diff --git a/src/base/path.lua b/src/base/path.lua
index 713c13af..91fb00d3 100644
--- a/src/base/path.lua
+++ b/src/base/path.lua
@@ -237,30 +237,3 @@
 		return p:match("^(.*)"..ext.."$")..newext
 	end
 
-
-
---
--- Converts from a simple wildcard syntax, where * is "match any"
--- and ** is "match recursive", to the corresponding Lua pattern.
---
--- @param pattern
---    The wildcard pattern to convert.
--- @returns
---    The corresponding Lua pattern.
---
-
-	function path.wildcards(pattern)
-		-- Escape characters that have special meanings in Lua patterns
-		pattern = pattern:gsub("([%+%.%-%^%$%(%)%%])", "%%%1")
-
-		-- Replace wildcard patterns with special placeholders so I don't
-		-- have competing star replacements to worry about
-		pattern = pattern:gsub("%*%*", "\001")
-		pattern = pattern:gsub("%*", "\002")
-
-		-- Replace the placeholders with their Lua patterns
-		pattern = pattern:gsub("\001", ".*")
-		pattern = pattern:gsub("\002", "[^/]*")
-
-		return pattern
-	end
diff --git a/src/host/path_wildcards.c b/src/host/path_wildcards.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c9c64c3f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/host/path_wildcards.c
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+/**
+ * \file   path_wildcards.c
+ * \brief  Converts from a simple wildcard syntax to the corresponding Lua pattern.
+ * \author Copyright (c) 2015 Tom van Dijck, Jason Perkins and the Premake project
+ */
+
+#include "premake.h"
+#include <string.h>
+#include <malloc.h>
+
+/*
+--Converts from a simple wildcard syntax, where * is "match any"
+-- and ** is "match recursive", to the corresponding Lua pattern.
+--
+-- @param pattern
+--    The wildcard pattern to convert.
+-- @returns
+--    The corresponding Lua pattern.
+*/
+int path_wildcards(lua_State* L)
+{
+	size_t length, i;
+	const char* input;
+	char buffer[0x4000];
+	char* output;
+
+	input = luaL_checklstring(L, 1, &length);
+	output = buffer;
+
+	for (i = 0; i < length; ++i)
+	{
+		char c = input[i];
+		switch (c)
+		{
+		case '+':
+		case '.':
+		case '-':
+		case '^':
+		case '$':
+		case '(':
+		case ')':
+		case '%':
+			*(output++) = '%';
+			*(output++) = c;
+			break;
+
+		case '*':
+			if ((i + 1) < length && input[i + 1] == '*')
+			{
+				i++; // skip the next character.
+				*(output++) = '.';
+				*(output++) = '*';
+			}
+			else
+			{
+				*(output++) = '[';
+				*(output++) = '^';
+				*(output++) = '/';
+				*(output++) = ']';
+				*(output++) = '*';
+			}
+			break;
+
+		default:
+			*(output++) = c;
+			break;
+		}
+
+		if (output >= buffer + sizeof(buffer))
+		{
+			lua_pushstring(L, "Wildcards expansion too big.");
+			lua_error(L);
+			return 0;
+		}
+	}
+
+	*(output++) = '\0';
+
+	lua_pushstring(L, buffer);
+	return 1;
+}
diff --git a/src/host/premake.c b/src/host/premake.c
index 2be283cd..88c74d23 100644
--- a/src/host/premake.c
+++ b/src/host/premake.c
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ static const luaL_Reg path_functions[] = {
 	{ "join", path_join },
 	{ "normalize", path_normalize },
 	{ "translate", path_translate },
+	{ "wildcards", path_wildcards },
 	{ NULL, NULL }
 };
 
diff --git a/src/host/premake.h b/src/host/premake.h
index edbd9600..8b48f021 100644
--- a/src/host/premake.h
+++ b/src/host/premake.h
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@ int path_isabsolute(lua_State* L);
 int path_join(lua_State* L);
 int path_normalize(lua_State* L);
 int path_translate(lua_State* L);
+int path_wildcards(lua_State* L);
 int os_chdir(lua_State* L);
 int os_chmod(lua_State* L);
 int os_copyfile(lua_State* L);