diff --git a/arch/i386/lib/Makefile b/arch/i386/lib/Makefile
index 22d8ac5815f0..4d105fdfe817 100644
--- a/arch/i386/lib/Makefile
+++ b/arch/i386/lib/Makefile
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 
 
 lib-y = checksum.o delay.o usercopy.o getuser.o putuser.o memcpy.o strstr.o \
-	bitops.o semaphore.o
+	bitops.o semaphore.o string.o
 
 lib-$(CONFIG_X86_USE_3DNOW) += mmx.o
 
diff --git a/arch/i386/lib/string.c b/arch/i386/lib/string.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..2c773fefa3dd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/arch/i386/lib/string.c
@@ -0,0 +1,257 @@
+/*
+ * Most of the string-functions are rather heavily hand-optimized,
+ * see especially strsep,strstr,str[c]spn. They should work, but are not
+ * very easy to understand. Everything is done entirely within the register
+ * set, making the functions fast and clean. String instructions have been
+ * used through-out, making for "slightly" unclear code :-)
+ *
+ * AK: On P4 and K7 using non string instruction implementations might be faster
+ * for large memory blocks. But most of them are unlikely to be used on large
+ * strings.
+ */
+
+#include <linux/string.h>
+#include <linux/module.h>
+
+#ifdef __HAVE_ARCH_STRCPY
+char *strcpy(char * dest,const char *src)
+{
+	int d0, d1, d2;
+	asm volatile( "1:\tlodsb\n\t"
+		"stosb\n\t"
+		"testb %%al,%%al\n\t"
+		"jne 1b"
+		: "=&S" (d0), "=&D" (d1), "=&a" (d2)
+		:"0" (src),"1" (dest) : "memory");
+	return dest;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(strcpy);
+#endif
+
+#ifdef __HAVE_ARCH_STRNCPY
+char *strncpy(char * dest,const char *src,size_t count)
+{
+	int d0, d1, d2, d3;
+	asm volatile( "1:\tdecl %2\n\t"
+		"js 2f\n\t"
+		"lodsb\n\t"
+		"stosb\n\t"
+		"testb %%al,%%al\n\t"
+		"jne 1b\n\t"
+		"rep\n\t"
+		"stosb\n"
+		"2:"
+		: "=&S" (d0), "=&D" (d1), "=&c" (d2), "=&a" (d3)
+		:"0" (src),"1" (dest),"2" (count) : "memory");
+	return dest;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(strncpy);
+#endif
+
+#ifdef __HAVE_ARCH_STRCAT
+char *strcat(char * dest,const char * src)
+{
+	int d0, d1, d2, d3;
+	asm volatile( "repne\n\t"
+		"scasb\n\t"
+		"decl %1\n"
+		"1:\tlodsb\n\t"
+		"stosb\n\t"
+		"testb %%al,%%al\n\t"
+		"jne 1b"
+		: "=&S" (d0), "=&D" (d1), "=&a" (d2), "=&c" (d3)
+		: "0" (src), "1" (dest), "2" (0), "3" (0xffffffffu): "memory");
+	return dest;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(strcat);
+#endif
+
+#ifdef __HAVE_ARCH_STRNCAT
+char *strncat(char * dest,const char * src,size_t count)
+{
+	int d0, d1, d2, d3;
+	asm volatile( "repne\n\t"
+		"scasb\n\t"
+		"decl %1\n\t"
+		"movl %8,%3\n"
+		"1:\tdecl %3\n\t"
+		"js 2f\n\t"
+		"lodsb\n\t"
+		"stosb\n\t"
+		"testb %%al,%%al\n\t"
+		"jne 1b\n"
+		"2:\txorl %2,%2\n\t"
+		"stosb"
+		: "=&S" (d0), "=&D" (d1), "=&a" (d2), "=&c" (d3)
+		: "0" (src),"1" (dest),"2" (0),"3" (0xffffffffu), "g" (count)
+		: "memory");
+	return dest;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(strncat);
+#endif
+
+#ifdef __HAVE_ARCH_STRCMP
+int strcmp(const char * cs,const char * ct)
+{
+	int d0, d1;
+	int res;
+	asm volatile( "1:\tlodsb\n\t"
+		"scasb\n\t"
+		"jne 2f\n\t"
+		"testb %%al,%%al\n\t"
+		"jne 1b\n\t"
+		"xorl %%eax,%%eax\n\t"
+		"jmp 3f\n"
+		"2:\tsbbl %%eax,%%eax\n\t"
+		"orb $1,%%al\n"
