Index: funcs/func_strings.c
===================================================================
--- funcs/func_strings.c	(revision 8104)
+++ funcs/func_strings.c	(working copy)
@@ -238,6 +238,38 @@
 "entire argument, since Set can take multiple arguments itself.\n",
 };
 
+static char *builtin_function_quote(struct ast_channel *chan, char *cmd, char *data, char *buf, size_t len)
+{
+	char *bufptr = buf, *dataptr = data;
+	*bufptr++ = '"';
+	for (; bufptr < buf + len - 1; dataptr++) {
+		if (*dataptr == '\\') {
+			*bufptr++ = '\\';
+			*bufptr++ = '\\';
+		} else if (*dataptr == '"') {
+			*bufptr++ = '\\';
+			*bufptr++ = '"';
+		} else if (*dataptr == '\0') {
+			break;
+		} else {
+			*bufptr++ = *dataptr;
+		}
+	}
+	*bufptr++ = '"';
+	*bufptr = '\0';
+	return buf;
+}
+
+#ifndef BUILTIN_FUNC
+static
+#endif
+struct ast_custom_function quote_function = {
+	.name = "QUOTE",
+	.synopsis = "Quotes a given string, escaping embedded quotes as necessary",
+	.syntax = "QUOTE(<string>)",
+	.read = builtin_function_quote,
+};
+
 static char *builtin_function_len(struct ast_channel *chan, char *cmd, char *data, char *buf, size_t len) 
 {
 	int length = 0;