diff --git a/include/libi3.h b/include/libi3.h
index c1a11dfc..b60dda5c 100644
--- a/include/libi3.h
+++ b/include/libi3.h
@@ -169,6 +169,12 @@ i3String *i3string_from_markup_with_length(const char *from_markup, size_t num_b
  */
 i3String *i3string_from_ucs2(const xcb_char2b_t *from_ucs2, size_t num_glyphs);
 
+/**
+ * Copies the given i3string.
+ * Note that this will not free the source string.
+ */
+i3String *i3string_copy(i3String *str);
+
 /**
  * Free an i3String.
  *
diff --git a/libi3/string.c b/libi3/string.c
index afeca974..a28cc899 100644
--- a/libi3/string.c
+++ b/libi3/string.c
@@ -109,6 +109,17 @@ i3String *i3string_from_ucs2(const xcb_char2b_t *from_ucs2, size_t num_glyphs) {
     return str;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Copies the given i3string.
+ * Note that this will not free the source string.
+ */
+i3String *i3string_copy(i3String *str) {
+    if (str->is_markup)
+        return i3string_from_markup(i3string_as_utf8(str));
+    else
+        return i3string_from_utf8(i3string_as_utf8(str));
+}
+
 /*
  * Free an i3String.
  *