diff --git a/java/external/src/javax/xml/namespace/QName.java b/java/external/src/javax/xml/namespace/QName.java
index 5e87f4e..463c100 100644
--- a/java/external/src/javax/xml/namespace/QName.java
+++ b/java/external/src/javax/xml/namespace/QName.java
@@ -81,6 +81,11 @@ public class QName implements Serializable {
      * <p>prefix of this <code>QName</code>.</p>
      */
     private final String prefix;
+    
+    /**
+     * <p><code>String</code> representation of this <code>QName</code>.</p>
+     */
+    private transient String qNameAsString;
 
     /** 
      * <p><code>QName</code> constructor specifying the Namespace URI
@@ -281,14 +286,16 @@ public class QName implements Serializable {
      * equal to this <code>QName</code> else <code>false</code>
      */
     public final boolean equals(Object objectToTest) {
-        if (objectToTest == null || !(objectToTest instanceof QName)) {
-            return false;
+        // Is this the same object?
+        if (objectToTest == this) {
+            return true;
         }
-
-        QName qName = (QName) objectToTest;
-
-        return namespaceURI.equals(qName.namespaceURI)
-            && localPart.equals(qName.localPart);
+        // Is this a QName?
+        if (objectToTest instanceof QName) {
+            QName qName = (QName) objectToTest;
+            return localPart.equals(qName.localPart) && namespaceURI.equals(qName.namespaceURI);
+        }
+        return false;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -331,11 +338,23 @@ public class QName implements Serializable {
 	 *  @return <code>String</code> representation of this <code>QName</code>
 	 */
     public String toString() {
-        if (namespaceURI.equals(XMLConstants.NULL_NS_URI)) {
-            return localPart;
-        } else {
-            return "{" + namespaceURI + "}" + localPart;
+        String _qNameAsString = qNameAsString;
+        if (_qNameAsString == null) {
+            final int nsLength = namespaceURI.length();
+            if (nsLength == 0) {
+                _qNameAsString = localPart;
+            }
+            else {
+                StringBuffer buffer = new StringBuffer(nsLength + localPart.length() + 2);
+                buffer.append('{');
+                buffer.append(namespaceURI);
+                buffer.append('}');
+                buffer.append(localPart);
+                _qNameAsString = buffer.toString();
+            }
+            qNameAsString = _qNameAsString;
         }
+        return _qNameAsString;
     }
 
     /**