diff --git a/qdf/inc/qdf_mem.h b/qdf/inc/qdf_mem.h
index 2c610ed976..2f36312394 100644
--- a/qdf/inc/qdf_mem.h
+++ b/qdf/inc/qdf_mem.h
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 #define __QDF_MEMORY_H
 
 /* Include Files */
+#include "qdf_str.h" /* TODO: update references and remove */
 #include <qdf_types.h>
 #include <i_qdf_mem.h>
 
@@ -262,45 +263,6 @@ static inline int32_t qdf_mem_cmp(const void *memory1, const void *memory2,
 	return __qdf_mem_cmp(memory1, memory2, num_bytes);
 }
 
-/**
- * qdf_str_cmp - Compare two strings
- * @str1: First string
- * @str2: Second string
- * Return: =0 equal
- * >0    not equal, if  str1  sorts lexicographically after str2
- * <0    not equal, if  str1  sorts lexicographically before str2
- */
-static inline int32_t qdf_str_cmp(const char *str1, const char *str2)
-{
-	return __qdf_str_cmp(str1, str2);
-}
-
-/**
- * qdf_str_eq - compare two null-terminated strings for equality
- * @left: the string left of the equality
- * @right: the string right of the equality
- *
- * This is a thin wrapper over `if (strcmp(left, right) == 0)` for clarity.
- *
- * Return: true if strings are equal
- */
-static inline bool qdf_str_eq(const char *left, const char *right)
-{
-	return qdf_str_cmp(left, right) == 0;
-}
-
-/**
- * qdf_str_lcopy - Copy from one string to another
- * @dest: destination string
- * @src: source string
- * @bytes: limit of num bytes to copy
- * Return: =0 returns the initial value of dest
- */
-static inline uint32_t qdf_str_lcopy(char *dest, const char *src, uint32_t bytes)
-{
-	return __qdf_str_lcopy(dest, src, bytes);
-}
-
 /**
  * qdf_mem_map_nbytes_single - Map memory for DMA
  * @osdev: pomter OS device context
@@ -402,16 +364,6 @@ void qdf_mem_dma_sync_single_for_cpu(qdf_device_t osdev,
 					qdf_dma_addr_t bus_addr,
 					qdf_size_t size,
 					__dma_data_direction direction);
-/**
- * qdf_str_len() - returns the length of a string
- * @str: input string
- * Return:
- * length of string
- */
-static inline int32_t qdf_str_len(const char *str)
-{
-	return __qdf_str_len(str);
-}
 
 void qdf_mem_multi_pages_alloc(qdf_device_t osdev,
 			       struct qdf_mem_multi_page_t *pages,
diff --git a/qdf/inc/qdf_str.h b/qdf/inc/qdf_str.h
index 5b94c10f2b..7864a4412e 100644
--- a/qdf/inc/qdf_str.h
+++ b/qdf/inc/qdf_str.h
@@ -40,6 +40,20 @@ static inline bool qdf_is_space(char c)
 	return __qdf_is_space(c);
 }
 
+/**
+ * qdf_str_cmp - Compare two strings
+ * @str1: First string
+ * @str2: Second string
+ * Return:
+ *	 0 - strings are equal
+ *	<0 - str1 sorts lexicographically before str2
+ *	>0 - str1 sorts lexicographically after str2
+ */
+static inline int32_t qdf_str_cmp(const char *str1, const char *str2)
+{
+	return __qdf_str_cmp(str1, str2);
+}
+
 /**
  * qdf_str_dup() - duplicate null-terminated string @src
  * @dest: double pointer to be populated
@@ -51,6 +65,36 @@ static inline bool qdf_is_space(char c)
  */
 QDF_STATUS qdf_str_dup(char **dest, const char *src);
 
+/**
+ * qdf_str_eq - compare two null-terminated strings for equality
+ * @left: the string left of the equality
+ * @right: the string right of the equality
+ *
+ * This is a thin wrapper over `if (strcmp(left, right) == 0)` for clarity.
+ *
+ * Return: true if strings are equal
+ */
+static inline bool qdf_str_eq(const char *left, const char *right)
+{
+	return qdf_str_cmp(left, right) == 0;
+}
+
+/**
+ * qdf_str_lcopy - Bounded copy from one string to another
+ * @dest: destination string
+ * @src: source string
+ * @dest_size: max number of bytes to copy (incl. null terminator)
+ *
+ * If the return value is >= @dest_size, @dest has been truncated.
+ *
+ * Return: length of @src
+ */
+static inline qdf_size_t
+qdf_str_lcopy(char *dest, const char *src, uint32_t dest_size)
+{
+	return __qdf_str_lcopy(dest, src, dest_size);
+}
+
 /**
  * qdf_str_left_trim() - Trim any leading whitespace from @str
  * @str: the string to trim
@@ -62,6 +106,17 @@ static inline const char *qdf_str_left_trim(const char *str)
 	return __qdf_str_left_trim(str);
 }
 
