diff --git a/subprojects/parser-antlr4/src/main/java/org/apache/groovy/parser/antlr4/AstBuilder.java b/subprojects/parser-antlr4/src/main/java/org/apache/groovy/parser/antlr4/AstBuilder.java
index 9ae615e3b9..b59651111e 100644
--- a/subprojects/parser-antlr4/src/main/java/org/apache/groovy/parser/antlr4/AstBuilder.java
+++ b/subprojects/parser-antlr4/src/main/java/org/apache/groovy/parser/antlr4/AstBuilder.java
@@ -2350,17 +2350,17 @@ public ConstantExpression visitStringLiteral(StringLiteralContext ctx) {
         if (text.startsWith("'''") || text.startsWith("\"\"\"")) {
             text = StringUtils.removeCR(text); // remove CR in the multiline string
 
-            text = text.length() == 6 ? "" : text.substring(3, text.length() - 3);
+            text = StringUtils.trimQuotations(text, 3);
         } else if (text.startsWith("'") || text.startsWith("/") || text.startsWith("\"")) {
             if (text.startsWith("/")) { // the slashy string can span rows, so we have to remove CR for it
                 text = StringUtils.removeCR(text); // remove CR in the multiline string
             }
 
-            text = text.length() == 2 ? "" : text.substring(1, text.length() - 1);
+            text = StringUtils.trimQuotations(text, 1);
         } else if (text.startsWith("$/")) {
             text = StringUtils.removeCR(text);
 
-            text = text.length() == 4 ? "" : text.substring(2, text.length() - 2);
+            text = StringUtils.trimQuotations(text, 2);
         }
 
         //handle escapes.
diff --git a/subprojects/parser-antlr4/src/main/java/org/apache/groovy/parser/antlr4/util/StringUtils.java b/subprojects/parser-antlr4/src/main/java/org/apache/groovy/parser/antlr4/util/StringUtils.java
index 58ac588458..e20074227c 100644
--- a/subprojects/parser-antlr4/src/main/java/org/apache/groovy/parser/antlr4/util/StringUtils.java
+++ b/subprojects/parser-antlr4/src/main/java/org/apache/groovy/parser/antlr4/util/StringUtils.java
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@
 import org.apache.groovy.util.Maps;
 import org.codehaus.groovy.runtime.StringGroovyMethods;
 
-import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.regex.Pattern;
 
@@ -145,4 +144,10 @@ public static String removeCR(String text) {
 	public static long countChar(String text, char c) {
 		return text.chars().filter(e -> c == e).count();
 	}
+
+	public static String trimQuotations(String text, int quotationLength) {
+		int length = text.length();
+
+		return length == quotationLength * 2 ? "" : text.substring(quotationLength, length - quotationLength);
+	}
 }
\ No newline at end of file