diff --git a/infer/src/IR/AccessPath.ml b/infer/src/IR/AccessPath.ml
index 3b6af7622..098b43b78 100644
--- a/infer/src/IR/AccessPath.ml
+++ b/infer/src/IR/AccessPath.ml
@@ -302,8 +302,7 @@ let inner_class_normalize p =
     (* this$n.f ... -> this.f . ... *)
     (* happens in ctrs only *)
     | Some ((Var.ProgramVar pvar, typ), all_accesses) when is_synthetic_this pvar ->
-        let varname = Mangled.from_string "this" in
-        mk_pvar_as varname pvar
+        mk_pvar_as Mangled.this pvar
         |> Option.map ~f:(fun new_pvar -> (base_of_pvar new_pvar typ, all_accesses))
     | _ ->
         None
diff --git a/infer/src/IR/Mangled.ml b/infer/src/IR/Mangled.ml
index 397fe3308..27363b24d 100644
--- a/infer/src/IR/Mangled.ml
+++ b/infer/src/IR/Mangled.ml
@@ -34,6 +34,10 @@ let to_string_full (pn : t) =
 (** Pretty print a mangled name *)
 let pp f pn = F.pp_print_string f (to_string pn)
 
+let this = from_string "this"
+
+let is_this = function {plain= "this"} -> true | _ -> false
+
 module Set = Caml.Set.Make (struct
   type nonrec t = t
 
diff --git a/infer/src/IR/Mangled.mli b/infer/src/IR/Mangled.mli
index 9e33b782c..1d7289134 100644
--- a/infer/src/IR/Mangled.mli
+++ b/infer/src/IR/Mangled.mli
@@ -31,6 +31,10 @@ val to_string_full : t -> string
 val pp : Format.formatter -> t -> unit
 (** Pretty print a mangled name *)
 
+val this : t
+
+val is_this : t -> bool
+
 (** Set of Mangled. *)
 module Set : Caml.Set.S with type elt = t
 
diff --git a/infer/src/IR/Pvar.ml b/infer/src/IR/Pvar.ml
index 2b8c35840..1e0f29411 100644
--- a/infer/src/IR/Pvar.ml
+++ b/infer/src/IR/Pvar.ml
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ let compare_modulo_this x y =
     else
       let cmp = Mangled.compare x.pv_name y.pv_name in
       if not (Int.equal 0 cmp) then cmp
-      else if String.equal "this" (Mangled.to_string x.pv_name) then 0
+      else if Mangled.is_this x.pv_name then 0
       else compare_pvar_kind x.pv_kind y.pv_kind
 
 
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ let is_global pv = match pv.pv_kind with Global_var _ -> true | _ -> false
 let is_static_local pv = match pv.pv_kind with Global_var (_, _, _, true, _) -> true | _ -> false
 
 (** Check if a pvar is the special "this" var *)
-let is_this pvar = Mangled.equal (get_name pvar) (Mangled.from_string "this")
+let is_this pvar = Mangled.is_this (get_name pvar)
 
 (** Check if a pvar is the special "self" var *)
 let is_self pvar = Mangled.equal (get_name pvar) (Mangled.from_string "self")
diff --git a/infer/src/eradicate/AnnotatedSignature.ml b/infer/src/eradicate/AnnotatedSignature.ml
index 18504ced1..f4e89ef8d 100644
--- a/infer/src/eradicate/AnnotatedSignature.ml
+++ b/infer/src/eradicate/AnnotatedSignature.ml
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ let mark proc_name ann asig (b, bs) =
     in
     let rec combine l1 l2 =
       match (l1, l2) with
-      | (p, ia, t) :: l1', l2' when String.equal (Mangled.to_string p) "this" ->
+      | (p, ia, t) :: l1', l2' when Mangled.is_this p ->
           (p, ia, t) :: combine l1' l2'
       | (s, ia, t) :: l1', x :: l2' ->
           mark_param (s, ia, t) x :: combine l1' l2'
diff --git a/infer/src/eradicate/eradicateChecks.ml b/infer/src/eradicate/eradicateChecks.ml
index a11702160..1c17885bd 100644
--- a/infer/src/eradicate/eradicateChecks.ml
+++ b/infer/src/eradicate/eradicateChecks.ml
@@ -51,12 +51,7 @@ let classify_procedure proc_attributes =
   classification
 
 
-let is_virtual = function
-  | (p, _, _) :: _ when String.equal (Mangled.to_string p) "this" ->
-      true
-  | _ ->
-      false
-
+let is_virtual = function (p, _, _) :: _ when Mangled.is_this p -> true | _ -> false
 
