diff --git a/include/utils/String16.h b/include/utils/String16.h
index 50ac6d028..4a5874a4c 100644
--- a/include/utils/String16.h
+++ b/include/utils/String16.h
@@ -17,8 +17,10 @@
 #ifndef ANDROID_STRING16_H
 #define ANDROID_STRING16_H
 
+#include <string> // for std::string
+
 #include <utils/Errors.h>
-#include <utils/Unicode.h>
+#include <utils/String8.h>
 #include <utils/TypeHelpers.h>
 
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -65,6 +67,7 @@ public:
 
     inline  const char16_t*     string() const;
 
+    static inline std::string   std_string(const String16& str);
             size_t              size() const;
             void                setTo(const String16& other);
             status_t            setTo(const char16_t* other);
@@ -142,6 +145,11 @@ inline const char16_t* String16::string() const
     return mString;
 }
 
+inline std::string String16::std_string(const String16& str)
+{
+    return std::string(String8(str).string());
+}
+
 inline String16& String16::operator=(const String16& other)
 {
     setTo(other);
diff --git a/include/utils/String8.h b/include/utils/String8.h
index 7734cfb52..1d12994d1 100644
--- a/include/utils/String8.h
+++ b/include/utils/String8.h
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@
 #ifndef ANDROID_STRING8_H
 #define ANDROID_STRING8_H
 
+#include <string> // for std::string
+
 #include <utils/Errors.h>
 #include <utils/Unicode.h>
 #include <utils/TypeHelpers.h>
@@ -63,6 +65,7 @@ public:
     static String8              formatV(const char* fmt, va_list args);
 
     inline  const char*         string() const;
+    static inline std::string   std_string(const String8& str);
     inline  size_t              size() const;
     inline  size_t              bytes() const;
     inline  bool                isEmpty() const;
@@ -261,6 +264,11 @@ inline const char* String8::string() const
     return mString;
 }
 
+inline std::string String8::std_string(const String8& str)
+{
+    return std::string(str.string());
+}
+
 inline size_t String8::size() const
 {
     return length();
diff --git a/libutils/String16.cpp b/libutils/String16.cpp
index 449fb205c..87eda1b35 100644
--- a/libutils/String16.cpp
+++ b/libutils/String16.cpp
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@
 
 #include <utils/Log.h>
 #include <utils/Unicode.h>
-#include <utils/String8.h>
 #include <utils/threads.h>
 
 #include <memory.h>