diff --git a/pkg/kernel/binary.md b/pkg/kernel/binary.md
index ba13f5c..0af9f95 100644
--- a/pkg/kernel/binary.md
+++ b/pkg/kernel/binary.md
@@ -42,6 +42,8 @@
 
 type UInt32 = big endian 32-bit unsigned integer
 
+type Double = Double-precision floating-point number.
+
 type List<T> {
   UInt length;
   T[length] items;
@@ -711,7 +713,7 @@
 
 type DoubleLiteral extends Expression {
   Byte tag = 40;
-  StringReference valueString;
+  Double value;
 }
 
 type TrueLiteral extends Expression {
@@ -874,7 +876,7 @@
 
 type DoubleConstant extends Constant {
   Byte tag = 3;
-  StringReference value;
+  Double value;
 }
 
 type StringConstant extends Constant {
diff --git a/pkg/kernel/lib/binary/ast_from_binary.dart b/pkg/kernel/lib/binary/ast_from_binary.dart
index d9e61cc..4ff4a37 100644
--- a/pkg/kernel/lib/binary/ast_from_binary.dart
+++ b/pkg/kernel/lib/binary/ast_from_binary.dart
@@ -97,6 +97,22 @@
         readByte();
   }
 
+  final Float64List _doubleBuffer = new Float64List(1);
+  Uint8List _doubleBufferUint8;
+
+  double readDouble() {
+    _doubleBufferUint8 ??= _doubleBuffer.buffer.asUint8List();
+    _doubleBufferUint8[0] = readByte();
+    _doubleBufferUint8[1] = readByte();
+    _doubleBufferUint8[2] = readByte();
+    _doubleBufferUint8[3] = readByte();
+    _doubleBufferUint8[4] = readByte();
+    _doubleBufferUint8[5] = readByte();
+    _doubleBufferUint8[6] = readByte();
+    _doubleBufferUint8[7] = readByte();
+    return _doubleBuffer[0];
+  }
+
   List<int> readByteList() {
     List<int> bytes = new Uint8List(readUInt());
     bytes.setRange(0, bytes.length, _bytes, _byteOffset);
@@ -174,7 +190,7 @@
       case ConstantTag.IntConstant:
         return new IntConstant((readExpression() as IntLiteral).value);
       case ConstantTag.DoubleConstant:
-        return new DoubleConstant(double.parse(readStringReference()));
+        return new DoubleConstant(readDouble());
       case ConstantTag.StringConstant:
         return new StringConstant(readStringReference());
       case ConstantTag.MapConstant:
@@ -1333,7 +1349,7 @@
       case Tag.BigIntLiteral:
         return new IntLiteral(int.parse(readStringReference()));
       case Tag.DoubleLiteral:
-        return new DoubleLiteral(double.parse(readStringReference()));
+        return new DoubleLiteral(readDouble());
       case Tag.TrueLiteral:
         return new BoolLiteral(true);
       case Tag.FalseLiteral:
diff --git a/pkg/kernel/lib/binary/ast_to_binary.dart b/pkg/kernel/lib/binary/ast_to_binary.dart
index adb16a0..a65dd03 100644
--- a/pkg/kernel/lib/binary/ast_to_binary.dart
+++ b/pkg/kernel/lib/binary/ast_to_binary.dart
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@
       writeInteger(constant.value);
     } else if (constant is DoubleConstant) {
       writeByte(ConstantTag.DoubleConstant);
-      writeStringReference('${constant.value}');
+      writeDouble(constant.value);
     } else if (constant is StringConstant) {
       writeByte(ConstantTag.StringConstant);
       writeStringReference(constant.value);
@@ -1238,13 +1238,12 @@
 
   @override
   void visitDoubleLiteral(DoubleLiteral node) {
+    writeByte(Tag.DoubleLiteral);
     writeDouble(node.value);
   }
 
   writeDouble(double value) {
-    // TODO: Pick a better format for double literals.
-    writeByte(Tag.DoubleLiteral);
-    writeStringReference('$value');
+    _sink.addDouble(value);
   }
 
   @override
@@ -2190,8 +2189,20 @@
   int length = 0;
   int flushedLength = 0;
 
+  Float64List _doubleBuffer = new Float64List(1);
+  Uint8List _doubleBufferUint8;
+
   BufferedSink(this._sink);
 