+		"3:"
+		:"=a" (res), "=&S" (d0), "=&D" (d1)
+		:"1" (cs),"2" (ct)
+		:"memory");
+	return res;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(strcmp);
+#endif
+
+#ifdef __HAVE_ARCH_STRNCMP
+int strncmp(const char * cs,const char * ct,size_t count)
+{
+	int res;
+	int d0, d1, d2;
+	asm volatile( "1:\tdecl %3\n\t"
+		"js 2f\n\t"
+		"lodsb\n\t"
+		"scasb\n\t"
+		"jne 3f\n\t"
+		"testb %%al,%%al\n\t"
+		"jne 1b\n"
+		"2:\txorl %%eax,%%eax\n\t"
+		"jmp 4f\n"
+		"3:\tsbbl %%eax,%%eax\n\t"
+		"orb $1,%%al\n"
+		"4:"
+		:"=a" (res), "=&S" (d0), "=&D" (d1), "=&c" (d2)
+		:"1" (cs),"2" (ct),"3" (count)
+		:"memory");
+	return res;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(strncmp);
+#endif
+
+#ifdef __HAVE_ARCH_STRCHR
+char *strchr(const char * s, int c)
+{
+	int d0;
+	char * res;
+	asm volatile( "movb %%al,%%ah\n"
+		"1:\tlodsb\n\t"
+		"cmpb %%ah,%%al\n\t"
+		"je 2f\n\t"
+		"testb %%al,%%al\n\t"
+		"jne 1b\n\t"
+		"movl $1,%1\n"
+		"2:\tmovl %1,%0\n\t"
+		"decl %0"
+		:"=a" (res), "=&S" (d0)
+		:"1" (s),"0" (c)
+		:"memory");
+	return res;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(strchr);
+#endif
+
+#ifdef __HAVE_ARCH_STRRCHR
+char *strrchr(const char * s, int c)
+{
+	int d0, d1;
+	char * res;
+	asm volatile( "movb %%al,%%ah\n"
+		"1:\tlodsb\n\t"
+		"cmpb %%ah,%%al\n\t"
+		"jne 2f\n\t"
+		"leal -1(%%esi),%0\n"
+		"2:\ttestb %%al,%%al\n\t"
+		"jne 1b"
+		:"=g" (res), "=&S" (d0), "=&a" (d1)
+		:"0" (0),"1" (s),"2" (c)
+		:"memory");
+	return res;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(strrchr);
+#endif
+
+#ifdef __HAVE_ARCH_STRLEN
+size_t strlen(const char * s)
+{
+	int d0;
+	int res;
+	asm volatile( "repne\n\t"
+		"scasb\n\t"
+		"notl %0\n\t"
+		"decl %0"
+		:"=c" (res), "=&D" (d0)
+		:"1" (s),"a" (0), "0" (0xffffffffu)
+		:"memory");
+	return res;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(strlen);
+#endif
+
+#ifdef __HAVE_ARCH_MEMCHR
+void *memchr(const void *cs,int c,size_t count)
+{
+	int d0;
+	void *res;
+	if (!count)
+		return NULL;
+	asm volatile( "repne\n\t"
+		"scasb\n\t"
+		"je 1f\n\t"
+		"movl $1,%0\n"
+		"1:\tdecl %0"
+		:"=D" (res), "=&c" (d0)
+		:"a" (c),"0" (cs),"1" (count)
+		:"memory");
+	return res;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(memchr);
+#endif
+
+#ifdef __HAVE_ARCH_MEMSCAN
+void *memscan(void * addr, int c, size_t size)
+{
+	if (!size)
+		return addr;
+	asm volatile("repnz; scasb\n\t"
+	    "jnz 1f\n\t"
+	    "dec %%edi\n"
+	    "1:"
+	    : "=D" (addr), "=c" (size)
+	    : "0" (addr), "1" (size), "a" (c)
+	    : "memory");
+	return addr;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(memscan);
+#endif
+
+#ifdef __HAVE_ARCH_STRNLEN
+size_t strnlen(const char *s, size_t count)
+{
+	int d0;
+	int res;
+	asm volatile( "movl %2,%0\n\t"
+		"jmp 2f\n"
+		"1:\tcmpb $0,(%0)\n\t"
+		"je 3f\n\t"
+		"incl %0\n"
+		"2:\tdecl %1\n\t"
+		"cmpl $-1,%1\n\t"
+		"jne 1b\n"
+		"3:\tsubl %2,%0"
+		:"=a" (res), "=&d" (d0)
+		:"c" (s),"1" (count)
+		:"memory");
+	return res;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(strnlen);
+#endif
diff --git a/include/asm-i386/string.h b/include/asm-i386/string.h
index b9277361954b..a9b64453bdf5 100644
--- a/include/asm-i386/string.h
+++ b/include/asm-i386/string.h
@@ -2,203 +2,35 @@
 #define _I386_STRING_H_
 
