diff --git a/headers/private/storage/storage_support.h b/headers/private/storage/storage_support.h
index 93ad017c84..ddc2dfce68 100644
--- a/headers/private/storage/storage_support.h
+++ b/headers/private/storage/storage_support.h
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 #ifndef _STORAGE_SUPPORT_H
 #define _STORAGE_SUPPORT_H
 
+#include <string>
 
 namespace BPrivate {
 namespace Storage {
@@ -38,6 +39,18 @@ status_t check_entry_name(const char *entry);
 //! Checks whether a path name is a valid path name.
 status_t check_path_name(const char *path);
 
+//! Returns a copy of \c str in which all alphabetic characters are lowercase.
+std::string to_lower(const char *str);
+
+//! Places a copy of \c str in \c result in which all alphabetic characters are lowercase.
+void to_lower(const char *str, std::string &result);
+
+//! Copies \c str into \c result, converting any uppercase alphabetics to lowercase.
+void to_lower(const char *str, char *result);
+
+//! Converts \c str to lowercase.
+void to_lower(char *str);
+
 };	// namespace Storage
 };	// namespace BPrivate
 
diff --git a/src/kits/storage/storage_support.cpp b/src/kits/storage/storage_support.cpp
index 1b1c782de8..a91c9f91b2 100644
--- a/src/kits/storage/storage_support.cpp
+++ b/src/kits/storage/storage_support.cpp
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 */
 
 #include <new>
+#include <ctype.h>
 #include <string.h>
 
 #include <StorageDefs.h>
@@ -315,6 +316,49 @@ check_path_name(const char *path)
 	return error;
 }
 
+/*! Returns "(null)" if you're a bonehead and pass in a \c NULL pointer.
+*/
+std::string
+to_lower(const char *str)
+{
+	std::string result;
+	to_lower(str, result);
+	return result;
+}
+
+/*! Returns "(null)" if you're a bonehead and pass in a \c NULL pointer.
+*/
+void
+to_lower(const char *str, std::string &result)
+{
+	if (str) {
+		result = "";
+		for (int i = 0; i < strlen(str); i++)
+			result += tolower(str[i]);
+	} else
+		result = "(null)";
+}
+
+/*! \c str and \c result may point to the same string. \c result is
+	assumed to be as long as or longer than \c str. 
+*/
+void
+to_lower(const char *str, char *result)
+{
+	if (str && result) {
+		int i;
+		for (i = 0; i < strlen(str); i++)
+			result[i] = tolower(str[i]);
+		result[i] = 0;
+	}	
+}
+
+void
+to_lower(char *str)
+{
+	to_lower(str, str);
+}
+
 
 };	// namespace Storage
 };	// namespace BPrivate