diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 676cded3..ac6cc66c 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+2010-12-15  Daniele Varrazzo  <daniele.varrazzo@gmail.com>
+
+	* psycopg/utils.c: Added psycopg_strdup function.
+
 2010-12-14  Daniele Varrazzo  <daniele.varrazzo@gmail.com>
 
 	* psycopg/connection_type.c: No need to put connection fields to zero.
diff --git a/psycopg/psycopg.h b/psycopg/psycopg.h
index d023e47e..00cb98ad 100644
--- a/psycopg/psycopg.h
+++ b/psycopg/psycopg.h
@@ -120,6 +120,8 @@ HIDDEN void psyco_set_error(PyObject *exc, PyObject *curs,  const char *msg,
 HIDDEN char *psycopg_escape_string(PyObject *conn,
               const char *from, Py_ssize_t len, char *to, Py_ssize_t *tolen);
 
+HIDDEN char *psycopg_strdup(const char *from, Py_ssize_t len);
+
 /* Exceptions docstrings */
 #define Error_doc \
 "Base class for error exceptions."
diff --git a/psycopg/utils.c b/psycopg/utils.c
index 22464e60..f2a0ab09 100644
--- a/psycopg/utils.c
+++ b/psycopg/utils.c
@@ -70,3 +70,25 @@ psycopg_escape_string(PyObject *obj, const char *from, Py_ssize_t len,
         
     return to;
 }
+
+/* Duplicate a string.
+ *
+ * Allocate a new buffer on the Python heap containing the new string.
+ * 'len' is optional: if 0 the length is calculated.
+ *
+ * Return NULL and set an exception in case of error.
+ */
+char *
+psycopg_strdup(const char *from, Py_ssize_t len)
+{
+    char *rv;
+
+    if (!len) { len = strlen(from); }
+    if (!(rv = PyMem_Malloc(len + 1))) {
+        PyErr_NoMemory();
+        return NULL;
+    }
+    strcpy(rv, from);
+    return rv;
+}
+