diff --git a/src/libstrongswan/utils.c b/src/libstrongswan/utils.c
index aa50b86b4..b1974cf97 100644
--- a/src/libstrongswan/utils.c
+++ b/src/libstrongswan/utils.c
@@ -76,6 +76,23 @@ void memxor(u_int8_t dest[], u_int8_t src[], size_t n)
 	}
 }
 
+/**
+ * Described in header.
+ */
+void *memstr(const void *haystack, const char *needle, size_t n)
+{
+	unsigned const char *pos = haystack;
+	size_t l = strlen(needle);
+	for (; n >= l; ++pos, --n)
+	{
+		if (memeq(pos, needle, l))
+		{
+			return (void*)pos;
+		}
+	}
+	return NULL;
+}
+
 /**
  * Described in header.
  */
diff --git a/src/libstrongswan/utils.h b/src/libstrongswan/utils.h
index 298253fdd..c794b0797 100644
--- a/src/libstrongswan/utils.h
+++ b/src/libstrongswan/utils.h
@@ -224,6 +224,12 @@ void *clalloc(void *pointer, size_t size);
  */
 void memxor(u_int8_t dest[], u_int8_t src[], size_t n);
 
+/**
+ * A variant of strstr with the characteristics of memchr, where haystack is not
+ * a null-terminated string but simply a memory area of length n.
+ */
+void *memstr(const void *haystack, const char *needle, size_t n);
+
 /**
  * Creates a directory and all required parent directories. 
  *
diff --git a/src/libstrongswan/utils/lexparser.c b/src/libstrongswan/utils/lexparser.c
index 9019c2602..34eb340a5 100644
--- a/src/libstrongswan/utils/lexparser.c
+++ b/src/libstrongswan/utils/lexparser.c
@@ -75,6 +75,33 @@ bool extract_token(chunk_t *token, const char termination, chunk_t *src)
 	return TRUE;
 }
 
+/**
+ * extracts a token ending with the first occurrence of a given null-terminated string
+ */
+bool extract_token_str(chunk_t *token, const char *termination, chunk_t *src)
+{
+	u_char *eot = memstr(src->ptr, termination, src->len);
+	size_t l = strlen(termination);
+	
+	/* initialize empty token */
+	*token = chunk_empty;
+	
+	if (eot == NULL) /* termination string not found */
+	{
+		return FALSE;
+	}
+	
+	/* extract token */
+	token->ptr = src->ptr;
+	token->len = (u_int)(eot - src->ptr);
+	
+	/* advance src pointer after termination string */
+	src->ptr = eot + l;
+	src->len -= (token->len + l);
+	
+	return TRUE;
+}
+
 /**
  * extracts a token ending with the last occurrence of a given termination symbol
  */
diff --git a/src/libstrongswan/utils/lexparser.h b/src/libstrongswan/utils/lexparser.h
index 1cbbc05f7..46a715b21 100644
--- a/src/libstrongswan/utils/lexparser.h
+++ b/src/libstrongswan/utils/lexparser.h
@@ -37,12 +37,17 @@ bool eat_whitespace(chunk_t *src);
 bool match(const char *pattern, const chunk_t *ch);
 
 /**
- * Extracts a token ending with the first occurence a given termination symbol
+ * Extracts a token ending with the first occurrence of a given termination symbol
  */
 bool extract_token(chunk_t *token, const char termination, chunk_t *src);
 
 /**
- * Extracts a token ending with the last occurence a given termination symbol
+ * Extracts a token ending with the first occurrence of a given null-terminated string
+ */
+bool extract_token_str(chunk_t *token, const char *termination, chunk_t *src);
+
+/**
+ * Extracts a token ending with the last occurrence of a given termination symbol
  */
 bool extract_last_token(chunk_t *token, const char termination, chunk_t *src);