diff --git a/src/runtime/asm_386.s b/src/runtime/asm_386.s
index 625bf7bf4e2..0a58faf19b2 100644
--- a/src/runtime/asm_386.s
+++ b/src/runtime/asm_386.s
@@ -1431,9 +1431,6 @@ TEXT runtime·cmpstring(SB),NOSPLIT,$0-20
 	MOVL	AX, ret+16(FP)
 	RET
 
-TEXT strings·Compare(SB),NOSPLIT,$0
-        JMP	runtime·cmpstring(SB)
-
 TEXT bytes·Compare(SB),NOSPLIT,$0-28
 	MOVL	s1+0(FP), SI
 	MOVL	s1+4(FP), BX
diff --git a/src/runtime/asm_amd64.s b/src/runtime/asm_amd64.s
index 2f9d520d448..8547228ee37 100644
--- a/src/runtime/asm_amd64.s
+++ b/src/runtime/asm_amd64.s
@@ -1364,9 +1364,6 @@ TEXT runtime·cmpstring(SB),NOSPLIT,$0-40
 	MOVQ	AX, ret+32(FP)
 	RET
 
-TEXT strings·Compare(SB),NOSPLIT,$0
-        JMP	runtime·cmpstring(SB)
-
 TEXT bytes·Compare(SB),NOSPLIT,$0-56
 	MOVQ	s1+0(FP), SI
 	MOVQ	s1+8(FP), BX
diff --git a/src/runtime/asm_amd64p32.s b/src/runtime/asm_amd64p32.s
index 807bb56f2a8..77355bb9987 100644
--- a/src/runtime/asm_amd64p32.s
+++ b/src/runtime/asm_amd64p32.s
@@ -832,9 +832,6 @@ TEXT runtime·cmpstring(SB),NOSPLIT,$0-20
 	MOVL	AX, ret+16(FP)
 	RET
 
-TEXT strings·Compare(SB),NOSPLIT,$0
-        JMP	runtime·cmpstring(SB)
-
 TEXT bytes·Compare(SB),NOSPLIT,$0-28
 	MOVL	s1+0(FP), SI
 	MOVL	s1+4(FP), BX
diff --git a/src/runtime/noasm.go b/src/runtime/noasm.go
index c6e63257cbd..7ffde379921 100644
--- a/src/runtime/noasm.go
+++ b/src/runtime/noasm.go
@@ -10,11 +10,6 @@ package runtime
 
 import _ "unsafe" // for go:linkname
 
-//go:linkname strings_Compare strings.Compare
-func strings_Compare(s1, s2 string) int {
-	return cmpstring(s1, s2)
-}
-
 func cmpstring(s1, s2 string) int {
 	l := len(s1)
 	if len(s2) < l {
diff --git a/src/strings/compare.go b/src/strings/compare.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b84dddea74e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/strings/compare.go
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+// Copyright 2015 The Go Authors.  All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+package strings
+
+// Compare returns an integer comparing two strings lexicographically.
+// The result will be 0 if a==b, -1 if a < b, and +1 if a > b.
+//
+// Compare is included only for symmetry with package bytes.
+// It is usually clearer and always faster to use the built-in
+// string comparison operators ==, <, >, and so on.
+func Compare(a, b string) int {
+	// NOTE(rsc): This function does NOT call the runtime cmpstring function,
+	// because we do not want to provide any performance justification for
+	// using strings.Compare. Basically no one should use strings.Compare.
+	// As the comment above says, it is here only for symmetry with package bytes.
+	// If performance is important, the compiler should be changed to recognize
+	// the pattern so that all code doing three-way comparisons, not just code
+	// using strings.Compare, can benefit.
+	if a == b {
+		return 0
+	}
+	if a < b {
+		return -1
+	}
+	return +1
+}
diff --git a/src/strings/strings_decl.go b/src/strings/strings_decl.go
index 9dc2a9a6c67..810a696af27 100644
--- a/src/strings/strings_decl.go
+++ b/src/strings/strings_decl.go
@@ -6,10 +6,3 @@ package strings
 
 // IndexByte returns the index of the first instance of c in s, or -1 if c is not present in s.
 func IndexByte(s string, c byte) int // ../runtime/asm_$GOARCH.s
-
-// Compare returns an integer comparing two strings lexicographically.
-// The result will be 0 if a==b, -1 if a < b, and +1 if a > b.
-//
-// In most cases it is simpler to use the built-in comparison operators
-// ==, <, >, and so on.
-func Compare(a, b string) int // ../runtime/noasm.go or ../runtime/asm_*.s