diff --git a/src/as/asLib.h b/src/as/asLib.h
index 352fd7c2b..4f592b19b 100644
--- a/src/as/asLib.h
+++ b/src/as/asLib.h
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ typedef struct asgClient {
 epicsShareFunc long epicsShareAPI asComputeAsg(ASG *pasg);
 /*following is "friend" function*/
 epicsShareFunc void * epicsShareAPI asCalloc(size_t nobj,size_t size);
-
+epicsShareFunc char * epicsShareAPI asStrdup(unsigned char *str);
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/src/as/asLibRoutines.c b/src/as/asLibRoutines.c
index 873f7b80c..37846ab68 100644
--- a/src/as/asLibRoutines.c
+++ b/src/as/asLibRoutines.c
@@ -842,6 +842,11 @@ epicsShareFunc void * epicsShareAPI asCalloc(size_t nobj,size_t size)
     p=callocMustSucceed(nobj,size,"asCalloc");
     return(p);
 }
+epicsShareFunc char * epicsShareAPI asStrdup(unsigned char *str)
+{
+	size_t len = strlen((char *) str);
+	return (char *) asCalloc(1, len + 1);
+}
 
 static long asAddMemberPvt(ASMEMBERPVT *pasMemberPvt,const char *asgName)
 {