diff --git a/xo-object2/include/xo/object2/DList.hpp b/xo-object2/include/xo/object2/DList.hpp
index 58de0750..eecb4310 100644
--- a/xo-object2/include/xo/object2/DList.hpp
+++ b/xo-object2/include/xo/object2/DList.hpp
@@ -25,27 +25,20 @@ namespace xo {
             DList(xo::obj<AGCObject> h,
                   DList * r) : head_{h}, rest_{r} {}
 
-            /** sentinel for null list **/
+            /** sentinel for null list.
+             *  Application code may prefer ListOps::nil()
+             **/
             static DList * _nil();
 
             /** list with first element @p car,
              *  followed by contents of list @p cdr.
              *  Shares structure with @p cdr
+             *  Application code may prefer ListOps::cons()
              **/
             static DList * _cons(obj<AAllocator> mm,
                                  obj<AGCObject> car,
                                  DList * cdr);
 
-#ifdef OBSOLETE
-            /** list with one element @p h1, allocated from @p mm **/
-            static DList * list(obj<AAllocator> mm,
-                                obj<AGCObject> h1);
-            /** list with two elements @p h1, @p h2, allocated from @p mm **/
-            static DList * list(obj<AAllocator> mm,
-                                obj<AGCObject> h1,
-                                obj<AGCObject> h2);
-#endif
-
             /** DList length is at least 1 **/
             bool is_empty() const noexcept;
             /** DList models a finite sequence **/
diff --git a/xo-object2/include/xo/object2/DString.hpp b/xo-object2/include/xo/object2/DString.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6333f7a4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/xo-object2/include/xo/object2/DString.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+/** @file DString.hpp
+*
+ *  @author Roland Conybeare, Jan 2026
+ **/
+
+#pragma once
+
+#include <xo/alloc2/Allocator.hpp>
+#include <xo/facet/obj.hpp>
+#include <cstdint>
+
+namespace xo {
+    namespace scm {
+        /** @class DString
+         *  @brief String implementation with gc hooks
+         *
+         *  String implementation for Schematika.
+         *  Size-prefixed and null-terminated.
+         *  Note however that string length != size for utf-8.
+         *
+         *  Uses flexible array for chars,
+         *  with string contents in memory immediately
+         *  following the DString itself
+         **/
+        struct DString {
+        public:
+            using size_type = std::uint32_t;
+            using AAllocator = xo::mm::AAllocator;
+
+            /** create empty string with space for @cap chars
+             *  (including null terminator).
+             *  Use memory from allocator @p mm
+             **/
+            static DString * empty(obj<AAllocator> mm,
+                                   size_type cap);
+
+            /** create string containing a copy of null-terminated @p cstr.
+             *  Use memory from allocator @p mm
+             **/
+            static DString * from_cstr(obj<AAllocator> mm,
+                                       const char * cstr);
+
+            size_type capacity() const noexcept { return capacity_; }
+            size_type size() const noexcept { return size_; }
+            const char * chars() const noexcept { return chars_; }
+
+        private:
+            /** extent of @ref chars_ array **/
+            size_type capacity_ = 0;
+            /** null terminator at @c chars_[size_] **/
+            size_type size_ = 0;
+            /** string contents **/
+            char chars_[];
+        };
+    } /*namespace scm*/
+} /*namespace xo*/
+
+/* end DString.hpp */
diff --git a/xo-object2/include/xo/object2/IPrintable_DInteger.hpp b/xo-object2/include/xo/object2/IPrintable_DInteger.hpp
index d18b25ab..60c9821c 100644
--- a/xo-object2/include/xo/object2/IPrintable_DInteger.hpp
+++ b/xo-object2/include/xo/object2/IPrintable_DInteger.hpp
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@
 #pragma once
 
 #include <xo/printable2/Printable.hpp>
-#include <xo/printable2/detail/IPrintable_Xfer.hpp>
 #include "DInteger.hpp"
 
 namespace xo { namespace scm { class IPrintable_DInteger; } }
diff --git a/xo-object2/src/object2/CMakeLists.txt b/xo-object2/src/object2/CMakeLists.txt
index fc4c2d8e..a3658925 100644
--- a/xo-object2/src/object2/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/xo-object2/src/object2/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ set(SELF_SRCS
     DList.cpp
     DFloat.cpp
     DInteger.cpp
+    DString.cpp
     object2_register_types.cpp
     object2_register_facets.cpp
     )
diff --git a/xo-object2/src/object2/DString.cpp b/xo-object2/src/object2/DString.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0fad514e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/xo-object2/src/object2/DString.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+/** @file DString.cpp
+ *
+ *  @author Roland Conybeare, Jan 2026
+ **/
+
+#include "DString.hpp"
+
+namespace xo {
+    using xo::facet::typeseq;
+
+    namespace scm {
+        DString *
+        DString::empty(obj<AAllocator> mm,
+                       size_type cap)
+        {
+            assert(cap > 0);
+
+            DString * result = nullptr;
+
+            if (cap > 0) {
+                void * mem = mm.alloc(typeseq::id<DString>(),
+                                      sizeof(DString) + cap);
+
+                result = new (mem) DString();
+                result->capacity_ = cap;
+                result->size_ = 0;
+                if (cap > 0) {
+                    result->chars_[0] = '\0';
+                }
+            }
+
+            return result;
+        }
+    } /*namespace scm*/
+} /*namespace xo*/
+
+/* end DString.cpp */
diff --git a/xo-object2/utest/CMakeLists.txt b/xo-object2/utest/CMakeLists.txt
index 70544571..a681e52c 100644
--- a/xo-object2/utest/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/xo-object2/utest/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 set(UTEST_EXE utest.object2)
 set(UTEST_SRCS
     object2_utest_main.cpp
+    DString.test.cpp
     X1Collector.test.cpp
     Printable.test.cpp
 )
diff --git a/xo-object2/utest/DString.test.cpp b/xo-object2/utest/DString.test.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..da4d8ca4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/xo-object2/utest/DString.test.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+/** @file DString.test.cpp
+ *
+ *  @author Roland Conybeare, Jan 2026
+ **/
+
+#include <xo/object2/DString.hpp>
+#include <xo/alloc2/arena/IAllocator_DArena.hpp>
+#include <catch2/catch.hpp>
+
+namespace xo {
+    using xo::scm::DString;
+    using xo::mm::AAllocator;
+    using xo::mm::DArena;
+    using xo::mm::ArenaConfig;
+    using xo::facet::with_facet;
+    using xo::facet::obj;
+
+    namespace ut {
+        TEST_CASE("DString-empty", "[object2][DString]")
+        {
+            ArenaConfig cfg { .name_ = "testarena",
+                              .size_ = 4*1024 };
+            DArena arena = DArena::map(cfg);
+            auto alloc = with_facet<AAllocator>::mkobj(&arena);
+
+            DString * s = DString::empty(alloc, 16);
+
+            REQUIRE(s != nullptr);
+            REQUIRE(s->capacity() == 16);
+            REQUIRE(s->size() == 0);
+            REQUIRE(s->chars()[0] == '\0');
+        }
+    } /*namespace ut*/
+} /*namespace xo*/
+
+/* end DString.test.cpp */