diff --git a/src/core-utils/core-utils.i b/src/core-utils/core-utils.i
index 6c40f09c7c..37ca34f1c8 100644
--- a/src/core-utils/core-utils.i
+++ b/src/core-utils/core-utils.i
@@ -19,8 +19,5 @@ void gnc_scm_log_error(const gchar *);
 void gnc_scm_log_msg(const gchar *);
 void gnc_scm_log_debug(const gchar *);
 
-/* Special treatment because the string changes in place. */
-%typemap(in) gchar * " $1 = SCM_STRING_CHARS($input); "
-%typemap(freearg) gchar * ""
-void gnc_utf8_strip_invalid (gchar *str);
-
+%newobject gnc_utf8_strip_invalid_strdup;
+gchar * gnc_utf8_strip_invalid_strdup(const gchar *);
diff --git a/src/core-utils/core-utils.scm b/src/core-utils/core-utils.scm
index 23cf473ad1..ffa9438045 100644
--- a/src/core-utils/core-utils.scm
+++ b/src/core-utils/core-utils.scm
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 
 (re-export gnc-is-debugging)
 (re-export g-find-program-in-path)
-(re-export gnc-utf8-strip-invalid)
+(re-export gnc-utf8-strip-invalid-strdup)
 (re-export gnc-scm-log-warn)
 (re-export gnc-scm-log-error)
 (re-export gnc-scm-log-msg)
diff --git a/src/import-export/qif-import/qif-file.scm b/src/import-export/qif-import/qif-file.scm
index 00c244cc36..99b090c43e 100644
--- a/src/import-export/qif-import/qif-file.scm
+++ b/src/import-export/qif-import/qif-file.scm
@@ -71,8 +71,8 @@
                  ;; pick the 1-char tag off from the remainder of the line 
                  (set! tag (string-ref line 0))
                  (set! value (substring line 1))
-		 (gnc-utf8-strip-invalid value) ;; changes value in-place
-                 
+                 (set! value (gnc-utf8-strip-invalid-strdup value))
+
                  ;; now do something with the line 
                  (if
                   (eq? tag #\!)