diff --git a/common/internal/byte_string.cc b/common/internal/byte_string.cc
index 4daaa66a1..cbf28f422 100644
--- a/common/internal/byte_string.cc
+++ b/common/internal/byte_string.cc
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ ByteString ByteString::From(absl::string_view value,
   ABSL_DCHECK(arena != nullptr);
   ByteString result(UninitializedTag{});
   if (value.size() <= kSmallByteStringCapacity) {
-    result.SetSmall(arena, value);
+    result.SetSmall(value);
   } else {
     char* arena_value =
         reinterpret_cast<char*>(arena->AllocateAligned(value.size()));
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ ByteString ByteString::From(absl::Cord value,
   ABSL_DCHECK(arena != nullptr);
   ByteString result(UninitializedTag{});
   if (value.size() <= kSmallByteStringCapacity) {
-    result.SetSmall(arena, value);
+    result.SetSmall(value);
   } else {
     result.SetLarge(arena,
                     google::protobuf::Arena::Create<absl::Cord>(arena, std::move(value)));
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ ByteString ByteString::From(std::string&& value,
   ABSL_DCHECK(arena != nullptr);
   ByteString result(UninitializedTag{});
   if (value.size() <= kSmallByteStringCapacity) {
-    result.SetSmall(arena, value);
+    result.SetSmall(value);
   } else if (value.size() > sizeof(std::string)) {
     value.shrink_to_fit();
     result.SetMedium(
@@ -107,7 +107,6 @@ ByteString ByteString::Concat(const ByteString& lhs, const ByteString& rhs,
     // If the resulting string fits in inline storage, do it.
     result.rep_.header.kind = ByteStringKind::kSmall;
     result.rep_.small.size = result_size;
-    result.rep_.small.arena = arena;
     lhs.CopyToArray(result.rep_.small.data);
     rhs.CopyToArray(result.rep_.small.data + lhs_size);
   } else {
@@ -221,7 +220,7 @@ ByteString ByteString::Substring(size_t pos, size_t npos) const {
   switch (GetKind()) {
     case ByteStringKind::kSmall: {
       ByteString result(UninitializedTag{});
-      result.SetSmall(GetSmallArena(), GetSmall().substr(pos, npos - pos));
+      result.SetSmall(GetSmall().substr(pos, npos - pos));
       return result;
     }
     case ByteStringKind::kMedium: {
@@ -420,7 +419,7 @@ ByteString ByteString::Clone(google::protobuf::Arena* absl_nonnull arena) const
   switch (GetKind()) {
     case ByteStringKind::kSmall: {
       ByteString result(UninitializedTag{});
-      result.SetSmall(arena, GetSmall());
+      result.SetSmall(GetSmall());
       return result;
     }
     case ByteStringKind::kMedium: {
diff --git a/common/internal/byte_string.h b/common/internal/byte_string.h
index 6027d08ec..b9fb222a8 100644
--- a/common/internal/byte_string.h
+++ b/common/internal/byte_string.h
@@ -74,8 +74,7 @@ struct SmallByteStringRep final {
 #ifdef _MSC_VER
 #pragma pack(pop)
 #endif
-  char data[23 - sizeof(google::protobuf::Arena*)];
-  google::protobuf::Arena* absl_nullable arena;
+  char data[23];
 };
 
 inline constexpr size_t kSmallByteStringCapacity =
@@ -215,7 +214,7 @@ class [[nodiscard]] ByteString final {
   static ByteString Concat(const ByteString& lhs, const ByteString& rhs,
                            google::protobuf::Arena* absl_nonnull arena);
 
-  ByteString() noexcept { SetSmallEmpty(nullptr); }
+  ByteString() noexcept { SetSmallEmpty(); }
 
   ByteString(const ByteString&) = default;
   ByteString(ByteString&&) = default;
@@ -303,10 +302,12 @@ class [[nodiscard]] ByteString final {
       std::string* absl_nonnull scratch
           ABSL_ATTRIBUTE_LIFETIME_BOUND) const ABSL_ATTRIBUTE_LIFETIME_BOUND;
 
+  // Returns the arena which owns the underling data for this byte string.
+  // Returns null when the data is not owned by an arena.
   google::protobuf::Arena* absl_nullable GetArena() const {
     switch (GetKind()) {
       case ByteStringKind::kSmall:
-        return GetSmallArena();
+        return nullptr;
       case ByteStringKind::kMedium:
         return GetMediumArena();
       case ByteStringKind::kLarge:
@@ -373,16 +374,6 @@ class [[nodiscard]] ByteString final {
     return absl::string_view(rep.data, rep.size);
   }
 
-  google::protobuf::Arena* absl_nullable GetSmallArena() const {
-    ABSL_DCHECK_EQ(GetKind(), ByteStringKind::kSmall);
-    return GetSmallArena(rep_.small);
-  }
-
-  static google::protobuf::Arena* absl_nullable GetSmallArena(
-      const SmallByteStringRep& rep) {
-    return rep.arena;
-  }
-
   google::protobuf::Arena* absl_nullable GetMediumArena() const {
     ABSL_DCHECK_EQ(GetKind(), ByteStringKind::kMedium);
     return GetMediumArena(rep_.medium);
@@ -413,27 +404,24 @@ class [[nodiscard]] ByteString final {
     return rep.arena;
   }
 
-  void SetSmallEmpty(google::protobuf::Arena* absl_nullable arena) {
+  void SetSmallEmpty() {
     rep_.header.kind = ByteStringKind::kSmall;
     rep_.small.size = 0;
-    rep_.small.arena = arena;
   }
 
