diff --git a/toybox/supervisor.js b/toybox/supervisor.js
index 2294776..17eaa38 100644
--- a/toybox/supervisor.js
+++ b/toybox/supervisor.js
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ export class Vat extends DurableObject {
 	 * @returns {Promise<string>} the code's SHA-256, hex
 	 */
 	async start(src, egress, kind = "app") {
-		const hash = hex(await crypto.subtle.digest("SHA-256", new TextEncoder().encode(src)));
+		const hash = hex(await crypto.subtle.digest("SHA-256", encodeUtf8(src)));
 		const { sql } = this.ctx.storage;
 		sql.exec("INSERT OR IGNORE INTO bundle VALUES (?, ?)", hash, src);
 		sql.exec("INSERT OR REPLACE INTO current VALUES (0, ?)", hash);
@@ -164,7 +164,8 @@ export class Egress extends WorkerEntrypoint {
 const VAT_ADMIN = "vatAdmin";
 /** The swissnum of an OCapN vat's bootstrap (see vat-runtime.js). */
 const VAT_SWISSNUM = "vat";
-const encoder = new TextEncoder();
+/** UTF-8 bytes of a string: the method alone, so no encoder object is in module scope. */
+const encodeUtf8 = harden(TextEncoder.prototype.encode.bind(new TextEncoder()));
 
 /**
  * The vatAdmin: an OCapN peer, and the router through which every OCapN
@@ -209,7 +210,7 @@ export class VatAdmin extends DurableObject {
 
 	#enliven(designator, swissnum) {
 		return this.ocapn.enlivenSturdyRef(
-			this.ocapn.makeSturdyRef(locationOf(designator), swissnumFromBytes(encoder.encode(swissnum))),
+			this.ocapn.makeSturdyRef(locationOf(designator), swissnumFromBytes(encodeUtf8(swissnum))),
 		);
 	}