diff --git a/glib/gdataset.c b/glib/gdataset.c
index 661c30f3c..c2582b937 100644
--- a/glib/gdataset.c
+++ b/glib/gdataset.c
@@ -776,16 +776,6 @@ g_dataset_id_get_data (gconstpointer  dataset_location,
  *
  * Retrieves the data element corresponding to @key_id.
  **/
-/**
- * g_datalist_get_data:
- * @dl: a datalist.
- * @k: the string identifying a data element.
- * @Returns: the data element, or %NULL if it is not found.
- *
- * Gets a data element, using its string identifer. This is slower than
- * g_datalist_id_get_data() because the string is first converted to a
- * #GQuark.
- **/
 gpointer
 g_datalist_id_get_data (GData	 **datalist,
 			GQuark     key_id)
@@ -822,6 +812,48 @@ g_datalist_id_get_data (GData	 **datalist,
   return res;
 }
 
+/**
+ * g_datalist_get_data:
+ * @dl: a datalist.
+ * @k: the string identifying a data element.
+ * @Returns: the data element, or %NULL if it is not found.
+ *
+ * Gets a data element, using its string identifer. This is slower than
+ * g_datalist_id_get_data() because it compares strings.
+ **/
+gpointer
+g_datalist_get_data (GData	 **datalist,
+		     const gchar *key)
+{
+  gpointer res = NULL;
+  GData *d;
+  GDataElt *data, *data_end;
+
+  g_return_val_if_fail (datalist != NULL, NULL);
+
+  g_datalist_lock (datalist);
+
+  d = G_DATALIST_GET_POINTER (datalist);
+  if (d)
+    {
+      data = d->data;
+      data_end = data + d->len;
+      while (data < data_end)
+	{
+	  if (strcmp (g_quark_to_string (data->key), key) == 0)
+	    {
+	      res = data->data;
+	      break;
+	    }
+	  data++;
+	}
+    }
+
+  g_datalist_unlock (datalist);
+
+  return res;
+}
+
 /**
  * GDataForeachFunc:
  * @key_id: the #GQuark id to identifying the data element.
diff --git a/glib/gdataset.h b/glib/gdataset.h
index 2733ffb03..4451c38b4 100644
--- a/glib/gdataset.h
+++ b/glib/gdataset.h
@@ -76,8 +76,6 @@ guint    g_datalist_get_flags           (GData            **datalist);
      g_datalist_id_set_data_full ((dl), (q), (d), NULL)
 #define   g_datalist_id_remove_data(dl, q)      \
      g_datalist_id_set_data ((dl), (q), NULL)
-#define   g_datalist_get_data(dl, k)            \
-     (g_datalist_id_get_data ((dl), g_quark_try_string (k)))
 #define   g_datalist_set_data_full(dl, k, d, f) \
      g_datalist_id_set_data_full ((dl), g_quark_from_string (k), (d), (f))
 #define   g_datalist_remove_no_notify(dl, k)    \
@@ -93,6 +91,8 @@ guint    g_datalist_get_flags           (GData            **datalist);
 void      g_dataset_destroy             (gconstpointer    dataset_location);
 gpointer  g_dataset_id_get_data         (gconstpointer    dataset_location,
                                          GQuark           key_id);
+gpointer  g_datalist_get_data            (GData	 **datalist,
+					  const gchar *key);
 void      g_dataset_id_set_data_full    (gconstpointer    dataset_location,
                                          GQuark           key_id,
                                          gpointer         data,
diff --git a/glib/glib.symbols b/glib/glib.symbols
index d38450d3c..d8a18b9f9 100644
--- a/glib/glib.symbols
+++ b/glib/glib.symbols
@@ -184,6 +184,7 @@ g_filename_to_utf8_utf8
 g_uri_list_extract_uris
 g_datalist_clear
 g_datalist_foreach
+g_datalist_get_data
 g_datalist_get_flags
 g_datalist_id_get_data
 g_datalist_id_remove_no_notify