diff --git a/lib/core/private.h b/lib/core/private.h
index 5d93c7a72..0389d1e0d 100644
--- a/lib/core/private.h
+++ b/lib/core/private.h
@@ -1597,6 +1597,9 @@ void lws_free(void *p);
 #define lws_free_set_NULL(P)	do { lws_realloc(P, 0, "free"); (P) = NULL; } while(0)
 #endif
 
+char *
+lws_strdup(const char *s);
+
 int
 lws_plat_pipe_create(struct lws *wsi);
 int
diff --git a/lib/roles/http/client/client-handshake.c b/lib/roles/http/client/client-handshake.c
index e0aa43d9b..58a672062 100644
--- a/lib/roles/http/client/client-handshake.c
+++ b/lib/roles/http/client/client-handshake.c
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ create_new_conn:
 
 	if (!wsi->client_hostname_copy)
 		wsi->client_hostname_copy =
-			strdup(lws_hdr_simple_ptr(wsi,
+			lws_strdup(lws_hdr_simple_ptr(wsi,
 					_WSI_TOKEN_CLIENT_PEER_ADDRESS));
 
 	/*
@@ -846,7 +846,7 @@ html_parser_cb(const hubbub_token *token, void *pw)
 
 #endif
 
-static char *
+char *
 lws_strdup(const char *s)
 {
 	char *d = lws_malloc(strlen(s) + 1, "strdup");