 (** Check an access (read or write) to a field. *)
 let check_field_access tenv find_canonical_duplicate curr_pname node instr_ref exp fname ta loc :
@@ -259,7 +254,7 @@ let check_constructor_initialization tenv find_canonical_duplicate curr_pname cu
                 | TypeOrigin.Undef ->
                     false
                 | TypeOrigin.Field (TypeOrigin.Formal name, _, _) ->
-                    let circular = String.equal (Mangled.to_string name) "this" in
+                    let circular = Mangled.is_this name in
                     not circular
                 | _ ->
                     true
diff --git a/infer/src/eradicate/typeCheck.ml b/infer/src/eradicate/typeCheck.ml
index 1a8d1b25e..2918b82c4 100644
--- a/infer/src/eradicate/typeCheck.ml
+++ b/infer/src/eradicate/typeCheck.ml
@@ -350,8 +350,8 @@ let typecheck_instr tenv calls_this checks (node : Procdesc.Node.t) idenv curr_p
           constructor_check_calls_this calls_this pname ;
           (* Drop reference parameters to this and outer objects. *)
           let is_hidden_parameter (n, _) =
-            let n_str = Mangled.to_string n in
-            String.equal n_str "this" || Str.string_match (Str.regexp "$bcvar[0-9]+") n_str 0
+            Mangled.is_this n
+            || Str.string_match (Str.regexp "$bcvar[0-9]+") (Mangled.to_string n) 0
           in
           let rec drop_n_args ntl =
             match ntl with
@@ -502,10 +502,10 @@ let typecheck_instr tenv calls_this checks (node : Procdesc.Node.t) idenv curr_p
                 ~f:(fun i (_, typ) ->
                   let arg =
                     if Int.equal i 0 && not (Typ.Procname.Java.is_static callee_pname_java) then
-                      "this"
-                    else Printf.sprintf "arg%d" i
+                      Mangled.this
+                    else Printf.sprintf "arg%d" i |> Mangled.from_string
                   in
-                  (Mangled.from_string arg, typ) )
+                  (arg, typ) )
                 etl_
             in
             let ret_type = Typ.Procname.Java.get_return_typ callee_pname_java in
@@ -774,8 +774,7 @@ let typecheck_instr tenv calls_this checks (node : Procdesc.Node.t) idenv curr_p
             ~f:(fun (sparam, _) ->
               let s, _, _ = sparam in
               let param_is_this =
-                String.equal (Mangled.to_string s) "this"
-                || String.is_prefix ~prefix:"this$" (Mangled.to_string s)
+                Mangled.is_this s || String.is_prefix ~prefix:"this$" (Mangled.to_string s)
               in
               not param_is_this )
             (List.zip_exn sig_slice call_slice)
diff --git a/infer/src/eradicate/typeErr.ml b/infer/src/eradicate/typeErr.ml
index 054f0427f..6d9fa8fbf 100644
--- a/infer/src/eradicate/typeErr.ml
+++ b/infer/src/eradicate/typeErr.ml
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ module Severity = struct
 
   let this_type_get_severity tenv (signature : AnnotatedSignature.t) =
     match signature.params with
-    | (p, _, this_type) :: _ when String.equal (Mangled.to_string p) "this" ->
+    | (p, _, this_type) :: _ when Mangled.is_this p ->
         Option.bind ~f:get_severity (PatternMatch.type_get_annotation tenv this_type)
     | _ ->
         None
diff --git a/infer/src/java/jConfig.ml b/infer/src/java/jConfig.ml
index 8d439903c..8d8cb553d 100644
--- a/infer/src/java/jConfig.ml
+++ b/infer/src/java/jConfig.ml
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ let out_of_bound_cl = "java.lang.ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException"
 
 (** {2 Names of special variables, constants and method names} *)
 
-let this = Mangled.from_string "this"
+let this = Mangled.this
 
 let constructor_name = "<init>"
 
diff --git a/infer/src/quandary/JavaTrace.ml b/infer/src/quandary/JavaTrace.ml
index c6facdabc..62ce62fd9 100644
--- a/infer/src/quandary/JavaTrace.ml
+++ b/infer/src/quandary/JavaTrace.ml
@@ -158,11 +158,7 @@ module SourceKind = struct
       List.map
         ~f:(fun (name, typ) ->
           let taint =
-            match Mangled.to_string name with
-            | "this" ->
-                None
-            | _ ->
-                Some (make_source name typ.Typ.desc)
+            if Mangled.is_this name then None else Some (make_source name typ.Typ.desc)
           in
           (name, typ, taint) )
         (Procdesc.get_formals pdesc)