+  void addDouble(double d) {
+    _doubleBufferUint8 ??= _doubleBuffer.buffer.asUint8List();
+    _doubleBuffer[0] = d;
+    addByte4(_doubleBufferUint8[0], _doubleBufferUint8[1],
+        _doubleBufferUint8[2], _doubleBufferUint8[3]);
+    addByte4(_doubleBufferUint8[4], _doubleBufferUint8[5],
+        _doubleBufferUint8[6], _doubleBufferUint8[7]);
+  }
+
   void addByte(int byte) {
     _buffer[length++] = byte;
     if (length == SIZE) {
diff --git a/runtime/vm/compiler/frontend/kernel_binary_flowgraph.cc b/runtime/vm/compiler/frontend/kernel_binary_flowgraph.cc
index 77cdb04..5d5b373 100644
--- a/runtime/vm/compiler/frontend/kernel_binary_flowgraph.cc
+++ b/runtime/vm/compiler/frontend/kernel_binary_flowgraph.cc
@@ -1633,7 +1633,7 @@
       builder_->ReadUInt();  // read value.
       return;
     case kDoubleLiteral:
-      builder_->SkipStringReference();  // read index into string table.
+      builder_->ReadDouble();  // read value.
       return;
     case kTrueLiteral:
       return;
@@ -3602,8 +3602,7 @@
 }
 
 void StreamingConstantEvaluator::EvaluateDoubleLiteral() {
-  result_ = Double::New(H.DartString(builder_->ReadStringReference()),
-                        Heap::kOld);  // read string reference.
+  result_ = Double::New(builder_->ReadDouble(), Heap::kOld);  // read value.
   result_ = H.Canonicalize(result_);
 }
 
@@ -4276,9 +4275,13 @@
     case kPositiveIntLiteral:
       BuildHash(ReadUInt());  // read value.
       return;
-    case kDoubleLiteral:
-      CalculateStringReferenceFingerprint();  // read index into string table.
+    case kDoubleLiteral: {
+      double value = ReadDouble();  // read value.
+      uint64_t data = bit_cast<uint64_t>(value);
+      BuildHash(static_cast<uint32_t>(data >> 32));
+      BuildHash(static_cast<uint32_t>(data));
       return;
+    }
     case kTrueLiteral:
       return;
     case kFalseLiteral:
@@ -6047,6 +6050,10 @@
   return reader_.ReadUInt();
 }
 
+double KernelReaderHelper::ReadDouble() {
+  return reader_.ReadDouble();
+}
+
 uint32_t KernelReaderHelper::PeekListLength() {
   AlternativeReadingScope alt(&reader_);
   return reader_.ReadListLength();
@@ -6492,7 +6499,7 @@
       ReadUInt();  // read value.
       return;
     case kDoubleLiteral:
-      SkipStringReference();  // read index into string table.
+      ReadDouble();  // read value.
       return;
     case kTrueLiteral:
       return;
@@ -8986,8 +8993,7 @@
   if (position != NULL) *position = TokenPosition::kNoSource;
 
   Double& constant = Double::ZoneHandle(
-      Z, Double::NewCanonical(
-             H.DartString(ReadStringReference())));  // read string reference.
+      Z, Double::NewCanonical(ReadDouble()));  // read double.
   return Constant(constant);
 }
 
@@ -10718,8 +10724,7 @@
         break;
       }
       case kDoubleConstant: {
-        temp_instance_ = Double::New(
-            H.DartString(builder_.ReadStringReference()), Heap::kOld);
+        temp_instance_ = Double::New(builder_.ReadDouble(), Heap::kOld);
         temp_instance_ = H.Canonicalize(temp_instance_);
         break;
       }
diff --git a/runtime/vm/compiler/frontend/kernel_binary_flowgraph.h b/runtime/vm/compiler/frontend/kernel_binary_flowgraph.h
index f32e38f..87ef12b 100644
--- a/runtime/vm/compiler/frontend/kernel_binary_flowgraph.h
+++ b/runtime/vm/compiler/frontend/kernel_binary_flowgraph.h
@@ -1042,6 +1042,7 @@
   uint32_t ReadUInt();
   uint32_t ReadUInt32();
   uint32_t PeekUInt();
+  double ReadDouble();
   uint32_t PeekListLength();
   StringIndex ReadStringReference();
   NameIndex ReadCanonicalNameReference();
diff --git a/runtime/vm/kernel_binary.h b/runtime/vm/kernel_binary.h
index 1106d45..daee540 100644
--- a/runtime/vm/kernel_binary.h
+++ b/runtime/vm/kernel_binary.h
@@ -213,6 +213,14 @@
     return value;
   }
 
+  double ReadDouble() {
+    ASSERT((size_ >= 8) && (offset_ >= 0) && (offset_ <= size_ - 8));
+    double value = ReadUnaligned(
+        reinterpret_cast<const double*>(&this->buffer()[offset_]));
+    offset_ += 8;
+    return value;
+  }
+
   uint32_t ReadUInt() {
     ASSERT((size_ >= 1) && (offset_ >= 0) && (offset_ <= size_ - 1));
 
diff --git a/runtime/vm/kernel_loader.cc b/runtime/vm/kernel_loader.cc
index 4b83212..6a3358c 100644
--- a/runtime/vm/kernel_loader.cc
+++ b/runtime/vm/kernel_loader.cc
@@ -82,8 +82,7 @@
         return true;
       case kDoubleLiteral:
         simple_value_ = &Double::ZoneHandle(
-            Z, Double::New(H.DartString(builder_->ReadStringReference()),
-                           Heap::kOld));  // read string reference.
+            Z, Double::New(builder_->ReadDouble(), Heap::kOld));  // read value.
         *simple_value_ = H.Canonicalize(*simple_value_);
         return true;
       case kTrueLiteral: