diff --git a/harbour/ChangeLog b/harbour/ChangeLog
index 18a378e69b..80f75fcd7b 100644
--- a/harbour/ChangeLog
+++ b/harbour/ChangeLog
@@ -8,6 +8,10 @@
    2002-12-01 13:30 UTC+0100 Foo Bar <foo.bar@foobar.org>
 */
 
+2008-01-12 13:12 UTC+0100 Przemyslaw Czerpak (druzus/at/priv.onet.pl)
+  * harbour/source/vm/itemapi.c
+    ! fixed hb_itemLockReadCPtr() used for static strings
+
 2008-01-11 22:35 UTC+0100 Przemyslaw Czerpak (druzus/at/priv.onet.pl)
   * harbour/source/vm/itemapi.c
     ! use hb_xRefFree() instead of hb_xRefDec() in hb_itemUnLockCPtr()
diff --git a/harbour/source/vm/itemapi.c b/harbour/source/vm/itemapi.c
index 36a1c3cdea..27d339df1f 100644
--- a/harbour/source/vm/itemapi.c
+++ b/harbour/source/vm/itemapi.c
@@ -445,6 +445,8 @@ HB_EXPORT char * hb_itemLockReadCPtr( PHB_ITEM pItem, ULONG * pulLen )
 
    if( pItem && HB_IS_STRING( pItem ) )
    {
+      if( pItem->item.asString.allocated == 0 )
+         hb_itemUnShareString( pItem );
       if( pulLen )
          *pulLen = pItem->item.asString.length;
       hb_xRefInc( pItem->item.asString.value );