diff --git a/doc/ref/api-data.texi b/doc/ref/api-data.texi
index 21398f48d..28160c88c 100644
--- a/doc/ref/api-data.texi
+++ b/doc/ref/api-data.texi
@@ -4428,6 +4428,19 @@ returned is the number of bytes for @code{scm_to_latin1_stringn} and
 for @code{scm_to_utf32_stringn}.
 @end deftypefn
 
+It is not often the case, but sometimes when you are dealing with the
+implementation details of a port, you need to encode and decode strings
+according to the encoding and conversion strategy of the port.  There
+are some convenience functions for that purpose as well.
+
+@deftypefn {C Function} SCM scm_from_port_string (const char *str, SCM port)
+@deftypefnx {C Function} SCM scm_from_port_stringn (const char *str, size_t len, SCM port)
+@deftypefnx {C Function} char* scm_to_port_string (SCM str, SCM port)
+@deftypefnx {C Function} char* scm_to_port_stringn (SCM str, size_t *lenp, SCM port)
+Like @code{scm_from_stringn} and friends, except they take their
+encoding and conversion strategy from a given port object.
+@end deftypefn
+
 @node String Internals
 @subsubsection String Internals
 
diff --git a/guile-readline/readline.c b/guile-readline/readline.c
index 0e4ad2902..1e697eb5d 100644
--- a/guile-readline/readline.c
+++ b/guile-readline/readline.c
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /* readline.c --- line editing support for Guile */
 
-/* Copyright (C) 1997,1999,2000,2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+/* Copyright (C) 1997,1999,2000,2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
  * 
  * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
  * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
@@ -257,12 +257,7 @@ internal_readline (SCM text)
   promptp = 1;
   s = readline (prompt);
   if (s)
-    {
-      scm_t_port *pt = SCM_PTAB_ENTRY (output_port);
-      
-      ret = scm_from_stringn (s, strlen (s), pt->encoding, 
-                              SCM_FAILED_CONVERSION_ESCAPE_SEQUENCE);
-    }
+    ret = scm_from_port_string (s, output_port);
   else 
     ret = SCM_EOF_VAL;
 
diff --git a/libguile/read.c b/libguile/read.c
index d977cff82..833ec2342 100644
--- a/libguile/read.c
+++ b/libguile/read.c
@@ -704,7 +704,6 @@ scm_read_number (scm_t_wchar chr, SCM port, scm_t_read_opts *opts)
   SCM result, str = SCM_EOL;
   char local_buffer[READER_BUFFER_SIZE], *buffer;
   size_t bytes_read;
-  scm_t_port *pt = SCM_PTAB_ENTRY (port);
 
   /* Need to capture line and column numbers here. */
   long line = SCM_LINUM (port);
@@ -714,7 +713,7 @@ scm_read_number (scm_t_wchar chr, SCM port, scm_t_read_opts *opts)
   buffer = read_complete_token (port, opts, local_buffer, sizeof local_buffer,
 				&bytes_read);
 
-  str = scm_from_stringn (buffer, bytes_read, pt->encoding, pt->ilseq_handler);
+  str = scm_from_port_stringn (buffer, bytes_read, port);
 
   result = scm_string_to_number (str, SCM_UNDEFINED);
   if (scm_is_false (result))
@@ -739,7 +738,6 @@ scm_read_mixed_case_symbol (scm_t_wchar chr, SCM port, scm_t_read_opts *opts)
   size_t bytes_read;
   int postfix = (opts->keyword_style == KEYWORD_STYLE_POSTFIX);
   char local_buffer[READER_BUFFER_SIZE], *buffer;
-  scm_t_port *pt = SCM_PTAB_ENTRY (port);
   SCM str;
 
   scm_ungetc_unlocked (chr, port);
@@ -750,8 +748,7 @@ scm_read_mixed_case_symbol (scm_t_wchar chr, SCM port, scm_t_read_opts *opts)
 
   if (postfix && ends_with_colon && (bytes_read > 1))
     {
-      str = scm_from_stringn (buffer, bytes_read - 1,
-			      pt->encoding, pt->ilseq_handler);
+      str = scm_from_port_stringn (buffer, bytes_read - 1, port);
 
       if (opts->case_insensitive_p)
         str = scm_string_downcase_x (str);
@@ -759,8 +756,7 @@ scm_read_mixed_case_symbol (scm_t_wchar chr, SCM port, scm_t_read_opts *opts)
     }
   else
     {
-      str = scm_from_stringn (buffer, bytes_read,
-			      pt->encoding, pt->ilseq_handler);
+      str = scm_from_port_stringn (buffer, bytes_read, port);
 
       if (opts->case_insensitive_p)
         str = scm_string_downcase_x (str);
@@ -780,7 +776,6 @@ scm_read_number_and_radix (scm_t_wchar chr, SCM port, scm_t_read_opts *opts)
   char local_buffer[READER_BUFFER_SIZE], *buffer;
   unsigned int radix;
   SCM str;
-  scm_t_port *pt;
 
   switch (chr)
     {
@@ -813,8 +808,7 @@ scm_read_number_and_radix (scm_t_wchar chr, SCM port, scm_t_read_opts *opts)
   buffer = read_complete_token (port, opts, local_buffer, sizeof local_buffer,
 				&read);
 
