diff --git a/engine/src/conversion/utilities.rs b/engine/src/conversion/utilities.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b90b365
--- /dev/null
+++ b/engine/src/conversion/utilities.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+// Copyright 2020 Google LLC
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 <LICENSE-APACHE or
+// https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0> or the MIT license
+// <LICENSE-MIT or https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT>, at your
+// option. This file may not be copied, modified, or distributed
+// except according to those terms.
+
+use autocxx_parser::IncludeCppConfig;
+
+use super::{
+    api::{ApiName, NullPhase, UnanalyzedApi},
+    apivec::ApiVec,
+};
+use crate::types::{make_ident, Namespace};
+
+/// Adds items which we always add, cos they're useful.
+/// Any APIs or techniques which do not involve actual C++ interop
+/// shouldn't go here, but instead should go into the main autocxx
+/// src/lib.rs.
+pub(crate) fn generate_utilities(apis: &mut ApiVec<NullPhase>, config: &IncludeCppConfig) {
+    // Unless we've been specifically asked not to do so, we always
+    // generate a 'make_string' function. That pretty much *always* means
+    // we run two passes through bindgen. i.e. the next 'if' is always true,
+    // and we always generate an additional C++ file for our bindings additions,
+    // unless the include_cpp macro has specified ExcludeUtilities.
+    apis.push(UnanalyzedApi::StringConstructor {
+        name: ApiName::new(&Namespace::new(), make_ident(config.get_makestring_name())),
+    });
+}