diff --git a/src/utility/stringUtils.cpp b/src/utility/stringUtils.cpp
index 2455cfff..09c7f8f4 100644
--- a/src/utility/stringUtils.cpp
+++ b/src/utility/stringUtils.cpp
@@ -151,5 +151,41 @@ const string::size_type stringUtils::countASCIIchars
 }
 
 
+const string stringUtils::unquote(const string& str)
+{
+	if (str.length() < 2)
+		return str;
+
+	if (str[0] != '"' || str[str.length() - 1] != '"')
+		return str;
+
+	string res;
+	res.reserve(str.length());
+
+	bool escaped = false;
+
+	for (string::const_iterator it = str.begin() + 1, end = str.end() - 1 ; it != end ; ++it)
+	{
+		const string::value_type c = *it;
+
+		if (escaped)
+		{
+			res += c;
+			escaped = false;
+		}
+		else if (!escaped && c == '\\')
+		{
+			escaped = true;
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			res += c;
+		}
+	}
+
+	return res;
+}
+
+
 } // utility
 } // vmime
diff --git a/tests/utility/stringUtilsTest.cpp b/tests/utility/stringUtilsTest.cpp
index a75b8ad7..8b60112d 100644
--- a/tests/utility/stringUtilsTest.cpp
+++ b/tests/utility/stringUtilsTest.cpp
@@ -42,6 +42,8 @@ VMIME_TEST_SUITE_BEGIN
 		VMIME_TEST(testTrim)
 
 		VMIME_TEST(testCountASCIIChars)
+
+		VMIME_TEST(testUnquote)
 	VMIME_TEST_LIST_END
 
 
@@ -119,5 +121,13 @@ VMIME_TEST_SUITE_BEGIN
 			stringUtils::countASCIIchars(str4.begin(), str4.end()));
 	}
 
+	void testUnquote()
+	{
+		VASSERT_EQ("1", "quoted", stringUtils::unquote("\"quoted\""));  // "quoted"
+		VASSERT_EQ("2", "\"not quoted", stringUtils::unquote("\"not quoted"));  // "not quoted
+		VASSERT_EQ("3", "not quoted\"", stringUtils::unquote("not quoted\""));  // not quoted"
+		VASSERT_EQ("4", "quoted with \"escape\"", stringUtils::unquote("\"quoted with \\\"escape\\\"\""));  // "quoted with \"escape\""
+	}
+
 VMIME_TEST_SUITE_END
 
diff --git a/vmime/utility/stringUtils.hpp b/vmime/utility/stringUtils.hpp
index 59db56d6..29e57139 100644
--- a/vmime/utility/stringUtils.hpp
+++ b/vmime/utility/stringUtils.hpp
@@ -138,6 +138,13 @@ public:
 
 		return (ret);
 	}
+
+	/** Unquote the specified string and transform escaped characters.
+	  *
+	  * @param string from which to remove quotes
+	  * @return unquoted string
+	  */
+	static const string unquote(const string& str);
 };