diff --git a/src/util/pack.c b/src/util/pack.c
index 38745b6a2e..4e522fe418 100644
--- a/src/util/pack.c
+++ b/src/util/pack.c
@@ -501,6 +501,7 @@ return (OMPI_SUCCESS);
     switch(type) {
         case OMPI_BYTE:
             memcpy(dest, src, n);
+			break;
         case OMPI_PACKED:
             return OMPI_ERROR;
         case OMPI_INT16:
@@ -536,3 +537,104 @@ return (OMPI_SUCCESS);
     return OMPI_SUCCESS;
 }
 
+
+
+/* 
+ * fuctions to handle strings, which use the length arguments differently to normal pack routines
+ *
+ * @param buffer the destination for the packed data
+ * @param str pointer to start of NULL terminated string
+ * 
+ * @retval OMPI_SUCCESS
+ * @retval OMPI_ERROR
+ *
+ */
+
+ int ompi_pack_string (ompi_buffer_t buffer, char *str)
+ {
+ uint32_t op_size=0;	
+ int rc;
+
+ if (!str) {
+ 	return OMPI_ERROR;
+ }
+
+ if (!buffer) { return (OMPI_ERROR); }
+
+ op_size = (uint32_t) strlen (str);
+
+ /* a packed string consists of a packed length, and the non terminated string */
+ rc = ompi_pack(buffer, (void*) &op_size, 1, OMPI_INT32);
+
+ if (OMPI_ERROR==rc) { return (rc); }
+
+ if (op_size>0) {
+ 	rc = ompi_pack(buffer, (void*) str, op_size, OMPI_BYTE);
+ }
+
+ return (rc);
+ }
+
+/**
+ * This function unpacks a string from the buffer. This routine ALLOCATES memory
+ * for this string. Allocating means users DO NOT need to define max string lengths for any 
+ * strings they pass (allowing the use of unrestricted naming in the GPR f.e.)
+ * if this string is zero length we return a NULL pointer
+ *
+ * @param buffer the source of the packed string data
+ * @param pointer to a character pointer of the unpacked string or NULL for zero length
+ * string
+ * @param type the type of the data to unpack
+ * 
+ * @retval number of characters unpacked (INCLUDING the NULL character)
+ *         If this value is '0' this indicates an empty string was passed.
+ * @retval OMPI_ERROR
+ *
+ */
+
+ int ompi_unpack_string(ompi_buffer_t buffer, char ** str)
+ {
+ char *inptr;
+ uint32_t inlen=0;
+ uint32_t outlen=0;	/* always inlen+1 I hope */
+ int rc;
+
+ if (!str) {
+ 	return OMPI_ERROR;
+ }
+
+ if (!buffer) { return (OMPI_ERROR); }
+
+ /* first unpack the length of the packed string */
+
+ rc = ompi_unpack (buffer, (void*) &inlen, 1, OMPI_INT32);
+
+ if (OMPI_ERROR==rc) { return (rc); }
+
+ if (!inlen) { /* if we have a zero length string... set str pointer to NULL and return 0 length */
+ 	*str = NULL;
+	return (0);
+ }
+ else {
+ 	outlen = inlen +1;
+ }
+ 
+ /* no zero length string, so allocate memory for it */
+ inptr = (char*) calloc (outlen, 1);
+
+ if (!inptr) { return (OMPI_ERROR); }
+
+ /* have memory, unpack as byte, null terminate and then return */
+ rc = ompi_unpack (buffer, (void*) inptr, inlen, OMPI_BYTE);
+
+ if (OMPI_ERROR==rc) { return (rc); }
+
+ inptr[inlen] = '\0'; /* NULL terminate */
+
+ *str = (char*) inptr;	/* copy the string over */
+
+ return (outlen);
+ }
+
+
+
diff --git a/src/util/pack.h b/src/util/pack.h
index 4ebefdaff9..e899345ec7 100644
--- a/src/util/pack.h
+++ b/src/util/pack.h
@@ -160,6 +160,38 @@ extern "C" {
     int ompi_unpack(ompi_buffer_t buffer, void * dest, size_t n, ompi_pack_type_t type);
 
