diff --git a/hash.c b/hash.c
index a74db258e4..a779c6f218 100644
--- a/hash.c
+++ b/hash.c
@@ -1482,7 +1482,9 @@ hash_copy(VALUE ret, VALUE hash)
     else {
         HASH_ASSERT(sizeof(st_table) <= sizeof(ar_table));
 
-        RHASH_ST_TABLE_SET(ret, st_copy(RHASH_ST_TABLE(hash)));
+        RHASH_SET_ST_FLAG(ret);
+        st_replace(RHASH_ST_TABLE(ret), RHASH_ST_TABLE(hash));
+
         rb_gc_writebarrier_remember(ret);
     }
     return ret;
@@ -1776,7 +1778,8 @@ rb_hash_s_create(int argc, VALUE *argv, VALUE klass)
             }
             else {
                 hash = hash_alloc(klass);
-                hash_copy(hash, tmp);
+                if (!RHASH_EMPTY_P(tmp))
+                    hash_copy(hash, tmp);
                 return hash;
             }
         }
diff --git a/include/ruby/st.h b/include/ruby/st.h
index 0d42283364..ba69c066c9 100644
--- a/include/ruby/st.h
+++ b/include/ruby/st.h
@@ -162,6 +162,8 @@ void rb_st_cleanup_safe(st_table *, st_data_t);
 #define st_cleanup_safe rb_st_cleanup_safe
 void rb_st_clear(st_table *);
 #define st_clear rb_st_clear
+st_table *rb_st_replace(st_table *new_tab, st_table *old_tab);
+#define st_replace rb_st_replace
 st_table *rb_st_copy(st_table *);
 #define st_copy rb_st_copy
 CONSTFUNC(int rb_st_numcmp(st_data_t, st_data_t));
diff --git a/parser_st.c b/parser_st.c
index b2df6cbad2..5d3148bc0d 100644
--- a/parser_st.c
+++ b/parser_st.c
@@ -109,6 +109,8 @@ nonempty_memcpy(void *dest, const void *src, size_t n)
 #define st_add_direct rb_parser_st_add_direct
 #undef st_insert2
 #define st_insert2 rb_parser_st_insert2
+#undef st_replace
+#define st_replace rb_parser_st_replace
 #undef st_copy
 #define st_copy rb_parser_st_copy
 #undef st_delete_safe
diff --git a/parser_st.h b/parser_st.h
index 85db3b5847..877b1e9051 100644
--- a/parser_st.h
+++ b/parser_st.h
@@ -137,6 +137,7 @@ void rb_parser_st_add_direct(parser_st_table *, parser_st_data_t, parser_st_data
 void rb_parser_st_free_table(parser_st_table *);
 void rb_parser_st_cleanup_safe(parser_st_table *, parser_st_data_t);
 void rb_parser_st_clear(parser_st_table *);
+parser_st_table *rb_parser_st_replace(parser_st_table *, parser_st_table *);
 parser_st_table *rb_parser_st_copy(parser_st_table *);
 CONSTFUNC(int rb_parser_st_numcmp(parser_st_data_t, parser_st_data_t));
 CONSTFUNC(parser_st_index_t rb_parser_st_numhash(parser_st_data_t));
diff --git a/st.c b/st.c
index 7d44171e97..119a6964b4 100644
--- a/st.c
+++ b/st.c
@@ -1228,6 +1228,36 @@ st_insert2(st_table *tab, st_data_t key, st_data_t value,
     return 1;
 }
 
+/* Create a copy of old_tab into new_tab. */
+st_table *
+st_replace(st_table *new_tab, st_table *old_tab)
+{
+    *new_tab = *old_tab;
+    if (old_tab->bins == NULL)
+        new_tab->bins = NULL;
+    else {
+        new_tab->bins = (st_index_t *) malloc(bins_size(old_tab));
+#ifndef RUBY
+        if (new_tab->bins == NULL) {
+            return NULL;
+        }
+#endif
+    }
+    new_tab->entries = (st_table_entry *) malloc(get_allocated_entries(old_tab)
+                                                 * sizeof(st_table_entry));
+#ifndef RUBY
+    if (new_tab->entries == NULL) {
+        return NULL;
+    }
+#endif
+    MEMCPY(new_tab->entries, old_tab->entries, st_table_entry,
+           get_allocated_entries(old_tab));
+    if (old_tab->bins != NULL)
+        MEMCPY(new_tab->bins, old_tab->bins, char, bins_size(old_tab));
+
+    return new_tab;
+}
+
 /* Create and return a copy of table OLD_TAB.  */
 st_table *
 st_copy(st_table *old_tab)
@@ -1239,30 +1269,12 @@ st_copy(st_table *old_tab)
     if (new_tab == NULL)
         return NULL;
 #endif
-    *new_tab = *old_tab;
-    if (old_tab->bins == NULL)
-        new_tab->bins = NULL;
-    else {
-        new_tab->bins = (st_index_t *) malloc(bins_size(old_tab));
-#ifndef RUBY
-        if (new_tab->bins == NULL) {
-            free(new_tab);
-            return NULL;
-        }
-#endif
-    }
-    new_tab->entries = (st_table_entry *) malloc(get_allocated_entries(old_tab)
-                                                 * sizeof(st_table_entry));
-#ifndef RUBY
-    if (new_tab->entries == NULL) {
+
+    if (st_replace(new_tab, old_tab) == NULL) {
         st_free_table(new_tab);
         return NULL;
     }
-#endif
-    MEMCPY(new_tab->entries, old_tab->entries, st_table_entry,
-           get_allocated_entries(old_tab));
-    if (old_tab->bins != NULL)
-        MEMCPY(new_tab->bins, old_tab->bins, char, bins_size(old_tab));
+
     return new_tab;
 }