diff --git a/s3fs/src/Makefile.am b/s3fs/src/Makefile.am
index dcf872e..9417577 100644
--- a/s3fs/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/s3fs/src/Makefile.am
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 bin_PROGRAMS=s3fs
-s3fs_SOURCES=s3fs.cpp
+
 AM_CPPFLAGS = $(DEPS_CFLAGS)
+
+s3fs_SOURCES = s3fs.cpp string_util.cpp
 s3fs_LDADD = $(DEPS_LIBS)
 
-
diff --git a/s3fs/src/s3fs.cpp b/s3fs/src/s3fs.cpp
index acb6aba..6b1543b 100644
--- a/s3fs/src/s3fs.cpp
+++ b/s3fs/src/s3fs.cpp
@@ -37,11 +37,12 @@
 
 #include <fstream>
 #include <iostream>
-#include <sstream>
 #include <vector>
 #include <algorithm>
 #include <strings.h>
 
+#include "string_util.h"
+
 using namespace std;
 
 class auto_fd {
@@ -59,31 +60,6 @@ class auto_fd {
   int fd;
 };
 
-template<typename T> string str(T value) {
-  stringstream tmp;
-  tmp << value;
-  return tmp.str();
-}
-
-inline string trim_left(const string& s, const string& t = SPACES) {
-  string d(s);
-  return d.erase(0, s.find_first_not_of(t)) ;
-}  // end of trim_left
-
-inline string trim_right(const string &s, const string &t = SPACES) {
-  string d(s);
-  string::size_type i(d.find_last_not_of(t));
-  if (i == string::npos)
-    return "";
-  else
-   return d.erase(d.find_last_not_of(t) + 1);
-}  // end of trim_right
-
-inline string trim(const string& s, const string& t = SPACES) {
-  string d(s);
-  return trim_left(trim_right(d, t), t);
-}  // end of trim
-
 class auto_lock {
  public:
   auto_lock(pthread_mutex_t& lock) : lock(lock) {
@@ -1644,14 +1620,6 @@ static int my_fuse_opt_proc(void *data, const char *arg, int key, struct fuse_ar
   return 1;
 }
 
-string StringToLower(string strToConvert) {
-  //change each element of the string to lower case
-  for(unsigned int i = 0; i< strToConvert.length(); i++) {
-     strToConvert[i] = tolower(strToConvert[i]);
-  }
-  return strToConvert;
-}
-
 int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
 
   for (int i = 1; i < argc; ++i) {
@@ -1675,7 +1643,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
     exit(1);
   }
 
-  if ( StringToLower(bucket) != bucket ) {
+  if (lower(bucket) != bucket) {
     cout << argv[0] << ": bucket \"" << bucket.c_str() << 
         "\" - buckets with upper case characters in their names are not supported" << endl;
     exit(1);
diff --git a/s3fs/src/s3fs.h b/s3fs/src/s3fs.h
index 1d77c5d..c070145 100644
--- a/s3fs/src/s3fs.h
+++ b/s3fs/src/s3fs.h
@@ -31,8 +31,6 @@ using namespace std;
   return result; \
 }
 
-#define SPACES " \t\r\n"
-
 typedef pair<double, double> progress_t;
 
 static long connect_timeout = 2;
diff --git a/s3fs/src/string_util.cpp b/s3fs/src/string_util.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b47fdd7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/s3fs/src/string_util.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+/*
+ * s3fs - FUSE-based file system backed by Amazon S3
+ *
+ * Copyright 2007-2008 Randy Rizun <rrizun@gmail.com>
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ * modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License
+ * as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2
+ * of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
+ * Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301, USA.
+ */
+
+#include "string_util.h"
+
+string lower(string s) {
+  // change each character of the string to lower case
+  for (unsigned int i = 0; i < s.length(); i++) {
+    s[i] = tolower(s[i]);
+  }
+  return s;
+}
+
diff --git a/s3fs/src/string_util.h b/s3fs/src/string_util.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a8731a3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/s3fs/src/string_util.h
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+#ifndef S3FS_STRING_UTIL_H_
+#define S3FS_STRING_UTIL_H_
+
+/*
+ * A collection of string utilities for manipulating URLs and HTTP responses.
+ */
+#include <sstream>
+#include <string>
+
+#define SPACES " \t\r\n"
+
+using namespace std;
+
+template<typename T> string str(T value) {
+  stringstream tmp;
+  tmp << value;
+  return tmp.str();
+}
+
+inline string trim_left(const string &s, const string &t = SPACES) {
+  string d(s);
+  return d.erase(0, s.find_first_not_of(t));
+}
+
+inline string trim_right(const string &s, const string &t = SPACES) {
+  string d(s);
+  string::size_type i(d.find_last_not_of(t));
+  if (i == string::npos)
+    return "";
+  else
+    return d.erase(d.find_last_not_of(t) + 1);
+}
+
+inline string trim(const string &s, const string &t = SPACES) {
+  string d(s);
+  return trim_left(trim_right(d, t), t);
+}
+
+string lower(string s);
+
+#endif // S3FS_STRING_UTIL_H_