 
+/* 
+ * fuctions to handle strings, which use the length arguments different
+ *
+ * @param buffer the destination for the packed data
+ * @param str pointer to start of NULL terminated string
+ * 
+ * @retval OMPI_SUCCESS
+ * @retval OMPI_ERROR
+ *
+ */
+
+	int ompi_pack_string (ompi_buffer_t buffer, char *str);
+
+/**
+ * This function unpacks a string from the buffer. This routine ALLOCATES memory
+ * for this string. Allocating means users DO NOT need to define max string lengths for any 
+ * strings they pass (allowing the use of unrestricted naming in the GPR f.e.)
+ * if this string is zero length we return a NULL pointer
+ *
+ * @param buffer the source of the packed string data
+ * @param pointer to a character pointer of the unpacked string or NULL for zero length string
+ * @param type the type of the data to unpack
+ * 
+ * @retval number of characters unpacked (INCLUDING the NULL character)
+ *         If this value is '0' this indicates an empty string was passed.
+ * @retval OMPI_ERROR
+ *
+ */
+    int ompi_unpack_string(ompi_buffer_t buffer, char ** str);
+
+
+
 
 #if defined(c_plusplus) || defined(__cplusplus)
 }
diff --git a/test/util/ompi_pack.c b/test/util/ompi_pack.c
index 04a4535e22..deb29547bc 100644
--- a/test/util/ompi_pack.c
+++ b/test/util/ompi_pack.c
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ static bool test4(void);        /* verify pack a packed buffer */
 static bool test5(void);        /* verify unpack */
 static bool test6(void);        /* verify free */
 static bool test7(void);        /* verify preallocated buffer init, pack and unpack */
+static bool test8(void);        /* verify string pack and unpack */
 
 int main (int argc, char* argv[])
 {
@@ -85,6 +86,13 @@ int main (int argc, char* argv[])
       test_failure("ompi_pack test7 failed");
     }
 
+    if (test8()) {
+        test_success();
+    }
+    else {
+      test_failure("ompi_pack test8 failed");
+    }
+
 
 /*     if (testN()) { */
 /*         test_success(); */
@@ -264,6 +272,63 @@ static bool test7(void)        /* verify preallocated buffer init, pack and unpa
     return (true);
 }
 
+
+static bool test8(void)        /* verify string pack and unpack */
+{
+
+    int rc;
+	char *str1;
+	char *str2;
+
+    rc = ompi_buffer_init (&bufA, 0);
+    if (OMPI_ERROR==rc) { test_comment ("ompi_buffer_init failed"); return(false);}
+
+    rc = ompi_buffer_init (&bufB, 10);
+    if (OMPI_ERROR==rc) { test_comment ("ompi_buffer_init failed"); return(false);}
+
+    rc = ompi_buffer_init (&bufC, 16);
+    if (OMPI_ERROR==rc) { test_comment ("ompi_buffer_init failed"); return(false);}
+
+    rc = ompi_pack_string (bufA, "HELLO ");
+    if (OMPI_ERROR==rc) { test_comment ("ompi_pack_string failed"); return(false);}
+
+    rc = ompi_pack_string (bufB, "WORLD!");
+    if (OMPI_ERROR==rc) { test_comment ("ompi_pack_string failed"); return(false);}
+
+    rc = ompi_pack (bufC, bufA, 1, OMPI_PACKED);
+    if (OMPI_ERROR==rc) { test_comment ("ompi_pack failed"); return(false);}
+    rc = ompi_pack (bufC, bufB, 1, OMPI_PACKED);
+    if (OMPI_ERROR==rc) { test_comment ("ompi_pack failed"); return(false);}
+
+	/* we now have a buffer with two strings in it */
+    rc = ompi_unpack_string (bufC, &str1);
+    if (OMPI_ERROR==rc) { test_comment ("ompi_pack_string failed"); return(false);}
+
+	rc = strcmp ("HELLO ", str1);
+	if (rc) { test_comment ("strcmp returns no zero value."); return (false); }
+
+    rc = ompi_unpack_string (bufC, &str2);
+    if (OMPI_ERROR==rc) { test_comment ("ompi_pack_string failed"); return(false);}
+
+	rc = strcmp ("WORLD!", str2);
+	if (rc) { test_comment ("strcmp returns no zero value."); return (false); }
+
+
+    rc = ompi_buffer_free (bufA);
+    if (OMPI_ERROR==rc) { test_comment ("ompi_buffer_free failed"); return(false);}
+
+    rc = ompi_buffer_free (bufB);
+    if (OMPI_ERROR==rc) { test_comment ("ompi_buffer_free failed"); return(false);}
+
+    rc = ompi_buffer_free (bufC);
+    if (OMPI_ERROR==rc) { test_comment ("ompi_buffer_free failed"); return(false);}
+
+	if (str1) { free (str1); }
+	if (str2) { free (str2); }
+
+    return (true);
+}
+
 /* int dump_buf (ompi_buffer_t buf) */
 /* { */
 /* int rc, i, out; */