diff --git a/src/Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyModel/DependencyContextJsonReader.cs b/src/Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyModel/DependencyContextJsonReader.cs
index dfb808fef..730fa9f63 100644
--- a/src/Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyModel/DependencyContextJsonReader.cs
+++ b/src/Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyModel/DependencyContextJsonReader.cs
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ namespace Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyModel
 {
     public class DependencyContextJsonReader : IDependencyContextReader
     {
+        private readonly IDictionary<string, string> _stringPool = new Dictionary<string, string>();
+
         public DependencyContext Read(Stream stream)
         {
             if (stream == null)
@@ -28,6 +30,19 @@ namespace Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyModel
             }
         }
 
+        protected virtual void Dispose(bool disposing)
+        {
+            if (disposing)
+            {
+                _stringPool.Clear();
+            }
+        }
+
+        public void Dispose()
+        {
+            Dispose(true);
+        }
+
         private bool IsRuntimeTarget(string name) => name.Contains(DependencyContextStrings.VersionSeperator);
 
         private DependencyContext Read(JObject root)
@@ -178,8 +193,8 @@ namespace Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyModel
 
             var seperatorPosition = nameWithVersion.IndexOf(DependencyContextStrings.VersionSeperator);
 
-            var name = nameWithVersion.Substring(0, seperatorPosition);
-            var version = nameWithVersion.Substring(seperatorPosition + 1);
+            var name = Pool(nameWithVersion.Substring(0, seperatorPosition));
+            var version = Pool(nameWithVersion.Substring(seperatorPosition + 1));
 
             var libraryObject = (JObject)property.Value;
 
@@ -263,13 +278,13 @@ namespace Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyModel
             foreach (var resourceProperty in resourcesObject)
             {
                 yield return new ResourceAssembly(
-                    locale: resourceProperty.Value[DependencyContextStrings.LocalePropertyName]?.Value<string>(),
+                    locale: Pool(resourceProperty.Value[DependencyContextStrings.LocalePropertyName]?.Value<string>()),
                     path: resourceProperty.Key
                     );
             }
         }
 
-        private static IEnumerable<RuntimeTargetEntryStub> ReadRuntimeTargetEntries(JObject runtimeTargetObject)
+        private IEnumerable<RuntimeTargetEntryStub> ReadRuntimeTargetEntries(JObject runtimeTargetObject)
         {
             if (runtimeTargetObject == null)
             {
@@ -281,8 +296,8 @@ namespace Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyModel
                 yield return new RuntimeTargetEntryStub()
                 {
                     Path = libraryProperty.Key,
-                    Rid = libraryObject[DependencyContextStrings.RidPropertyName].Value<string>(),
-                    Type = libraryObject[DependencyContextStrings.AssetTypePropertyName].Value<string>()
+                    Rid = Pool(libraryObject[DependencyContextStrings.RidPropertyName].Value<string>()),
+                    Type = Pool(libraryObject[DependencyContextStrings.AssetTypePropertyName].Value<string>())
                 };
             }
         }
@@ -299,7 +314,7 @@ namespace Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyModel
             return assembliesObject.Properties().Select(property => property.Name).ToArray();
         }
 
-        private static Dependency[] ReadDependencies(JObject libraryObject)
+        private Dependency[] ReadDependencies(JObject libraryObject)
         {
             var dependenciesObject = (JObject)libraryObject[DependencyContextStrings.DependenciesPropertyName];
 
@@ -309,7 +324,7 @@ namespace Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyModel
             }
 
             return dependenciesObject.Properties()
-                .Select(property => new Dependency(property.Name, (string)property.Value)).ToArray();
+                .Select(property => new Dependency(Pool(property.Name), Pool((string)property.Value))).ToArray();
         }
 
         private Dictionary<string, LibraryStub> ReadLibraryStubs(JObject librariesObject)
@@ -322,9 +337,9 @@ namespace Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyModel
                     var value = (JObject)libraryProperty.Value;
                     var stub = new LibraryStub
                     {
-                        Name = libraryProperty.Key,
+                        Name = Pool(libraryProperty.Key),
                         Hash = value[DependencyContextStrings.Sha512PropertyName]?.Value<string>(),
-                        Type = value[DependencyContextStrings.TypePropertyName].Value<string>(),
+                        Type = Pool(value[DependencyContextStrings.TypePropertyName].Value<string>()),
                         Serviceable = value[DependencyContextStrings.ServiceablePropertyName]?.Value<bool>() == true
                     };
                     libraries.Add(stub.Name, stub);
@@ -333,6 +348,22 @@ namespace Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyModel
             return libraries;
         }
 
