diff --git a/libguile/strports.c b/libguile/strports.c
index 34485f0b3..55ae2ed1e 100644
--- a/libguile/strports.c
+++ b/libguile/strports.c
@@ -254,12 +254,20 @@ SCM
 scm_eval_0str (expr)
      char *expr;
 {
-  SCM port = scm_mkstrport (SCM_MAKINUM (0),
-			    scm_makfrom0str (expr),
-			    SCM_OPN | SCM_RDNG,
+  return scm_eval_string (scm_makfrom0str (expr));
+}
+
+
+SCM_PROC (s_eval_string, "eval-string", 1, 0, 0, scm_eval_string);
+
+SCM
+scm_eval_string (string)
+     SCM string;
+{
+  SCM port = scm_mkstrport (SCM_MAKINUM (0), string, SCM_OPN | SCM_RDNG,
 			    "scm_eval_0str");
   SCM form;
-  SCM ans = SCM_EOL;
+  SCM ans = SCM_UNSPECIFIED;
 
   /* Read expressions from that port; ignore the values.  */
   while ((form = scm_read (port)) != SCM_EOF_VAL)
@@ -270,6 +278,7 @@ scm_eval_0str (expr)
 }
 
 
+
 static int noop0 SCM_P ((SCM stream));
 
 static int 
diff --git a/libguile/strports.h b/libguile/strports.h
index fc0a1ed9f..ecba678e4 100644
--- a/libguile/strports.h
+++ b/libguile/strports.h
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ extern SCM scm_strprint_obj SCM_P ((SCM obj));
 extern SCM scm_call_with_input_string SCM_P ((SCM str, SCM proc));
 extern SCM scm_read_0str SCM_P ((char *expr));
 extern SCM scm_eval_0str SCM_P ((char *expr));
+extern SCM scm_eval_string SCM_P ((SCM string));
 extern void scm_init_strports SCM_P ((void));
 
 #endif  /* STRPORTSH */