-  void SetSmall(google::protobuf::Arena* absl_nullable arena, absl::string_view string) {
+  void SetSmall(absl::string_view string) {
     ABSL_DCHECK_LE(string.size(), kSmallByteStringCapacity);
     rep_.header.kind = ByteStringKind::kSmall;
     rep_.small.size = string.size();
-    rep_.small.arena = arena;
     if (!string.empty()) {
       std::memcpy(rep_.small.data, string.data(), rep_.small.size);
     }
   }
 
-  void SetSmall(google::protobuf::Arena* absl_nullable arena, const absl::Cord& cord) {
+  void SetSmall(const absl::Cord& cord) {
     ABSL_DCHECK_LE(cord.size(), kSmallByteStringCapacity);
     rep_.header.kind = ByteStringKind::kSmall;
     rep_.small.size = cord.size();
-    rep_.small.arena = arena;
     CopyCordToArray(cord, rep_.small.data);
   }
 
diff --git a/common/internal/byte_string_test.cc b/common/internal/byte_string_test.cc
index 121158ada..b0cdee814 100644
--- a/common/internal/byte_string_test.cc
+++ b/common/internal/byte_string_test.cc
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ namespace {
 using ::testing::_;
 using ::testing::Eq;
 using ::testing::IsEmpty;
+using ::testing::IsNull;
 using ::testing::Not;
 using ::testing::Optional;
 using ::testing::SizeIs;
@@ -114,7 +115,7 @@ TEST_F(ByteStringTest, Default) {
 TEST_F(ByteStringTest, ConstructNullDataStringView) {
   ByteString byte_string = ByteString::From(absl::string_view(), GetArena());
   EXPECT_THAT(byte_string, IsEmpty());
-  EXPECT_EQ(byte_string.GetArena(), GetArena());
+  EXPECT_THAT(byte_string.GetArena(), IsNull());
 }
 
 TEST_F(ByteStringTest, ConstructSmallCString) {
@@ -124,7 +125,7 @@ TEST_F(ByteStringTest, ConstructSmallCString) {
   EXPECT_THAT(byte_string, Not(IsEmpty()));
   EXPECT_EQ(byte_string, GetSmallStringView());
   EXPECT_EQ(GetKind(byte_string), ByteStringKind::kSmall);
-  EXPECT_EQ(byte_string.GetArena(), GetArena());
+  EXPECT_THAT(byte_string.GetArena(), IsNull());
 }
 
 TEST_F(ByteStringTest, ConstructMediumCString) {
@@ -143,7 +144,7 @@ TEST_F(ByteStringTest, ConstructSmallRValueString) {
   EXPECT_THAT(byte_string, Not(IsEmpty()));
   EXPECT_EQ(byte_string, GetSmallStringView());
   EXPECT_EQ(GetKind(byte_string), ByteStringKind::kSmall);
-  EXPECT_EQ(byte_string.GetArena(), GetArena());
+  EXPECT_THAT(byte_string.GetArena(), IsNull());
 }
 
 TEST_F(ByteStringTest, ConstructSmallLValueString) {
@@ -153,7 +154,7 @@ TEST_F(ByteStringTest, ConstructSmallLValueString) {
   EXPECT_THAT(byte_string, Not(IsEmpty()));
   EXPECT_EQ(byte_string, GetSmallStringView());
   EXPECT_EQ(GetKind(byte_string), ByteStringKind::kSmall);
-  EXPECT_EQ(byte_string.GetArena(), GetArena());
+  EXPECT_THAT(byte_string.GetArena(), IsNull());
 }
 
 TEST_F(ByteStringTest, ConstructMediumRValueString) {
@@ -181,7 +182,7 @@ TEST_F(ByteStringTest, ConstructSmallCord) {
   EXPECT_THAT(byte_string, Not(IsEmpty()));
   EXPECT_EQ(byte_string, GetSmallStringView());
   EXPECT_EQ(GetKind(byte_string), ByteStringKind::kSmall);
-  EXPECT_EQ(byte_string.GetArena(), GetArena());
+  EXPECT_THAT(byte_string.GetArena(), IsNull());
 }
 
 TEST_F(ByteStringTest, ConstructMediumOrLargeCord) {
diff --git a/common/values/string_value.cc b/common/values/string_value.cc
index 6aa7ac543..b9495fa69 100644
--- a/common/values/string_value.cc
+++ b/common/values/string_value.cc
@@ -616,7 +616,6 @@ Value StringValue::Substring(int64_t start,
       std::memcpy(result.value_.rep_.small.data,
                   value_.rep_.small.data + *status_or_index,
                   result.value_.rep_.small.size);
-      result.value_.rep_.small.arena = value_.rep_.small.arena;
       return result;
     }
     case common_internal::ByteStringKind::kMedium: {
@@ -744,7 +743,6 @@ Value StringValue::Substring(int64_t start, int64_t end,
       std::memcpy(result.value_.rep_.small.data,
                   value_.rep_.small.data + status_or_indices->first,
                   result.value_.rep_.small.size);
-      result.value_.rep_.small.arena = value_.rep_.small.arena;
       return result;
     }
     case common_internal::ByteStringKind::kMedium: {
@@ -1430,7 +1428,6 @@ Value StringValue::CharAt(int64_t pos,
                 common_internal::ByteStringKind::kSmall;
             result.value_.rep_.small.size = cel::internal::Utf8Encode(
                 code_point, result.value_.rep_.small.data);
-            result.value_.rep_.small.arena = value_.GetArena();
             return result;
           }
           rep.remove_prefix(code_units);
@@ -1460,7 +1457,6 @@ Value StringValue::CharAt(int64_t pos,
                 common_internal::ByteStringKind::kSmall;
             result.value_.rep_.small.size = cel::internal::Utf8Encode(
                 code_point, result.value_.rep_.small.data);
-            result.value_.rep_.small.arena = nullptr;
             return result;
           }
           absl::Cord::Advance(&begin, code_units);