+        private string Pool(string s)
+        {
+            if (s == null)
+            {
+                return null;
+            }
+
+            string result;
+            if (!_stringPool.TryGetValue(s, out result))
+            {
+                _stringPool[s] = s;
+                result = s;
+            }
+            return result;
+        }
+
         private struct RuntimeTargetEntryStub
         {
             public string Type;
diff --git a/src/Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyModel/DependencyContextLoader.cs b/src/Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyModel/DependencyContextLoader.cs
index a1deb0fff..e7e4507f8 100644
--- a/src/Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyModel/DependencyContextLoader.cs
+++ b/src/Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyModel/DependencyContextLoader.cs
@@ -16,13 +16,13 @@ namespace Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyModel
         private readonly string _entryPointDepsLocation;
         private readonly string _runtimeDepsLocation;
         private readonly IFileSystem _fileSystem;
-        private readonly IDependencyContextReader _jsonReader;
+        private readonly Func<IDependencyContextReader> _jsonReaderFactory;
 
         public DependencyContextLoader() : this(
             DependencyContextPaths.Current.Application,
             DependencyContextPaths.Current.SharedRuntime,
             FileSystemWrapper.Default,
-            new DependencyContextJsonReader())
+            () => new DependencyContextJsonReader())
         {
         }
 
@@ -30,12 +30,12 @@ namespace Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyModel
             string entryPointDepsLocation,
             string runtimeDepsLocation,
             IFileSystem fileSystem,
-            IDependencyContextReader jsonReader)
+            Func<IDependencyContextReader> jsonReaderFactory)
         {
             _entryPointDepsLocation = entryPointDepsLocation;
             _runtimeDepsLocation = runtimeDepsLocation;
             _fileSystem = fileSystem;
-            _jsonReader = jsonReader;
+            _jsonReaderFactory = jsonReaderFactory;
         }
 
         public static DependencyContextLoader Default { get; } = new DependencyContextLoader();
@@ -58,61 +58,63 @@ namespace Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyModel
             }
 
             DependencyContext context = null;
-
-            if (IsEntryAssembly(assembly))
+            using (var reader = _jsonReaderFactory())
             {
-                context = LoadEntryAssemblyContext();
-            }
-
-            if (context == null)
-            {
-                context = LoadAssemblyContext(assembly);
-            }
-
-            if (context?.Target.IsPortable == true)
-            {
-                var runtimeContext = LoadRuntimeContext();
-                if (runtimeContext != null)
+                if (IsEntryAssembly(assembly))
                 {
-                    context = context.Merge(runtimeContext);
+                    context = LoadEntryAssemblyContext(reader);
+                }
+
+                if (context == null)
+                {
+                    context = LoadAssemblyContext(assembly, reader);
+                }
+
+                if (context?.Target.IsPortable == true)
+                {
+                    var runtimeContext = LoadRuntimeContext(reader);
+                    if (runtimeContext != null)
+                    {
+                        context = context.Merge(runtimeContext);
+                    }
                 }
             }
             return context;
         }
 
-        private DependencyContext LoadEntryAssemblyContext()
+        private DependencyContext LoadEntryAssemblyContext(IDependencyContextReader reader)
         {
             if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(_entryPointDepsLocation))
             {
                 Debug.Assert(File.Exists(_entryPointDepsLocation));
                 using (var stream = _fileSystem.File.OpenRead(_entryPointDepsLocation))
                 {
-                    return _jsonReader.Read(stream);
+                    return reader.Read(stream);
                 }
             }
             return null;
         }
 
-        private DependencyContext LoadRuntimeContext()
+        private DependencyContext LoadRuntimeContext(IDependencyContextReader reader)
         {
             if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(_runtimeDepsLocation))
             {
                 Debug.Assert(File.Exists(_runtimeDepsLocation));
                 using (var stream = _fileSystem.File.OpenRead(_runtimeDepsLocation))
                 {
-                    return _jsonReader.Read(stream);
+                    return reader.Read(stream);
                 }
             }
             return null;
         }
 
-        private DependencyContext LoadAssemblyContext(Assembly assembly)
+        private DependencyContext LoadAssemblyContext(Assembly assembly, IDependencyContextReader reader)
         {
             using (var stream = GetResourceStream(assembly, assembly.GetName().Name + DepsJsonExtension))
             {
                 if (stream != null)
                 {
-                    return _jsonReader.Read(stream);
+                    return reader.Read(stream);
                 }
             }
 
@@ -121,7 +123,7 @@ namespace Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyModel
             {
                 using (var stream = _fileSystem.File.OpenRead(depsJsonFile))
                 {
-                    return _jsonReader.Read(stream);
+                    return reader.Read(stream);
                 }
             }
 
diff --git a/src/Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyModel/IDependencyContextReader.cs b/src/Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyModel/IDependencyContextReader.cs
index 57b2a442e..0603b5b66 100644
--- a/src/Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyModel/IDependencyContextReader.cs
+++ b/src/Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyModel/IDependencyContextReader.cs
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
+using System;
 using System.IO;
 
 namespace Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyModel
 {
-    public interface IDependencyContextReader
+    public interface IDependencyContextReader: IDisposable
     {
         DependencyContext Read(Stream stream);
     }