diff --git a/src/utils.cpp b/src/utils.cpp
index f67a87724..52bbd43cc 100644
--- a/src/utils.cpp
+++ b/src/utils.cpp
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ void DH_der_gen_hex(std::string& strDer, int iKeyLength)
 
 	DH_der_gen(strBuf, iKeyLength);
 
-	strHex(strDer, strBuf);
+	strDer	= strHex(strBuf);
 }
 
 DH* DH_der_load(const std::string& strDer)
diff --git a/src/utils.h b/src/utils.h
index 986b059f6..1d7ace235 100644
--- a/src/utils.h
+++ b/src/utils.h
@@ -36,8 +36,10 @@ std::string strJoin(Iterator first, Iterator last, std::string strSeperator)
 char charHex(int iDigit);
 
 template<class Iterator>
-void strHex(std::string& strDst, Iterator first, int iSize)
+std::string strHex(Iterator first, int iSize)
 {
+	std::string		strDst;
+
 	strDst.resize(iSize*2);
 
 	for (int i = 0; i < iSize; i++) {
@@ -46,14 +48,16 @@ void strHex(std::string& strDst, Iterator first, int iSize)
 		strDst[i*2]		= charHex(c >> 4);
 		strDst[i*2+1]	= charHex(c & 15);
 	}
+
+	return strDst;
 }
 
-inline void strHex(std::string& strDst, const std::string& strSrc) {
-	strHex(strDst, strSrc.begin(), strSrc.size());
+inline const std::string strHex(const std::string& strSrc) {
+	return strHex(strSrc.begin(), strSrc.size());
 }
 
-inline void strHex(std::string& strDst, const std::vector<unsigned char> vchData) {
-	strHex(strDst, vchData.begin(), vchData.size());
+inline std::string strHex(const std::vector<unsigned char> vchData) {
+	return strHex(vchData.begin(), vchData.size());
 }
 
 int charUnHex(char cDigit);