+/**
+ * qdf_str_len() - returns the length of a null-terminated string
+ * @str: input string
+ *
+ * Return: length of @str (without null terminator)
+ */
+static inline qdf_size_t qdf_str_len(const char *str)
+{
+	return __qdf_str_len(str);
+}
+
 /**
  * qdf_str_right_trim() - Trim any trailing whitespace from @str
  * @str: the string to trim
@@ -92,9 +147,9 @@ static inline char *qdf_str_trim(char *str)
  * @str: the string to get the length of
  * @limit: the maximum number of characters to check
  *
- * Return: length of @str, or @limit if the end is not found
+ * Return: the less of @limit or the length of @str (without null terminator)
  */
-static inline qdf_size_t qdf_str_nlen(const char *str, size_t limit)
+static inline qdf_size_t qdf_str_nlen(const char *str, qdf_size_t limit)
 {
 	return __qdf_str_nlen(str, limit);
 }
diff --git a/qdf/libc/inc/i_qdf_str.h b/qdf/libc/inc/i_qdf_str.h
index 4e8956c587..22b93c2825 100644
--- a/qdf/libc/inc/i_qdf_str.h
+++ b/qdf/libc/inc/i_qdf_str.h
@@ -24,8 +24,13 @@
 #ifndef __I_QDF_STR_H
 #define __I_QDF_STR_H
 
+#include "string.h"
+
 #define __qdf_is_space(c) isspace(c)
+#define __qdf_str_cmp(left, right) strcmp(left, right)
+#define __qdf_str_lcopy(dest, src, dest_size) strlcpy(dest, src, dest_size)
 const char *__qdf_str_left_trim(const char *str);
+#define __qdf_str_len(str) strlen(str)
 char *__qdf_str_trim(char *str);
 #define __qdf_str_nlen(str, limit) strnlen(str, limit)
 
diff --git a/qdf/linux/src/i_qdf_mem.h b/qdf/linux/src/i_qdf_mem.h
index f664e08b5a..6951d2201e 100644
--- a/qdf/linux/src/i_qdf_mem.h
+++ b/qdf/linux/src/i_qdf_mem.h
@@ -107,34 +107,6 @@ typedef struct __qdf_mempool_ctxt {
 /* typedef for dma_data_direction */
 typedef enum dma_data_direction __dma_data_direction;
 
-/**
- * __qdf_str_cmp() - Compare two strings
- * @str1: First string
- * @str2: Second string
- *
- * Return: =0 equal
- * >0 not equal, if  str1  sorts lexicographically after str2
- * <0 not equal, if  str1  sorts lexicographically before str2
- */
-static inline int32_t __qdf_str_cmp(const char *str1, const char *str2)
-{
-	return strcmp(str1, str2);
-}
-
-/**
- * __qdf_str_lcopy() - Copy from one string to another
- * @dest: destination string
- * @src: source string
- * @bytes: limit of num bytes to copy
- *
- * @return: 0 returns the initial value of dest
- */
-static inline uint32_t __qdf_str_lcopy(char *dest, const char *src,
-				    uint32_t bytes)
-{
-	return strlcpy(dest, src, bytes);
-}
-
 /**
  * __qdf_dma_dir_to_os() - Convert DMA data direction to OS specific enum
  * @dir: QDF DMA data direction
@@ -211,17 +183,6 @@ void __qdf_mempool_free(qdf_device_t osdev, __qdf_mempool_t pool, void *buf);
 #define __qdf_mempool_elem_size(_pool) ((_pool)->elem_size)
 #endif
 
-/**
- * __qdf_str_len() - returns the length of a string
- * @str: input string
- * Return:
- * length of string
- */
-static inline int32_t __qdf_str_len(const char *str)
-{
-	return strlen(str);
-}
-
 /**
  * __qdf_mem_cmp() - memory compare
  * @memory1: pointer to one location in memory to compare.
diff --git a/qdf/linux/src/i_qdf_str.h b/qdf/linux/src/i_qdf_str.h
index a390545a16..0f54196c36 100644
--- a/qdf/linux/src/i_qdf_str.h
+++ b/qdf/linux/src/i_qdf_str.h
@@ -24,11 +24,13 @@
 #ifndef __I_QDF_STR_H
 #define __I_QDF_STR_H
 
-#include "linux/ctype.h"
 #include "linux/string.h"
 
 #define __qdf_is_space(c) isspace(c)
+#define __qdf_str_cmp(left, right) strcmp(left, right)
+#define __qdf_str_lcopy(dest, src, dest_size) strlcpy(dest, src, dest_size)
 #define __qdf_str_left_trim(str) skip_spaces(str)
+#define __qdf_str_len(str) strlen(str)
 #define __qdf_str_trim(str) strim(str)
 #define __qdf_str_nlen(str, limit) strnlen(str, limit)