 #ifdef __KERNEL__
-/*
- * On a 486 or Pentium, we are better off not using the
- * byte string operations. But on a 386 or a PPro the
- * byte string ops are faster than doing it by hand
- * (MUCH faster on a Pentium).
- */
 
-/*
- * This string-include defines all string functions as inline
- * functions. Use gcc. It also assumes ds=es=data space, this should be
- * normal. Most of the string-functions are rather heavily hand-optimized,
- * see especially strsep,strstr,str[c]spn. They should work, but are not
- * very easy to understand. Everything is done entirely within the register
- * set, making the functions fast and clean. String instructions have been
- * used through-out, making for "slightly" unclear code :-)
- *
- *		NO Copyright (C) 1991, 1992 Linus Torvalds,
- *		consider these trivial functions to be PD.
- */
-
-/* AK: in fact I bet it would be better to move this stuff all out of line.
- */
+/* Let gcc decide wether to inline or use the out of line functions */
 
 #define __HAVE_ARCH_STRCPY
-static inline char * strcpy(char * dest,const char *src)
-{
-int d0, d1, d2;
-__asm__ __volatile__(
-	"1:\tlodsb\n\t"
-	"stosb\n\t"
-	"testb %%al,%%al\n\t"
-	"jne 1b"
-	: "=&S" (d0), "=&D" (d1), "=&a" (d2)
-	:"0" (src),"1" (dest) : "memory");
-return dest;
-}
+extern char *strcpy(char *dest, const char *src);
 
 #define __HAVE_ARCH_STRNCPY
-static inline char * strncpy(char * dest,const char *src,size_t count)
-{
-int d0, d1, d2, d3;
-__asm__ __volatile__(
-	"1:\tdecl %2\n\t"
-	"js 2f\n\t"
-	"lodsb\n\t"
-	"stosb\n\t"
-	"testb %%al,%%al\n\t"
-	"jne 1b\n\t"
-	"rep\n\t"
-	"stosb\n"
-	"2:"
-	: "=&S" (d0), "=&D" (d1), "=&c" (d2), "=&a" (d3)
-	:"0" (src),"1" (dest),"2" (count) : "memory");
-return dest;
-}
+extern char *strncpy(char *dest, const char *src, size_t count);
 
 #define __HAVE_ARCH_STRCAT
-static inline char * strcat(char * dest,const char * src)
-{
-int d0, d1, d2, d3;
-__asm__ __volatile__(
-	"repne\n\t"
-	"scasb\n\t"
-	"decl %1\n"
-	"1:\tlodsb\n\t"
-	"stosb\n\t"
-	"testb %%al,%%al\n\t"
-	"jne 1b"
-	: "=&S" (d0), "=&D" (d1), "=&a" (d2), "=&c" (d3)
-	: "0" (src), "1" (dest), "2" (0), "3" (0xffffffffu):"memory");
-return dest;
-}
+extern char *strcat(char *dest, const char *src);
 
