diff --git a/data/lua/wml-tags.lua b/data/lua/wml-tags.lua
index c0f780d4f3c..0c92a535330 100644
--- a/data/lua/wml-tags.lua
+++ b/data/lua/wml-tags.lua
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ function wml_actions.sync_variable(cfg)
 		function()
 			local res = {}
 			for name_raw in utils.split(names) do
-				local name = utils.trim(name_raw)
+				local name = name_raw:trim()
 				local variable_type = string.sub(name, string.len(name)) == "]" and "indexed" or ( wml.variables[name .. ".length"] > 0 and "array" or "attribute")
 				local variable_info = { name = name, type = variable_type }
 				table.insert(res, { "variable", variable_info })
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ function wml_actions.clear_variable(cfg, variables)
 		wml.error "[clear_variable] missing required name= attribute."
 	if variables == nil then variables = wml.variables end
 	for w in utils.split(names) do
-		variables[utils.trim(w)] = nil
+		variables[w:trim()] = nil
 	end
 end
 
diff --git a/data/lua/wml-utils.lua b/data/lua/wml-utils.lua
index f36b15a221d..705fd3cfbec 100644
--- a/data/lua/wml-utils.lua
+++ b/data/lua/wml-utils.lua
@@ -1,10 +1,7 @@
 
 local utils = {vwriter = {}}
 
-function utils.trim(s)
-	-- use (f(a)) to get first argument
-	return (tostring(s):gsub("^%s*(.-)%s*$", "%1"))
-end
+utils.trim = wesnoth.deprecate_api('wml_utils.trim', 'stringx.trim', 1, nil, stringx.trim)
 
 function utils.split(s)
 	return tostring(s or ""):gmatch("[^%s,][^,]*")
diff --git a/data/lua/wml/role.lua b/data/lua/wml/role.lua
index fc693294b8b..a816da48fc0 100644
--- a/data/lua/wml/role.lua
+++ b/data/lua/wml/role.lua
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ function wesnoth.wml_actions.role(cfg)
 
 	if cfg.type then
 		for value in utils.split(cfg.type) do
-			table.insert(types, utils.trim(value))
+			table.insert(types, value:trim())
 		end
 	end