diff --git a/Source/Swig/misc.c b/Source/Swig/misc.c
index 034f221ae..4572c856a 100644
--- a/Source/Swig/misc.c
+++ b/Source/Swig/misc.c
@@ -131,3 +131,18 @@ String *Swig_string_escape(String *s) {
   return ns;
 }
      
+/* -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+ * Swig_string_mangle()
+ * 
+ * Take a string and mangle it by stripping all non-valid C identifier characters
+ * ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
+
+String *Swig_string_mangle(String *s) {
+  String *t = Copy(s);
+  char *c = Char(t);
+  while (*c) {
+    if (!isalnum(*c)) *c = '_';
+    c++;
+  }
+  return t;
+}
diff --git a/Source/Swig/swig.h b/Source/Swig/swig.h
index 587ff060a..cf52f1220 100644
--- a/Source/Swig/swig.h
+++ b/Source/Swig/swig.h
@@ -278,6 +278,7 @@ extern char      *Swig_copy_string(const char *c);
 extern void       Swig_banner(File *f);
 extern DOH       *Swig_temp_result(DOH *x);
 extern String    *Swig_string_escape(String *s);
+extern String    *Swig_string_mangle(String *s);
 
 /* --- C Wrappers --- */
 extern String    *Swig_clocal(SwigType *t, String_or_char *name, String_or_char *value);