diff --git a/code/nel/include/nel/misc/common.h b/code/nel/include/nel/misc/common.h
index eb70fce9e..d5d59b130 100644
--- a/code/nel/include/nel/misc/common.h
+++ b/code/nel/include/nel/misc/common.h
@@ -222,6 +222,7 @@ inline double	isValidDouble (double v)
  * \param str a string to transform to lower case
  */
 
+std::string toLower ( const char *str );
 std::string	toLower ( const std::string &str );
 void		toLower ( char *str );
 char		toLower ( const char ch );	// convert only one character
diff --git a/code/nel/src/misc/common.cpp b/code/nel/src/misc/common.cpp
index 48e6e9845..72f29eb82 100644
--- a/code/nel/src/misc/common.cpp
+++ b/code/nel/src/misc/common.cpp
@@ -591,6 +591,22 @@ NLMISC_CATEGORISED_COMMAND(nel,stohr, "Convert a second number into an human rea
 	return true;
 }
 
+std::string toLower(const char *str)
+{
+	if (!str) return "";
+
+	uint len = strlen(str);
+	string res;
+	res.reserve(len);
+	for(uint i = 0; i < len; i++)
+	{
+		if( (str[i] >= 'A') && (str[i] <= 'Z') )
+			res += str[i] - 'A' + 'a';
+		else
+			res += str[i];
+	}
+	return res;
+}
 
 std::string	toLower(const std::string &str)
 {