diff --git a/widget/src/mac/nsFileWidget.cpp b/widget/src/mac/nsFileWidget.cpp
index 20f6d15c29bc..cf7a62e1ebaf 100644
--- a/widget/src/mac/nsFileWidget.cpp
+++ b/widget/src/mac/nsFileWidget.cpp
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 #include "nsFileWidget.h"
 #include "nsStringUtil.h"
 #include <StandardFile.h>
+#include "nsMacControl.h"
 
 #include "nsFileSpec.h"
 
@@ -147,8 +148,8 @@ PRBool nsFileWidget::Show()
 
   Str255 title;
   Str255 defaultName;
-  StringToStr255(mTitle,title);
-  StringToStr255(mDefault,defaultName);
+  nsMacControl::StringToStr255(mTitle,title);
+  nsMacControl::StringToStr255(mDefault,defaultName);
     
   FSSpec theFile;
   PRBool userClicksOK = PR_FALSE;
diff --git a/widget/src/mac/nsMacControl.cpp b/widget/src/mac/nsMacControl.cpp
index 4bf5e1705958..c7c9b8992189 100644
--- a/widget/src/mac/nsMacControl.cpp
+++ b/widget/src/mac/nsMacControl.cpp
@@ -314,6 +314,37 @@ void nsMacControl::SetupMacControlFont()
 	fontStyleRec.style = theStyle.tsFace;
 	::SetControlFontStyle(mControl, &fontStyleRec);
 }
-	
-	
 
+#pragma mark -
+
+//-------------------------------------------------------------------------
+//
+//
+//-------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+void nsMacControl::StringToStr255(const nsString& aText, Str255& aStr255)
+{
+	char buffer[256];
+	
+	aText.ToCString(buffer,255);
+		
+	PRInt32 len = strlen(buffer);
+	memcpy(&aStr255[1],buffer,len);
+	aStr255[0] = len;
+}
+
+//-------------------------------------------------------------------------
+//
+//
+//-------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+void nsMacControl::Str255ToString(const Str255& aStr255, nsString& aText)
+{
+	char 		buffer[256];
+	PRInt32 len = aStr255[0];
+  
+	memcpy(buffer,&aStr255[1],len);
+	buffer[len] = 0;
+
+	aText = buffer;		
+}
diff --git a/widget/src/mac/nsMacControl.h b/widget/src/mac/nsMacControl.h
index ff5d7c771ed5..49ca39f503e7 100644
--- a/widget/src/mac/nsMacControl.h
+++ b/widget/src/mac/nsMacControl.h
@@ -50,6 +50,11 @@ public:
 	NS_IMETHOD    	Show(PRBool aState);
 	NS_IMETHODIMP		SetFont(const nsFont &aFont);
 
+	// Mac string utilities
+	// (they really should be elsewhere but, well, only the Mac controls use them)
+	static void 		StringToStr255(const nsString& aText, Str255& aStr255);
+	static void 		Str255ToString(const Str255& aStr255, nsString& aText);
+
 protected:
 	
 	NS_METHOD				CreateOrReplaceMacControl(short inControlType);
@@ -63,8 +68,8 @@ protected:
 	PRInt32					mValue;
 	PRInt32					mMin;
 	PRInt32					mMax;
-	ControlHandle			mControl;
-	short					mControlType;
+	ControlHandle		mControl;
+	short						mControlType;
 
 	nsString				mLastLabel;
 	nsRect					mLastBounds;