diff --git a/libraries/stdlib/src/kotlin/Strings.kt b/libraries/stdlib/src/kotlin/Strings.kt
index 81945388444..901289a101a 100644
--- a/libraries/stdlib/src/kotlin/Strings.kt
+++ b/libraries/stdlib/src/kotlin/Strings.kt
@@ -60,6 +60,8 @@ public inline fun String.format(format : String, vararg args : Any?) : String =
 
 public inline fun String.split(regex : String) : Array<String> = (this as java.lang.String).split(regex) as Array<String>
 
+public inline fun String.split(ch : Char) : Array<String> = (this as java.lang.String).split(java.util.regex.Pattern.quote(ch.toString())) as Array<String>
+
 public inline fun String.substring(beginIndex : Int) : String = (this as java.lang.String).substring(beginIndex).sure()
 
 public inline fun String.substring(beginIndex : Int, endIndex : Int) : String = (this as java.lang.String).substring(beginIndex, endIndex).sure()
@@ -68,10 +70,14 @@ public inline fun String.startsWith(prefix: String) : Boolean = (this as java.la
 
 public inline fun String.startsWith(prefix: String, toffset: Int) : Boolean = (this as java.lang.String).startsWith(prefix, toffset)
 
+public inline fun String.startsWith(ch: Char) : Boolean = (this as java.lang.String).startsWith(ch.toString())
+
 public inline fun String.contains(seq: CharSequence) : Boolean = (this as java.lang.String).contains(seq)
 
 public inline fun String.endsWith(suffix: String) : Boolean = (this as java.lang.String).endsWith(suffix)
 
+public inline fun String.endsWith(ch: Char) : Boolean = (this as java.lang.String).endsWith(ch.toString())
+
 inline val String.size : Int
 get() = length()
 
@@ -226,4 +232,4 @@ public inline fun String.count(predicate: (Char) -> Boolean): Int {
         }
     }
     return answer
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/libraries/stdlib/test/StringTest.kt b/libraries/stdlib/test/StringTest.kt
index 157a61a2851..f2db543a24c 100644
--- a/libraries/stdlib/test/StringTest.kt
+++ b/libraries/stdlib/test/StringTest.kt
@@ -52,4 +52,30 @@ class StringTest {
         assertEquals(3, whitespaceCount)
     }
 
+    test fun testSplitByChar() {
+        val s = "ab\n[|^$&\\]^cd"
+        var list = s.split('b');
+        assertEquals(2, list.size)
+        assertEquals("a", list[0])
+        assertEquals("\n[|^$&\\]^cd", list[1])
+        list = s.split('^')
+        assertEquals(3, list.size)
+        assertEquals("cd", list[2])
+        list = s.split('.')
+        assertEquals(1, list.size)
+        assertEquals(s, list[0])
+    }
+
+    test fun testStartsWithChar() {
+        assertTrue("abcd".startsWith('a'))
+        assertFalse("abcd".startsWith('b'))
+        assertFalse("".startsWith('a'))
+    }
+
+    test fun testEndsWithChar() {
+        assertTrue("abcd".endsWith('d'))
+        assertFalse("abcd".endsWith('b'))
+        assertFalse("".endsWith('a'))
+    }
+
 }