diff --git a/prost-derive/src/field/map.rs b/prost-derive/src/field/map.rs
index 4855cc5c6..da01d41ea 100644
--- a/prost-derive/src/field/map.rs
+++ b/prost-derive/src/field/map.rs
@@ -367,6 +367,7 @@ fn key_ty_from_str(s: &str) -> Result<scalar::Ty, Error> {
         | scalar::Ty::Sfixed32
         | scalar::Ty::Sfixed64
         | scalar::Ty::Bool
+        | scalar::Ty::SmallString
         | scalar::Ty::String => Ok(ty),
         _ => bail!("invalid map key type: {}", s),
     }
diff --git a/prost-derive/src/field/scalar.rs b/prost-derive/src/field/scalar.rs
index c2e870524..618f579f6 100644
--- a/prost-derive/src/field/scalar.rs
+++ b/prost-derive/src/field/scalar.rs
@@ -116,6 +116,13 @@ impl Field {
         let tag = self.tag;
 
         match self.kind {
+            Kind::Plain(DefaultValue::SmallString) => {
+                quote! {
+                    if !#ident.is_empty(){
+                        #encode_fn(#tag, &#ident, buf);
+                    }
+                }
+            }
             Kind::Plain(ref default) => {
                 let default = default.typed();
                 quote! {
@@ -170,6 +177,15 @@ impl Field {
         let tag = self.tag;
 
         match self.kind {
+            Kind::Plain(DefaultValue::SmallString) => {
+                quote! {
+                    if !#ident.is_empty() {
+                        #encoded_len_fn(#tag, &#ident)
+                    } else {
+                        0
+                    }
+                }
+            }
             Kind::Plain(ref default) => {
                 let default = default.typed();
                 quote! {
@@ -194,7 +210,7 @@ impl Field {
             Kind::Plain(ref default) | Kind::Required(ref default) => {
                 let default = default.typed();
                 match self.ty {
-                    Ty::String | Ty::Bytes(..) => quote!(#ident.clear()),
+                    Ty::String | Ty::SmallString | Ty::Bytes(..) => quote!(#ident.clear()),
                     _ => quote!(#ident = #default),
                 }
             }
@@ -398,6 +414,7 @@ pub enum Ty {
     Sfixed64,
     Bool,
     String,
+    SmallString,
     Bytes(BytesTy),
     Enumeration(Path),
 }
@@ -442,6 +459,7 @@ impl Ty {
             Meta::Path(ref name) if name.is_ident("sfixed64") => Ty::Sfixed64,
             Meta::Path(ref name) if name.is_ident("bool") => Ty::Bool,
             Meta::Path(ref name) if name.is_ident("string") => Ty::String,
+            Meta::Path(ref name) if name.is_ident("smallstring") => Ty::SmallString,
             Meta::Path(ref name) if name.is_ident("bytes") => Ty::Bytes(BytesTy::Vec),
             Meta::NameValue(MetaNameValue {
                 ref path,
@@ -487,6 +505,7 @@ impl Ty {
             "sfixed64" => Ty::Sfixed64,
             "bool" => Ty::Bool,
             "string" => Ty::String,
+            "smallstring" => Ty::SmallString,
             "bytes" => Ty::Bytes(BytesTy::Vec),
             s if s.len() > enumeration_len && &s[..enumeration_len] == "enumeration" => {
                 let s = &s[enumeration_len..].trim();
@@ -523,6 +542,7 @@ impl Ty {
             Ty::Sfixed64 => "sfixed64",
             Ty::Bool => "bool",
             Ty::String => "string",
+            Ty::SmallString => "smallstring",
             Ty::Bytes(..) => "bytes",
             Ty::Enumeration(..) => "enum",
         }
@@ -532,6 +552,7 @@ impl Ty {
     pub fn rust_type(&self) -> TokenStream {
         match self {
             Ty::String => quote!(::prost::alloc::string::String),
+            Ty::SmallString => quote!(::compact_str::CompactString),
             Ty::Bytes(ty) => ty.rust_type(),
             _ => self.rust_ref_type(),
         }
@@ -554,6 +575,7 @@ impl Ty {
             Ty::Sfixed64 => quote!(i64),
             Ty::Bool => quote!(bool),
             Ty::String => quote!(&str),
+            Ty::SmallString => quote!(&str),
             Ty::Bytes(..) => quote!(&[u8]),
             Ty::Enumeration(..) => quote!(i32),
         }
@@ -568,7 +590,7 @@ impl Ty {
 
     /// Returns false if the scalar type is length delimited (i.e., `string` or `bytes`).
     pub fn is_numeric(&self) -> bool {
-        !matches!(self, Ty::String | Ty::Bytes(..))
+        !matches!(self, Ty::String | Ty::SmallString | Ty::Bytes(..))
     }
 }
 
@@ -610,6 +632,7 @@ pub enum DefaultValue {
     U64(u64),
     Bool(bool),
     String(String),
+    SmallString,
     Bytes(Vec<u8>),
     Enumeration(TokenStream),
     Path(Path),
@@ -774,6 +797,7 @@ impl DefaultValue {
 
