diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/oops/symbol.cpp b/src/hotspot/share/oops/symbol.cpp
index 5b278317a7d..88f125b8a8f 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/oops/symbol.cpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/oops/symbol.cpp
@@ -52,9 +52,7 @@ Symbol::Symbol(const u1* name, int length, int refcount) {
   _hash_and_refcount =  pack_hash_and_refcount((short)os::random(), refcount);
   _length = length;
   _body[0] = 0;  // in case length == 0
-  for (int i = 0; i < length; i++) {
-    byte_at_put(i, name[i]);
-  }
+  memcpy(_body, name, length);
 }
 
 void* Symbol::operator new(size_t sz, int len) throw() {
diff --git a/src/hotspot/share/oops/symbol.hpp b/src/hotspot/share/oops/symbol.hpp
index 18bc0ae387f..51add5ad42a 100644
--- a/src/hotspot/share/oops/symbol.hpp
+++ b/src/hotspot/share/oops/symbol.hpp
@@ -125,11 +125,6 @@ class Symbol : public MetaspaceObj {
     return (int)heap_word_size(byte_size(length));
   }
 
-  void byte_at_put(int index, u1 value) {
-    assert(index >=0 && index < length(), "symbol index overflow");
-    _body[index] = value;
-  }
-
   Symbol(const u1* name, int length, int refcount);
   void* operator new(size_t size, int len) throw();
   void* operator new(size_t size, int len, Arena* arena) throw();