diff --git a/include/wx/list.h b/include/wx/list.h
index bfd500d94f..e3c8284fb6 100644
--- a/include/wx/list.h
+++ b/include/wx/list.h
@@ -37,10 +37,6 @@
 #include "wx/object.h"
 #include "wx/string.h"
 
-// due to circular header dependencies this function has to be declared here
-// (normally it's found in utils.h which includes itself list.h...)
-extern WXDLLIMPEXP_BASE wxChar* copystring(const wxChar *s);
-
 class WXDLLIMPEXP_BASE wxObjectListNode;
 typedef wxObjectListNode wxNode;
 
@@ -568,12 +564,10 @@ public:
 
     // operations
         // makes a copy of the string
-    wxNode *Add(const wxChar *s)
-        { return (wxNode *)wxStringListBase::Append(copystring(s)); }
+    wxNode *Add(const wxChar *s);
         
         // Append to beginning of list
-    wxNode *Prepend(const wxChar *s)
-        { return (wxNode *)wxStringListBase::Insert(copystring(s)); }
+    wxNode *Prepend(const wxChar *s);
 
     bool Delete(const wxChar *s);
 
diff --git a/include/wx/utils.h b/include/wx/utils.h
index 0880439f85..8d41542f1e 100644
--- a/include/wx/utils.h
+++ b/include/wx/utils.h
@@ -57,7 +57,9 @@ class WXDLLIMPEXP_BASE wxPoint;
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 // Make a copy of this string using 'new'
+#if WXWIN_COMPATIBILITY_2_4
 WXDLLIMPEXP_BASE wxChar* copystring(const wxChar *s);
+#endif
 
 #if WXWIN_COMPATIBILITY_2
 // Matches string one within string two regardless of case
diff --git a/src/common/docview.cpp b/src/common/docview.cpp
index 17fcf47504..8714a27a85 100644
--- a/src/common/docview.cpp
+++ b/src/common/docview.cpp
@@ -1988,6 +1988,18 @@ void wxDocPrintout::GetPageInfo(int *minPage, int *maxPage, int *selPageFrom, in
 // File history processor
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
+static inline wxChar* MYcopystring(const wxString& s)
+{
+    wxChar* copy = new wxChar[s.length() + 1];
+    return wxStrcpy(copy, s.c_str());
+}
+
+static inline wxChar* MYcopystring(const wxChar* s)
+{
+    wxChar* copy = new wxChar[wxStrlen(s) + 1];
+    return wxStrcpy(copy, s);
+}
+
 wxFileHistory::wxFileHistory(size_t maxFiles, wxWindowID idBase)
 {
     m_fileMaxFiles = maxFiles;
@@ -2058,7 +2070,7 @@ void wxFileHistory::AddFileToHistory(const wxString& file)
     {
         m_fileHistory[i] = m_fileHistory[i-1];
     }
-    m_fileHistory[0] = copystring(file);
+    m_fileHistory[0] = MYcopystring(file);
 
     // this is the directory of the last opened file
     wxString pathCurrent;
@@ -2187,7 +2199,7 @@ void wxFileHistory::Load(wxConfigBase& config)
     wxString historyFile;
     while ((m_fileHistoryN < m_fileMaxFiles) && config.Read(buf, &historyFile) && (historyFile != wxT("")))
     {
-        m_fileHistory[m_fileHistoryN] = copystring((const wxChar*) historyFile);
+        m_fileHistory[m_fileHistoryN] = MYcopystring((const wxChar*) historyFile);
         m_fileHistoryN ++;
         buf.Printf(wxT("file%d"), (int)m_fileHistoryN+1);
         historyFile = wxT("");
diff --git a/src/common/filefn.cpp b/src/common/filefn.cpp
index 3e6489ad19..6080ca0308 100644
--- a/src/common/filefn.cpp
+++ b/src/common/filefn.cpp
@@ -215,6 +215,18 @@ WXDLLEXPORT int wxOpen( const wxChar *pathname, int flags, mode_t mode )
 
 IMPLEMENT_DYNAMIC_CLASS(wxPathList, wxStringList)
 
