diff --git a/src/common.h b/src/common.h
index 0dc0833..50a3d90 100644
--- a/src/common.h
+++ b/src/common.h
@@ -58,7 +58,6 @@ struct _xmpp_ctx_t {
 
 /* convenience functions for accessing the context */
 void *xmpp_alloc(const xmpp_ctx_t * const ctx, const size_t size);
-void xmpp_free(const xmpp_ctx_t * const ctx, void *p);
 void *xmpp_realloc(const xmpp_ctx_t * const ctx, void *p, 
 		   const size_t size);
 char *xmpp_strdup(const xmpp_ctx_t * const ctx, const char * const s);
diff --git a/strophe.h b/strophe.h
index 8e2b474..3447c77 100644
--- a/strophe.h
+++ b/strophe.h
@@ -286,6 +286,10 @@ xmpp_stanza_t * xmpp_stanza_copy(const xmpp_stanza_t * const stanza);
 /** free a stanza object and it's contents */
 int xmpp_stanza_release(xmpp_stanza_t * const stanza);
 
+/** free some blocks returned by other APIs, for example the
+    buffer you get from xmpp_stanza_to_text **/
+void xmpp_free(const xmpp_ctx_t * const ctx, void *p);
+
 int xmpp_stanza_is_text(xmpp_stanza_t * const stanza);
 int xmpp_stanza_is_tag(xmpp_stanza_t * const stanza);