diff --git a/common/plugins/eagle/eagle_parser.cpp b/common/plugins/eagle/eagle_parser.cpp
index ddd6028e8b..61120ee7d5 100644
--- a/common/plugins/eagle/eagle_parser.cpp
+++ b/common/plugins/eagle/eagle_parser.cpp
@@ -47,6 +47,73 @@ wxString escapeName( const wxString& aNetName )
 }
 
 
+wxString interpretText( const wxString& aText )
+{
+    wxString token = aText.Upper();
+
+    if( substituteVariable( &token ) )
+        return token;
+
+    wxString text;
+    bool sectionOpen = false;
+
+    for( wxString::size_type i = 0; i < aText.size(); i++ )
+    {
+        // Interpret escaped characters
+        if( aText[ i ] == '\\' )
+        {
+            if( i + 1 != aText.size() )
+                text.Append( aText[ i + 1 ] );
+
+            i++;
+            continue;
+        }
+
+        // Escape ~ for KiCAD
+        if( aText[i] == '~' )
+        {
+            text.Append( '~' );
+            text.Append( '~' );
+            continue;
+        }
+
+        if( aText[ i ] == '!' )
+        {
+            if( sectionOpen )
+            {
+                text.Append( '~' );
+                sectionOpen = false;
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            static wxString escapeChars( wxT( " )]}'\"" ) );
+
+            if( i + 1 != aText.size() && escapeChars.Find( aText[i + 1] ) == wxNOT_FOUND )
+            {
+                sectionOpen = true;
+                text.Append( '~' );
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                text.Append( aText[ i ] );
+            }
+
+            continue;
+        }
+
+        if( aText[i] == ',' && sectionOpen )
+        {
+            text.Append( '~' );
+            sectionOpen = false;
+        }
+
+        text.Append( aText[ i ] );
+    }
+
+    return text;
+}
+
+
 bool substituteVariable( wxString* aText )
 {
     if     ( *aText == wxT( ">NAME" ) )             *aText = wxT( "${REFERENCE}" );
diff --git a/common/plugins/eagle/eagle_parser.h b/common/plugins/eagle/eagle_parser.h
index 16d3925df1..30457f86b4 100644
--- a/common/plugins/eagle/eagle_parser.h
+++ b/common/plugins/eagle/eagle_parser.h
@@ -54,6 +54,9 @@ typedef std::map<wxString, std::unique_ptr<EPART>> EPART_MAP;
 ///< Translates Eagle special characters to their counterparts in KiCad.
 wxString escapeName( const wxString& aNetName );
 
+///< Interprets special characters in Eagle text and converts them to KiCAD notation.
+wxString interpretText( const wxString& aText );
+
 ///< Translates Eagle special text reference to a KiCad variable reference
 bool substituteVariable( wxString* aText );
 
diff --git a/eeschema/sch_plugins/eagle/sch_eagle_plugin.cpp b/eeschema/sch_plugins/eagle/sch_eagle_plugin.cpp
index 78714684c4..f5876240b3 100644
--- a/eeschema/sch_plugins/eagle/sch_eagle_plugin.cpp
+++ b/eeschema/sch_plugins/eagle/sch_eagle_plugin.cpp
@@ -2357,11 +2357,7 @@ LIB_TEXT* SCH_EAGLE_PLUGIN::loadSymbolText( std::unique_ptr<LIB_SYMBOL>& aSymbol
     // Strip the whitespace from both ends of each line.
     while( tokenizer.HasMoreTokens() )
     {
-        wxString tmp = tokenizer.GetNextToken().Trim( true ).Trim( false );
-        wxString var = tmp.Upper();
-
-        if( substituteVariable( &var ) )
-            tmp = var;
+        wxString tmp = interpretText( tokenizer.GetNextToken().Trim( true ).Trim( false ) );
 