 #define __HAVE_ARCH_STRNCAT
-static inline char * strncat(char * dest,const char * src,size_t count)
-{
-int d0, d1, d2, d3;
-__asm__ __volatile__(
-	"repne\n\t"
-	"scasb\n\t"
-	"decl %1\n\t"
-	"movl %8,%3\n"
-	"1:\tdecl %3\n\t"
-	"js 2f\n\t"
-	"lodsb\n\t"
-	"stosb\n\t"
-	"testb %%al,%%al\n\t"
-	"jne 1b\n"
-	"2:\txorl %2,%2\n\t"
-	"stosb"
-	: "=&S" (d0), "=&D" (d1), "=&a" (d2), "=&c" (d3)
-	: "0" (src),"1" (dest),"2" (0),"3" (0xffffffffu), "g" (count)
-	: "memory");
-return dest;
-}
+extern char *strncat(char *dest, const char *src, size_t count);
 
 #define __HAVE_ARCH_STRCMP
-static inline int strcmp(const char * cs,const char * ct)
-{
-int d0, d1;
-register int __res;
-__asm__ __volatile__(
-	"1:\tlodsb\n\t"
-	"scasb\n\t"
-	"jne 2f\n\t"
-	"testb %%al,%%al\n\t"
-	"jne 1b\n\t"
-	"xorl %%eax,%%eax\n\t"
-	"jmp 3f\n"
-	"2:\tsbbl %%eax,%%eax\n\t"
-	"orb $1,%%al\n"
-	"3:"
-	:"=a" (__res), "=&S" (d0), "=&D" (d1)
-	:"1" (cs),"2" (ct)
-	:"memory");
-return __res;
-}
+extern int strcmp(const char *cs, const char *ct);
 
 #define __HAVE_ARCH_STRNCMP
-static inline int strncmp(const char * cs,const char * ct,size_t count)
-{
-register int __res;
-int d0, d1, d2;
-__asm__ __volatile__(
-	"1:\tdecl %3\n\t"
-	"js 2f\n\t"
-	"lodsb\n\t"
-	"scasb\n\t"
-	"jne 3f\n\t"
-	"testb %%al,%%al\n\t"
-	"jne 1b\n"
-	"2:\txorl %%eax,%%eax\n\t"
-	"jmp 4f\n"
-	"3:\tsbbl %%eax,%%eax\n\t"
-	"orb $1,%%al\n"
-	"4:"
-	:"=a" (__res), "=&S" (d0), "=&D" (d1), "=&c" (d2)
-	:"1" (cs),"2" (ct),"3" (count)
-	:"memory");
-return __res;
-}
+extern int strncmp(const char *cs, const char *ct, size_t count);
 
 #define __HAVE_ARCH_STRCHR
-static inline char * strchr(const char * s, int c)
-{
-int d0;
-register char * __res;
-__asm__ __volatile__(
-	"movb %%al,%%ah\n"
-	"1:\tlodsb\n\t"
-	"cmpb %%ah,%%al\n\t"
-	"je 2f\n\t"
-	"testb %%al,%%al\n\t"
-	"jne 1b\n\t"
-	"movl $1,%1\n"
-	"2:\tmovl %1,%0\n\t"
-	"decl %0"
-	:"=a" (__res), "=&S" (d0)
-	:"1" (s),"0" (c)
-	:"memory");
-return __res;
-}
+extern char *strchr(const char *s, int c);
 
