diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 325d573ad..62e60194f 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ script: s/travis-build
 addons:
   apt:
     packages:
+      - libbsd-dev
       - liblua5.1-dev
       - libtolua-dev
       - libncurses5-dev
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 7507bd99f..683757de0 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -11,9 +11,17 @@ if (MSVC)
 include(MSVC)
 endif (MSVC)
 
-INCLUDE (CheckSymbolExists)
-CHECK_SYMBOL_EXISTS(strlcat string.h HAVE_STRLCAT)
-CHECK_SYMBOL_EXISTS(strdup string.h HAVE_STRDUP)
+INCLUDE (CheckIncludeFile)
+CHECK_INCLUDE_FILE(bsd/string.h HAVE_LIBBSD)
+
+INCLUDE (CheckFunctionExists)
+CHECK_FUNCTION_EXISTS(strdup HAVE_STRDUP)
+IF (HAVE_LIBBSD)
+INCLUDE (CheckLibraryExists)
+CHECK_LIBRARY_EXISTS(bsd strlcat "bsd/string.h" HAVE_STRLCAT)
+ELSE (HAVE_LIBBSD)
+CHECK_FUNCTION_EXISTS(strlcat HAVE_STRLCAT)
+ENDIF(HAVE_LIBBSD)
 
 find_package (SQLite3)
 find_package (BerkeleyDB)
diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index 70ef60b87..4708caf6d 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -267,14 +267,24 @@ add_test(server test_eressea)
 
 install(TARGETS eressea DESTINATION "bin")
 
+if (HAVE_LIBBSD)
+  add_definitions(-DHAVE_LIBBSD)
+endif (HAVE_LIBBSD)
+
 if (HAVE_STRLCAT)
   add_definitions(-DHAVE_BSDSTRING)
-endif(HAVE_STRLCAT)
+endif (HAVE_STRLCAT)
 
 if (HAVE_STRDUP)
   add_definitions(-DHAVE_STRDUP)
 endif(HAVE_STRDUP)
 
+if (HAVE_LIBBSD)
+target_link_libraries(test_eressea bsd)
+target_link_libraries(eressea bsd)
+target_link_libraries(convert bsd)
+endif (HAVE_LIBBSD)
+
 if (DB_FOUND)
 include_directories (${DB_INCLUDE_DIR})
 target_link_libraries(convert ${DB_LIBRARIES})
diff --git a/src/util/strings.c b/src/util/strings.c
index d3a1b2eec..b33f657ef 100644
--- a/src/util/strings.c
+++ b/src/util/strings.c
@@ -25,10 +25,15 @@ OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.
 /* libc includes */
 #include <stdarg.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
-#include <string.h>
 #include <assert.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 
+#ifdef HAVE_LIBBSD
+#include <bsd/string.h>
+#else
+#include <string.h>
+#endif
+
 size_t str_strlcpy(char *dst, const char *src, size_t len)
 {
 #ifdef HAVE_BSDSTRING
@@ -232,10 +237,15 @@ unsigned int wang_hash(unsigned int a)
 }
 
 char *str_strdup(const char *s) {
-#ifdef _MSC_VER
+#ifdef HAVE_STRDUP
+    return strdup(s);
+#elif defined(_MSC_VER)
     return _strdup(s);
 #else
-    return strdup(s);
+    size_t len = strlen(s);
+    char *dup = malloc(len+1);
+    memcpy(dup, s, len+1);
+    return dup;
 #endif
 }