         if( tokenizer.HasMoreTokens() )
             tmp += wxT( "\n" );
@@ -2577,11 +2573,7 @@ SCH_TEXT* SCH_EAGLE_PLUGIN::loadPlainText( wxXmlNode* aSchText )
     // Strip the whitespace from both ends of each line.
     while( tokenizer.HasMoreTokens() )
     {
-        wxString tmp = tokenizer.GetNextToken().Trim( true ).Trim( false );
-        wxString var = tmp.Upper();
-
-        if( substituteVariable( &var ) )
-            tmp = var;
+        wxString tmp = interpretText( tokenizer.GetNextToken().Trim( true ).Trim( false ) );
 
         if( tokenizer.HasMoreTokens() )
             tmp += wxT( "\n" );
diff --git a/pcbnew/plugins/eagle/eagle_plugin.cpp b/pcbnew/plugins/eagle/eagle_plugin.cpp
index 4eaed81b80..e9d375f969 100644
--- a/pcbnew/plugins/eagle/eagle_plugin.cpp
+++ b/pcbnew/plugins/eagle/eagle_plugin.cpp
@@ -114,74 +114,6 @@ static wxString makeKey( const wxString& aFirst, const wxString& aSecond )
 }
 
 
-/// interpret special characters in Eagle text and converts them to KiCAD notation
-static wxString interpret_text( const wxString& aText )
-{
-    wxString token = aText.Upper();
-
-    if( substituteVariable( &token ) )
-        return token;
-
-    wxString text;
-    bool sectionOpen = false;
-
-    for( wxString::size_type i = 0; i < aText.size(); i++ )
-    {
-        // Interpret escaped characters
-        if( aText[ i ] == '\\' )
-        {
-            if( i + 1 != aText.size() )
-                text.Append( aText[ i + 1 ] );
-
-            i++;
-            continue;
-        }
-
-        // Escape ~ for KiCAD
-        if( aText[i] == '~' )
-        {
-            text.Append( '~' );
-            text.Append( '~' );
-            continue;
-        }
-
-        if( aText[ i ] == '!' )
-        {
-            if( sectionOpen )
-            {
-                text.Append( '~' );
-                sectionOpen = false;
-                continue;
-            }
-
-            static wxString escapeChars( wxT( " )]}'\"" ) );
-
-            if( i + 1 != aText.size() && escapeChars.Find( aText[i + 1] ) == wxNOT_FOUND )
-            {
-                sectionOpen = true;
-                text.Append( '~' );
-            }
-            else
-            {
-                text.Append( aText[ i ] );
-            }
-
-            continue;
-        }
-
-        if( aText[i] == ',' && sectionOpen )
-        {
-            text.Append( '~' );
-            sectionOpen = false;
-        }
-
-        text.Append( aText[ i ] );
-    }
-
-    return text;
-}
-
-
 void EAGLE_PLUGIN::setKeepoutSettingsToZone( ZONE* aZone, int aLayer ) const
 {
     if( aLayer == EAGLE_LAYER::TRESTRICT || aLayer == EAGLE_LAYER::BRESTRICT )
@@ -764,7 +696,7 @@ void EAGLE_PLUGIN::loadPlain( wxXmlNode* aGraphics )
                 m_board->Add( pcbtxt, ADD_MODE::APPEND );
 
                 pcbtxt->SetLayer( layer );
-                wxString kicadText = interpret_text( t.text );
+                wxString kicadText = interpretText( t.text );
                 pcbtxt->SetText( kicadText );
                 pcbtxt->SetTextPos( VECTOR2I( kicad_x( t.x ), kicad_y( t.y ) ) );
 
@@ -2062,7 +1994,7 @@ void EAGLE_PLUGIN::packageText( FOOTPRINT* aFootprint, wxXmlNode* aTree ) const
         textItem = new FP_TEXT( aFootprint );
         aFootprint->Add( textItem );
 
-        textItem->SetText( interpret_text( t.text ) );
+        textItem->SetText( interpretText( t.text ) );
     }
 
     VECTOR2I pos( kicad_x( t.x ), kicad_y( t.y ) );