 #define __HAVE_ARCH_STRRCHR
-static inline char * strrchr(const char * s, int c)
-{
-int d0, d1;
-register char * __res;
-__asm__ __volatile__(
-	"movb %%al,%%ah\n"
-	"1:\tlodsb\n\t"
-	"cmpb %%ah,%%al\n\t"
-	"jne 2f\n\t"
-	"leal -1(%%esi),%0\n"
-	"2:\ttestb %%al,%%al\n\t"
-	"jne 1b"
-	:"=g" (__res), "=&S" (d0), "=&a" (d1)
-	:"0" (0),"1" (s),"2" (c)
-	:"memory");
-return __res;
-}
+extern char *strrchr(const char *s, int c);
 
 #define __HAVE_ARCH_STRLEN
-static inline size_t strlen(const char * s)
-{
-int d0;
-register int __res;
-__asm__ __volatile__(
-	"repne\n\t"
-	"scasb\n\t"
-	"notl %0\n\t"
-	"decl %0"
-	:"=c" (__res), "=&D" (d0)
-	:"1" (s),"a" (0), "0" (0xffffffffu)
-	:"memory");
-return __res;
-}
+extern size_t strlen(const char *s);
 
 static __always_inline void * __memcpy(void * to, const void * from, size_t n)
 {
@@ -207,9 +39,7 @@ __asm__ __volatile__(
 	"rep ; movsl\n\t"
 	"movl %4,%%ecx\n\t"
 	"andl $3,%%ecx\n\t"
-#if 1	/* want to pay 2 byte penalty for a chance to skip microcoded rep? */
 	"jz 1f\n\t"
-#endif
 	"rep ; movsb\n\t"
 	"1:"
 	: "=&c" (d0), "=&D" (d1), "=&S" (d2)
@@ -328,23 +158,7 @@ void *memmove(void * dest,const void * src, size_t n);
 #define memcmp __builtin_memcmp
 
 #define __HAVE_ARCH_MEMCHR
-static inline void * memchr(const void * cs,int c,size_t count)
-{
-int d0;
-register void * __res;
-if (!count)
-	return NULL;
-__asm__ __volatile__(
-	"repne\n\t"
-	"scasb\n\t"
-	"je 1f\n\t"
-	"movl $1,%0\n"
-	"1:\tdecl %0"
-	:"=D" (__res), "=&c" (d0)
-	:"a" (c),"0" (cs),"1" (count)
-	:"memory");
-return __res;
-}
+extern void *memchr(const void * cs,int c,size_t count);
 
 static inline void * __memset_generic(void * s, char c,size_t count)
 {
@@ -386,29 +200,10 @@ return (s);
 
 /* Added by Gertjan van Wingerde to make minix and sysv module work */
 #define __HAVE_ARCH_STRNLEN
-static inline size_t strnlen(const char * s, size_t count)
-{
-int d0;
-register int __res;
-__asm__ __volatile__(
-	"movl %2,%0\n\t"
-	"jmp 2f\n"
-	"1:\tcmpb $0,(%0)\n\t"
-	"je 3f\n\t"
-	"incl %0\n"
-	"2:\tdecl %1\n\t"
-	"cmpl $-1,%1\n\t"
-	"jne 1b\n"
-	"3:\tsubl %2,%0"
-	:"=a" (__res), "=&d" (d0)
-	:"c" (s),"1" (count)
-	:"memory");
-return __res;
-}
+extern size_t strnlen(const char * s, size_t count);
 /* end of additional stuff */
 
 #define __HAVE_ARCH_STRSTR
-
 extern char *strstr(const char *cs, const char *ct);
 
 /*
@@ -474,19 +269,7 @@ __asm__  __volatile__( \
  * find the first occurrence of byte 'c', or 1 past the area if none
  */
 #define __HAVE_ARCH_MEMSCAN
-static inline void * memscan(void * addr, int c, size_t size)
-{
-	if (!size)
-		return addr;
-	__asm__("repnz; scasb\n\t"
-		"jnz 1f\n\t"
-		"dec %%edi\n"
-		"1:"
-		: "=D" (addr), "=c" (size)
-		: "0" (addr), "1" (size), "a" (c)
-		: "memory");
-	return addr;
-}
+extern void *memscan(void * addr, int c, size_t size);
 
 #endif /* __KERNEL__ */