diff --git a/dix/rpcbuf.c b/dix/rpcbuf.c
index de9dfcd560..1eb3a768da 100644
--- a/dix/rpcbuf.c
+++ b/dix/rpcbuf.c
@@ -93,6 +93,23 @@ Bool x_rpcbuf_write_string_pad(struct x_rpcbuf *rpcbuf, const char *str)
     return TRUE;
 }
 
+Bool x_rpcbuf_write_string_0t_pad(struct x_rpcbuf *rpcbuf, const char *str)
+{
+    if (!str)
+        return x_rpcbuf_write_CARD32(rpcbuf, 0);
+
+    size_t slen = strlen(str);
+    if (!slen)
+        return x_rpcbuf_write_CARD32(rpcbuf, 0);
+
+    char *reserved = x_rpcbuf_reserve(rpcbuf, pad_to_int32(slen+1));
+    if (!reserved)
+        return FALSE;
+
+    memcpy(reserved, str, slen+1);
+    return TRUE;
+}
+
 Bool x_rpcbuf_write_CARD8(struct x_rpcbuf *rpcbuf, CARD8 value)
 {
     CARD8 *reserved = x_rpcbuf_reserve(rpcbuf, sizeof(value));
diff --git a/dix/rpcbuf_priv.h b/dix/rpcbuf_priv.h
index f853f66f61..e509f5e613 100644
--- a/dix/rpcbuf_priv.h
+++ b/dix/rpcbuf_priv.h
@@ -96,6 +96,19 @@ void *x_rpcbuf_reserve(struct x_rpcbuf *rpcbuf, size_t needed)
 Bool x_rpcbuf_write_string_pad(struct x_rpcbuf *rpcbuf, const char *str)
     _X_ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL_ARG(1);
 
+/*
+ * write a plain C string with terminating 0 to rpc buffer and pad it.
+ *
+ * allocate a region for the string (padded to 32bits) and copy in the string.
+ * if given string is NULL or zero-size, only a (CARD32)0 is written.
+ *
+ * @param rpcbuf    pointer to struct x_rpcbuf to operate on
+ * @param needed    string to plain C string
+ * @return          TRUE on success, FALSE on allocation failure
+ */
+Bool x_rpcbuf_write_string_0t_pad(struct x_rpcbuf *rpcbuf, const char *str)
+    _X_ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL_ARG(1);
+
 /*
  * write binary data to rpc buffer and pad it.
  *