             Ty::Bool => DefaultValue::Bool(false),
             Ty::String => DefaultValue::String(String::new()),
+            Ty::SmallString => DefaultValue::SmallString,
             Ty::Bytes(..) => DefaultValue::Bytes(Vec::new()),
             Ty::Enumeration(ref path) => DefaultValue::Enumeration(quote!(#path::default())),
         }
@@ -785,6 +809,9 @@ impl DefaultValue {
                 quote!(::prost::alloc::string::String::new())
             }
             DefaultValue::String(ref value) => quote!(#value.into()),
+            DefaultValue::SmallString => {
+                quote!(::compact_str::CompactString::default())
+            }
             DefaultValue::Bytes(ref value) if value.is_empty() => {
                 quote!(::core::default::Default::default())
             }
@@ -800,6 +827,8 @@ impl DefaultValue {
     pub fn typed(&self) -> TokenStream {
         if let DefaultValue::Enumeration(_) = *self {
             quote!(#self as i32)
+        } else if let DefaultValue::SmallString = *self {
+            quote!(Default::default())
         } else {
             quote!(#self)
         }
@@ -817,6 +846,7 @@ impl ToTokens for DefaultValue {
             DefaultValue::U64(value) => value.to_tokens(tokens),
             DefaultValue::Bool(value) => value.to_tokens(tokens),
             DefaultValue::String(ref value) => value.to_tokens(tokens),
+            DefaultValue::SmallString => "".to_tokens(tokens),
             DefaultValue::Bytes(ref value) => {
                 let byte_str = LitByteStr::new(value, Span::call_site());
                 tokens.append_all(quote!(#byte_str as &[u8]));
diff --git a/prost/Cargo.toml b/prost/Cargo.toml
index cc4e52689..28310c2ba 100644
--- a/prost/Cargo.toml
+++ b/prost/Cargo.toml
@@ -21,10 +21,12 @@ derive = ["dep:prost-derive"]
 prost-derive = ["derive"]     # deprecated, please use derive feature instead
 no-recursion-limit = []
 std = []
+smallstring = ["compact_str"]
 
 [dependencies]
 bytes = { version = "1", default-features = false }
 prost-derive = { version = "0.12.6", path = "../prost-derive", optional = true }
+compact_str = { version = "0.8.0-beta", optional = true }
 
 [dev-dependencies]
 criterion = { version = "0.5", default-features = false }
diff --git a/prost/src/encoding.rs b/prost/src/encoding.rs
index 88f65e643..305abf536 100644
--- a/prost/src/encoding.rs
+++ b/prost/src/encoding.rs
@@ -832,6 +832,76 @@ pub mod string {
     }
 }
 
+#[cfg(feature = "smallstring")]
+pub mod smallstring {
+    use super::*;
+    use core::mem::ManuallyDrop;
+
+    pub fn encode<B>(tag: u32, value: &str, buf: &mut B)
+    where
+        B: BufMut,
+    {
+        encode_key(tag, WireType::LengthDelimited, buf);
+        encode_varint(value.len() as u64, buf);
+        buf.put_slice(value.as_bytes());
+    }
+    pub fn merge<B>(
+        wire_type: WireType,
+        value: &mut compact_str::CompactString,
+        buf: &mut B,
+        ctx: DecodeContext,
+    ) -> Result<(), DecodeError>
+    where
+        B: Buf,
+    {
+        unsafe {
+            let mut fake_vec = ManuallyDrop::new(Vec::from_raw_parts(
+                value.as_mut_ptr(),
+                value.len(),
+                value.capacity(),
+            ));
+
+            bytes::merge_one_copy(wire_type, &mut *fake_vec, buf, ctx)?;
+            match compact_str::CompactString::from_utf8(&*fake_vec) {
+                Ok(s) => {
+                    *value = s;
+                    Ok(())
+                }
+                Err(_) => Err(DecodeError::new(
+                    "invalid string value: data is not UTF-8 encoded",
+                )),
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    length_delimited!(compact_str::CompactString);
+
+    #[cfg(test)]
+    mod test {
+        use compact_str::{CompactString, ToCompactString};
+        use proptest::prelude::*;
+
+        use super::super::test::{check_collection_type, check_type};
+        use super::*;
+
+        proptest! {
+            #[test]
+            fn check(value: String, tag in MIN_TAG..=MAX_TAG) {
+                let value = value.to_compact_string();
+                super::test::check_type(value, tag, WireType::LengthDelimited,
+                                        encode, merge, |tag, s| encoded_len(tag, &s.to_compact_string()))?;
+            }
+            #[test]
+            fn check_repeated(value: Vec<String>, tag in MIN_TAG..=MAX_TAG) {
+                let value = value.into_iter().map(CompactString::from).collect();
+                super::test::check_collection_type(value, tag, WireType::LengthDelimited,
+                                                   encode_repeated, merge_repeated,
+                                                   encoded_len_repeated)?;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 pub trait BytesAdapter: sealed::BytesAdapter {}
 
 mod sealed {