diff --git a/include/QF/dstring.h b/include/QF/dstring.h
index 682b2a3a5..2e78a38dc 100644
--- a/include/QF/dstring.h
+++ b/include/QF/dstring.h
@@ -57,8 +57,8 @@ extern dstring_mem_t dstring_default_mem;
 /** Create a new dstring. size and truesize start at 0 and no string buffer
 	is allocated.
 */
-dstring_t *_dstring_new(dstring_mem_t *mem);
-dstring_t *dstring_new(void);
+dstring_t *_dstring_new (dstring_mem_t *mem);
+dstring_t *dstring_new (void);
 //@}
 /** Delete a dstring. Both the string buffer and dstring object are freed.
 */
@@ -111,6 +111,11 @@ char *dstring_freeze (dstring_t *dstr);
 dstring_t *_dstring_newstr (dstring_mem_t *mem);
 dstring_t *dstring_newstr (void);
 //@}
+/** Create a new dstring from a string. Similar to strdup().
+	\param str		the string to copy
+	\return			inititialized dstring
+*/
+dstring_t *dstring_strdup (const char *str);
 /** Open up a hole in the string buffer. The contents of the opened hole
 	are undefined. The size of the opened hole will be 1 bigger than specified
 	allowing for a null terminator.
diff --git a/libs/util/dstring.c b/libs/util/dstring.c
index a9c1df348..efa7b191b 100644
--- a/libs/util/dstring.c
+++ b/libs/util/dstring.c
@@ -217,6 +217,14 @@ dstring_newstr (void)
 	return _dstring_newstr (&dstring_default_mem);
 }
 
+VISIBLE dstring_t *
+dstring_strdup (const char *str)
+{
+	dstring_t  *dstr = dstring_new ();
+	dstring_copystr (dstr, str);
+	return dstr;
+}
+
 VISIBLE char *
 dstring_reservestr (dstring_t *dstr, unsigned len)
 {