v<Args...> ? optional<no_construction>() : optional<no_construction>(no_constructor));
 		usertype<Class> mt(this->lua_state(), -mt_index);
+		mt.
 		set(std::forward<Key>(key), mt);
 		return mt;
 	}
diff --git a/include/sol/types.hpp b/include/sol/types.hpp
index 6bff6c0e..37a57018 100644
--- a/include/sol/types.hpp
+++ b/include/sol/types.hpp
@@ -1208,7 +1208,10 @@ namespace sol {
 		struct is_constructor<filter_wrapper<F, Filters...>> : is_constructor<meta::unqualified_t<F>> {};
 
 		template <typename... Args>
-		using has_constructor = meta::any<is_constructor<meta::unqualified_t<Args>>...>;
+		using any_is_constructor = meta::any<is_constructor<meta::unqualified_t<Args>>...>;
+
+		template <typename... Args>
+		using any_is_constructor_v = any_is_constructor<Args...>::value;
 
 		template <typename T>
 		struct is_destructor : std::false_type {};
diff --git a/include/sol/usertype_storage.hpp b/include/sol/usertype_storage.hpp
index c5ce2e16..4070e3c7 100644
--- a/include/sol/usertype_storage.hpp
+++ b/include/sol/usertype_storage.hpp
@@ -147,7 +147,8 @@ namespace u_detail {
 	struct usertype_storage_base {
 	public:
 		std::vector<std::unique_ptr<binding_base>> storage;
-		detail::unordered_map<std::string, index_call_storage> string_keys;
+		std::vector<std::vector<char>> string_keys_storage;
+		detail::unordered_map<string_view, index_call_storage> string_keys;
 		detail::unordered_map<reference, reference, reference_hash, reference_equals> auxiliary_keys;
 		reference value_index_table;
 		reference reference_index_table;
@@ -174,6 +175,13 @@ namespace u_detail {
 			base_new_index.new_index = new_index_target_fail;
 		}
 
+		void add_entry(string_view sv, index_call_storage ics) {
+			string_keys_storage.emplace_back(sv.begin(), sv.end());
+			std::vector<char>& sv_storage = string_keys_storage.back();
+			string_view stored_sv(sv_storage.data(), sv_storage.size());
+			string_keys.insert_or_assign(std::move(stored_sv), std::move(ics));
+		}
+
 		void clear() {
 			storage.clear();
 			string_keys.clear();
@@ -217,7 +225,7 @@ namespace u_detail {
 			if (k_type == type::string) {
 				index_call_storage* target = nullptr;
 				{
-					std::string k = stack::get<std::string>(L, 2);
+					string_view k = stack::get<string_view>(L, 2);
 					auto it = self.string_keys.find(k);
 					if (it != self.string_keys.cend()) {
 						target = &it->second;
@@ -270,7 +278,7 @@ namespace u_detail {
 			if (k_type == type::string) {
 				index_call_storage* target = nullptr;
 				{
-					std::string k = stack::get<std::string>(L, 2);
+					string_view k = stack::get<string_view>(L, 2);
 					auto it = self.string_keys.find(k);
 					if (it != self.string_keys.cend()) {
 						target = &it->second;
@@ -481,7 +489,7 @@ namespace u_detail {
 				this->base_new_index = ics;
 			}
 			this->for_each_table(L, fet);
-			this->string_keys.insert_or_assign(std::move(s), std::move(ics));
+			this->add_entry(s, std::move(ics));
 		}
 		else {
 			// the reference-based implementation might compare poorly and hash
@@ -506,8 +514,7 @@ namespace u_detail {
 					ics.binding_data = b.data();
 					ics.index = &b.index_call_with_<true, true>;
 					ics.new_index = &b.index_call_with_<false, true>;
-
-					this->string_keys.insert_or_assign(std::move(s), ics);
+					this->add_entry(s, std::move(ics));
 				}
 				else {
 					// its auxiliary and must be