-  pt = SCM_PTAB_ENTRY (port);
-  str = scm_from_stringn (buffer, read, pt->encoding, pt->ilseq_handler);
+  str = scm_from_port_stringn (buffer, read, port);
 
   result = scm_string_to_number (str, scm_from_uint (radix));
 
@@ -1006,8 +1000,7 @@ scm_read_character (scm_t_wchar chr, SCM port, scm_t_read_opts *opts)
 
   /* Otherwise, convert the buffer into a proper scheme string for
      processing.  */
-  charname = scm_from_stringn (buffer, bytes_read, pt->encoding,
-			       pt->ilseq_handler);
+  charname = scm_from_port_stringn (buffer, bytes_read, port);
   charname_len = scm_i_string_length (charname);
   SCM_COL (port) += charname_len;
   cp = scm_i_string_ref (charname, 0);
diff --git a/libguile/strings.c b/libguile/strings.c
index 1e89e63d6..3db526e92 100644
--- a/libguile/strings.c
+++ b/libguile/strings.c
@@ -1712,6 +1712,26 @@ scm_from_utf32_stringn (const scm_t_wchar *str, size_t len)
   return result;
 }
 
+SCM
+scm_from_port_string (const char *str, SCM port)
+{
+  return scm_from_port_stringn (str, -1, port);
+}
+
+SCM
+scm_from_port_stringn (const char *str, size_t len, SCM port)
+{
+  scm_t_port *pt = SCM_PTAB_ENTRY (port);
+
+  if (pt->encoding_mode == SCM_PORT_ENCODING_MODE_LATIN1)
+    return scm_from_latin1_stringn (str, len);
+  else if (pt->encoding_mode == SCM_PORT_ENCODING_MODE_UTF8
+           && pt->ilseq_handler == SCM_FAILED_CONVERSION_ERROR)
+    return scm_from_utf8_stringn (str, len);
+  else
+    return scm_from_stringn (str, len, pt->encoding, pt->ilseq_handler);
+}
+
 /* Create a new scheme string from the C string STR.  The memory of
    STR may be used directly as storage for the new string.  */
 /* FIXME: GC-wise, the only way to use the memory area pointed to by STR
@@ -2097,6 +2117,26 @@ scm_to_utf32_stringn (SCM str, size_t *lenp)
 }
 #undef FUNC_NAME
 
+char *
+scm_to_port_string (SCM str, SCM port)
+{
+  return scm_to_port_stringn (str, NULL, port);
+}
+
+char *
+scm_to_port_stringn (SCM str, size_t *lenp, SCM port)
+{
+  scm_t_port *pt = SCM_PTAB_ENTRY (port);
+
+  if (pt->encoding_mode == SCM_PORT_ENCODING_MODE_LATIN1
+      && pt->ilseq_handler == SCM_FAILED_CONVERSION_ERROR)
+    return scm_to_latin1_stringn (str, lenp);
+  else if (pt->encoding_mode == SCM_PORT_ENCODING_MODE_UTF8)
+    return scm_to_utf8_stringn (str, lenp);
+  else
+    return scm_to_stringn (str, lenp, pt->encoding, pt->ilseq_handler);
+}
+
 /* Return a malloc(3)-allocated buffer containing the contents of STR encoded
    according to ENCODING.  If LENP is non-NULL, set it to the size in bytes of
    the returned buffer.  If the conversion to ENCODING fails, apply the strategy
diff --git a/libguile/strings.h b/libguile/strings.h
index 04a976211..445d9c878 100644
--- a/libguile/strings.h
+++ b/libguile/strings.h
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 #ifndef SCM_STRINGS_H
 #define SCM_STRINGS_H
 
-/* Copyright (C) 1995,1996,1997,1998,2000,2001, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+/* Copyright (C) 1995,1996,1997,1998,2000,2001, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
  *
  * This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
  * modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License
@@ -153,6 +153,11 @@ SCM_API scm_t_wchar *scm_to_utf32_stringn (SCM str, size_t *lenp);
 SCM_API SCM scm_from_utf32_string (const scm_t_wchar *str);
 SCM_API SCM scm_from_utf32_stringn (const scm_t_wchar *str, size_t len);
 
+SCM_API char *scm_to_port_string (SCM str, SCM port);
+SCM_API char *scm_to_port_stringn (SCM str, size_t *lenp, SCM port);
+SCM_API SCM scm_from_port_string (const char *str, SCM port);
+SCM_API SCM scm_from_port_stringn (const char *str, size_t len, SCM port);
+
 SCM_API char *scm_to_stringn (SCM str, size_t *lenp, const char *encoding,
                               scm_t_string_failed_conversion_handler handler);
 SCM_API size_t scm_to_locale_stringbuf (SCM str, char *buf, size_t max_len);
diff --git a/libguile/strports.c b/libguile/strports.c
index 702022740..425b08929 100644
--- a/libguile/strports.c
+++ b/libguile/strports.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /* Copyright (C) 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006,
- *   2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+ *   2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
  *
  * This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
  * modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License
@@ -318,8 +318,7 @@ scm_strport_to_string (SCM port)
   if (pt->read_buf_size == 0)
     return scm_nullstr;
 
-  return scm_from_stringn ((char *)pt->read_buf, pt->read_buf_size,
-                           pt->encoding, pt->ilseq_handler);
+  return scm_from_port_stringn ((char *)pt->read_buf, pt->read_buf_size, port);
 }
 
 SCM_DEFINE (scm_object_to_string, "object->string", 1, 1, 0,