diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 545698c4..7a2600b4 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -4,6 +4,10 @@
    Fix multiple snippet cursor positions for Tabs + Spaces mode.
    Simplify editor_insert_snippet() code now we use cursor marker
    strings.
+ * src/utils.c, src/utils.h, src/editor.c:
+   Add utils_string_find() to search in a fixed range.
+   Change utils_string_replace() to just replace a fixed number of
+   characters.
 
 
 2011-04-17  Enrico Tröger  <enrico(dot)troeger(at)uvena(dot)de>
diff --git a/src/editor.c b/src/editor.c
index 47506a4e..7e79ad27 100644
--- a/src/editor.c
+++ b/src/editor.c
@@ -2347,9 +2347,7 @@ static guint utils_string_regex_replace_all(GString *haystack,
 
 		g_return_val_if_fail(match->rm_so >= 0, FALSE);
 		pos += match->rm_so;
-		g_string_erase(haystack, pos, match->rm_eo - match->rm_so);
-		g_string_insert(haystack, pos, replace);
-		pos += strlen(replace);
+		pos = utils_string_replace(haystack, pos, match->rm_eo - match->rm_so, replace);
 		ret++;
 	}
 	return ret;
@@ -2534,10 +2532,12 @@ static gssize replace_cursor_markers(GeanyEditor *editor, GString *pattern)
 	i = 0;
 	while (1)
 	{
-		cursor_steps = utils_string_replace(pattern, cursor_steps, -1, geany_cursor_marker, NULL);
+		cursor_steps = utils_string_find(pattern, cursor_steps, -1, geany_cursor_marker);
 		if (cursor_steps == -1)
 			break;
 
+		g_string_erase(pattern, cursor_steps, strlen(geany_cursor_marker));
+
 		if (i++ > 0)
 		{
 			/* save the relative offset to each cursor position */
diff --git a/src/utils.c b/src/utils.c
index c18d8d36..5ea60427 100644
--- a/src/utils.c
+++ b/src/utils.c
@@ -1530,11 +1530,9 @@ gboolean utils_str_has_upper(const gchar *str)
 }
 
 
-/* Replaces needle if in range.
- * end can be -1 for haystack->len.
- * returns: position of replaced text or -1. */
-gint utils_string_replace(GString *haystack, gint start, gint end,
-		const gchar *needle, const gchar *replace)
+/* end can be -1 for haystack->len.
+ * returns: position of found text or -1. */
+gint utils_string_find(GString *haystack, gint start, gint end, const gchar *needle)
 {
 	gint pos;
 
@@ -1558,14 +1556,22 @@ gint utils_string_replace(GString *haystack, gint start, gint end,
 	pos += start;
 	if (pos >= end)
 		return -1;
-
-	g_string_erase(haystack, pos, strlen(needle));
-	if (G_LIKELY(replace))
-		g_string_insert(haystack, pos, replace);
 	return pos;
 }
 
 
+/* Replaces @len characters from offset @a pos.
+ * len can be -1 for str->len.
+ * returns: pos + strlen(replace). */
+gint utils_string_replace(GString *str, gint pos, gint len, const gchar *replace)
+{
+	g_string_erase(str, pos, len);
+	g_string_insert(str, pos, replace);
+
+	return pos + strlen(replace);
+}
+
+
 /**
  * Replaces all occurrences of @a needle in @a haystack with @a replace.
  * As of Geany 0.16, @a replace can match @a needle, so the following will work:
@@ -1584,13 +1590,12 @@ guint utils_string_replace_all(GString *haystack, const gchar *needle, const gch
 
 	while (1)
 	{
-		pos = utils_string_replace(haystack, pos, -1, needle, replace);
+		pos = utils_string_find(haystack, pos, -1, needle);
 
 		if (pos == -1)
 			break;
 
-		if (replace)
-			pos += strlen(replace);
+		pos = utils_string_replace(haystack, pos, strlen(needle), replace);
 		count++;
 	}
 	return count;
@@ -1612,7 +1617,13 @@ guint utils_string_replace_all(GString *haystack, const gchar *needle, const gch
  */
 guint utils_string_replace_first(GString *haystack, const gchar *needle, const gchar *replace)
 {
-	return utils_string_replace(haystack, 0, -1, needle, replace) == -1 ? 0 : 1;
+	gint pos = utils_string_find(haystack, 0, -1, needle);
+
+	if (pos == -1)
+		return 0;
+
+	utils_string_replace(haystack, pos, strlen(needle), replace);
+	return 1;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/utils.h b/src/utils.h
index d63c702c..d582c98e 100644
--- a/src/utils.h
+++ b/src/utils.h
@@ -168,8 +168,9 @@ gchar utils_brace_opposite(gchar ch);
 
 gchar *utils_get_hostname(void);
 
-gint utils_string_replace(GString *haystack, gint start, gint end,
-		const gchar *needle, const gchar *replace);
+gint utils_string_find(GString *haystack, gint start, gint end, const gchar *needle);
+
+gint utils_string_replace(GString *str, gint pos, gint len, const gchar *replace);
 
 guint utils_string_replace_all(GString *haystack, const gchar *needle, const gchar *replace);