diff --git a/garrysmod/lua/includes/extensions/string.lua b/garrysmod/lua/includes/extensions/string.lua
index 92c09e0a4d..2857f04a49 100644
--- a/garrysmod/lua/includes/extensions/string.lua
+++ b/garrysmod/lua/includes/extensions/string.lua
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 
 local string = string
+local string_sub = string.sub
 local math = math
 
 --[[---------------------------------------------------------
@@ -83,7 +84,6 @@ end
 local totable = string.ToTable
 local string_sub = string.sub
 local string_find = string.find
-local string_len = string.len
 function string.Explode( separator, str, withpattern )
 	if ( separator == "" ) then return totable( str ) end
 	if ( withpattern == nil ) then withpattern = false end
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ function string.Explode( separator, str, withpattern )
 	local ret = {}
 	local current_pos = 1
 
-	for i = 1, string_len( str ) do
+	for i = 1, #str do
 		local start_pos, end_pos = string_find( str, separator, current_pos, not withpattern )
 		if ( not start_pos ) then break end
 		ret[ i ] = string_sub( str, current_pos, start_pos - 1 )
@@ -323,14 +323,16 @@ end
 
 function string.StartsWith( str, start )
 
-	return string.sub( str, 1, string.len( start ) ) == start
+	local n = #start
+    return n == 0 or string_sub(str, 1, n) == start
 
 end
 string.StartWith = string.StartsWith
 
 function string.EndsWith( str, endStr )
 
-	return endStr == "" or string.sub( str, -string.len( endStr ) ) == endStr
+    local n = #endStr
+    return n == 0 or string_sub(str, -n) == endStr
 
 end