diff --git a/pcbnew/swig/pcbnew_action_plugins.cpp b/pcbnew/swig/pcbnew_action_plugins.cpp
index f5828ba0d3..f10f0fd58b 100644
--- a/pcbnew/swig/pcbnew_action_plugins.cpp
+++ b/pcbnew/swig/pcbnew_action_plugins.cpp
@@ -105,27 +105,8 @@ wxString PYTHON_ACTION_PLUGIN::CallRetStrMethod( const char* aMethod, PyObject*
 
     PyObject* result = CallMethod( aMethod, aArglist );
 
-    if( result )
-    {
-#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
-        const char* str_res = NULL;
-        PyObject* temp_bytes = PyUnicode_AsEncodedString( result, "UTF-8", "strict" );
-        if ( temp_bytes != NULL )
-        {
-            str_res = PyBytes_AS_STRING( temp_bytes );
-            str_res = strdup( str_res );
-            Py_DECREF( temp_bytes );
-        }
-        else
-        {
-            wxLogMessage( "cannot encode unicode python string" );
-        }
-#else
-        const char* str_res = PyString_AsString( result );
-#endif
-        ret = FROM_UTF8( str_res );
-        Py_DECREF( result );
-    }
+    ret = PyStringToWx( result );
+    Py_XDECREF( result );
 
     return ret;
 }
diff --git a/pcbnew/swig/pcbnew_footprint_wizards.cpp b/pcbnew/swig/pcbnew_footprint_wizards.cpp
index b066796609..ce9af4921e 100644
--- a/pcbnew/swig/pcbnew_footprint_wizards.cpp
+++ b/pcbnew/swig/pcbnew_footprint_wizards.cpp
@@ -105,27 +105,8 @@ wxString PYTHON_FOOTPRINT_WIZARD::CallRetStrMethod( const char* aMethod, PyObjec
         return ret;
     }
 
-    if( result )
-    {
-#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
-        const char* str_res = NULL;
-        PyObject* temp_bytes = PyUnicode_AsEncodedString( result, "UTF-8", "strict" );
-        if ( temp_bytes != NULL )
-        {
-            str_res = PyBytes_AS_STRING( temp_bytes );
-            str_res = strdup( str_res );
-            Py_DECREF( temp_bytes );
-        }
-        else
-        {
-            wxLogMessage( "cannot encode unicode python string" );
-        }
-#else
-        const char* str_res = PyString_AsString( result );
-#endif
-        ret = FROM_UTF8( str_res );
-        Py_DECREF( result );
-    }
+    ret = PyStringToWx( result );
+    Py_XDECREF( result );
 
     return ret;
 }
@@ -229,27 +210,8 @@ wxString PYTHON_FOOTPRINT_WIZARD::GetParameterPageName( int aPage )
         return ret;
     }
 
-    if( result )
-    {
-#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
-        const char* str_res = NULL;
-        PyObject* temp_bytes = PyUnicode_AsEncodedString( result, "UTF-8", "strict" );
-        if ( temp_bytes != NULL )
-        {
-            str_res = PyBytes_AS_STRING( temp_bytes );
-            str_res = strdup( str_res );
-            Py_DECREF( temp_bytes );
-        }
-        else
-        {
-            wxLogMessage( "cannot encode unicode python string" );
-        }
-#else
-        const char* str_res = PyString_AsString( result );
-#endif
-        ret = FROM_UTF8( str_res );
-        Py_DECREF( result );
-    }
+    ret = PyStringToWx( result );
+    Py_XDECREF( result );
 
     return ret;
 }
diff --git a/pcbnew/swig/python_scripting.cpp b/pcbnew/swig/python_scripting.cpp
index 9837d6ce6a..bda380926d 100644
--- a/pcbnew/swig/python_scripting.cpp
+++ b/pcbnew/swig/python_scripting.cpp
@@ -408,6 +408,36 @@ wxWindow* CreatePythonShellWindow( wxWindow* parent, const wxString& aFramenameI
 
 #endif
 
+wxString PyStringToWx( PyObject* aString )
+{
+    wxString    ret;
+
+    if( !aString )
+        return ret;
+
+    printf("PyStringToWx\n");
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
+    const char* str_res = NULL;
+    PyObject* temp_bytes = PyUnicode_AsEncodedString( aString, "UTF-8", "strict" );
+    if ( temp_bytes != NULL )
+    {
+        str_res = PyBytes_AS_STRING( temp_bytes );
+        ret = FROM_UTF8( str_res );
+        Py_DECREF( temp_bytes );
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        wxLogMessage( "cannot encode unicode python string" );
+    }
+#else
+    const char* str_res = PyString_AsString( aString );
+    ret = FROM_UTF8( str_res );
+#endif
+
+    return ret;
+}
+
+
 wxArrayString PyArrayStringToWx( PyObject* aArrayString )
 {
     wxArrayString   ret;
@@ -429,9 +459,8 @@ wxArrayString PyArrayStringToWx( PyObject* aArrayString )
         if ( temp_bytes != NULL )
         {
             str_res = PyBytes_AS_STRING( temp_bytes );
-            str_res = strdup( str_res );
-            Py_DECREF( temp_bytes );
             ret.Add( FROM_UTF8( str_res ), 1 );
+            Py_DECREF( temp_bytes );
         }
         else
         {
diff --git a/pcbnew/swig/python_scripting.h b/pcbnew/swig/python_scripting.h
index 927edbf4bf..373cc665a2 100644
--- a/pcbnew/swig/python_scripting.h
+++ b/pcbnew/swig/python_scripting.h
@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@ public:
 
 #endif
 
+wxString        PyStringToWx( PyObject* str );
 wxArrayString   PyArrayStringToWx( PyObject* arr );
 wxString        PyErrStringWithTraceback();