+static inline wxChar* MYcopystring(const wxString& s)
+{
+    wxChar* copy = new wxChar[s.length() + 1];
+    return wxStrcpy(copy, s.c_str());
+}
+
+static inline wxChar* MYcopystring(const wxChar* s)
+{
+    wxChar* copy = new wxChar[wxStrlen(s) + 1];
+    return wxStrcpy(copy, s);
+}
+
 void wxPathList::Add (const wxString& path)
 {
     wxStringList::Add (WXSTRINGCAST path);
@@ -239,7 +251,7 @@ void wxPathList::AddEnvList (const wxString& envVariable)
     wxChar *val = wxGetenv (WXSTRINGCAST envVariable);
     if (val && *val)
     {
-        wxChar *s = copystring (val);
+        wxChar *s = MYcopystring (val);
         wxChar *save_ptr, *token = wxStrtok (s, PATH_TOKS, &save_ptr);
 
         if (token)
@@ -502,9 +514,9 @@ wxChar *wxCopyAbsolutePath(const wxString& filename)
         wxStrcat(buf, wxT("/"));
 #endif
     wxStrcat(buf, wxFileFunctionsBuffer);
-    return copystring( wxRealPath(buf) );
+    return MYcopystring( wxRealPath(buf) );
   }
-  return copystring( wxFileFunctionsBuffer );
+  return MYcopystring( wxFileFunctionsBuffer );
 }
 
 /*-
@@ -553,7 +565,7 @@ wxChar *wxExpandPath(wxChar *buf, const wxChar *name)
     buf[0] = wxT('\0');
     if (name == NULL || *name == wxT('\0'))
         return buf;
-    nm = copystring(name); // Make a scratch copy
+    nm = MYcopystring(name); // Make a scratch copy
     wxChar *nm_tmp = nm;
 
     /* Skip leading whitespace and cr */
@@ -1385,7 +1397,7 @@ wxChar *wxGetTempFileName(const wxString& prefix, wxChar *buf)
     if ( buf )
         wxStrcpy(buf, filename);
     else
-        buf = copystring(filename);
+        buf = MYcopystring(filename);
 
     return buf;
 }
diff --git a/src/common/list.cpp b/src/common/list.cpp
index b9c9e06388..fed64c544f 100644
--- a/src/common/list.cpp
+++ b/src/common/list.cpp
@@ -35,7 +35,6 @@
 #ifndef WX_PRECOMP
     #include "wx/defs.h"
     #include "wx/list.h"
-    #include "wx/utils.h"   // for copystring() (beurk...)
 #endif
 
 // =============================================================================
@@ -572,9 +571,21 @@ void wxObjectListNode::DeleteData()
     delete (wxObject *)GetData();
 }
 
-// -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // wxStringList
-// -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+static inline wxChar* MYcopystring(const wxString& s)
+{
+    wxChar* copy = new wxChar[s.length() + 1];
+    return wxStrcpy(copy, s.c_str());
+}
+
+static inline wxChar* MYcopystring(const wxChar* s)
+{
+    wxChar* copy = new wxChar[wxStrlen(s) + 1];
+    return wxStrcpy(copy, s);
+}
 
 IMPLEMENT_DYNAMIC_CLASS(wxStringList, wxObject)
 
@@ -656,7 +667,7 @@ wxChar **wxStringList::ListToArray(bool new_copies) const
     {
         wxChar *s = node->GetData();
         if ( new_copies )
-            string_array[i] = copystring(s);
+            string_array[i] = MYcopystring(s);
         else
             string_array[i] = s;
         node = node->GetNext();
@@ -709,5 +720,15 @@ void wxStringList::Sort()
     delete [] array;
 }
 
+wxNode *wxStringList::Add(const wxChar *s)
+{
+    return (wxNode *)wxStringListBase::Append(MYcopystring(s));
+}
+        
+wxNode *wxStringList::Prepend(const wxChar *s)
+{
+    return (wxNode *)wxStringListBase::Insert(MYcopystring(s));
+}
+
 #endif // wxLIST_COMPATIBILITY
 
diff --git a/src/common/utilscmn.cpp b/src/common/utilscmn.cpp
index 03deb7925c..4b732fd498 100644
--- a/src/common/utilscmn.cpp
+++ b/src/common/utilscmn.cpp
@@ -557,7 +557,9 @@ wxChar *wxStripMenuCodes(const wxChar *in, wxChar *out)
     }
     else
     {
-        out = copystring(s);
+        // MYcopystring - for easier search...
+        out = new wxChar[s.length() + 1];
+        wxStrcpy(out, s.c_str());
     }
 
     return out;