diff --git a/include/utility.cpp b/include/utility.cpp
index d90a13911..f19eccdbc 100755
--- a/include/utility.cpp
+++ b/include/utility.cpp
@@ -267,3 +267,33 @@ int stricmp(const char* s1, const char* s2)
 }
 
 #endif
+#ifdef __WATCOMC__
+char * tempnam(const char * dir , const char * prefix)
+
+{
+  TFilename tmpdir(getenv("TMP"));
+  static word counter = 1;
+
+  if (tmpdir.empty() || !fexist(tmpdir))
+  {
+    tmpdir = dir;
+    if (tmpdir.empty() || !fexist(tmpdir))
+      tmpdir = "";
+  }
+  if (is_not_slash(tmpdir.right(1)[0]))
+    tmpdir << '/';
+  tmpdir << prefix ;
+  const int lastpos = tmpdir.len() ;
+  tmpdir << format("%ud", counter);
+
+  while (!fexist(tmpdir))
+  {
+    counter++;
+    if (counter == 0) counter = 1;
+    tmpdir.cut(lastpos);
+    tmpdir << format("%ud", counter);
+  }
+  return strdup(tmpdir);
+}
+#endif
+
diff --git a/include/utility.h b/include/utility.h
index f2dd7ff52..1ba7c829b 100755
--- a/include/utility.h
+++ b/include/utility.h
@@ -14,10 +14,14 @@ bool fcopy(const char* orig, const char* dest, bool append=FALSE);
 bool fexist(const char* file);
 const char * encode(const char * data);
 const char * decode(const char * data);
+inline bool is_not_slash(char s) {  return s != '\\' && s != '/'; }
 
 #if XVT_OS == XVT_OS_SCOUNIX
 int  stricmp(const char*, const char*);
 #endif
+#ifdef __WATCOMC__
+char * tempnam(const char * dir, const char * prefix);
+#endif
 
 const char* esc(const char*);
 
@@ -32,5 +36,5 @@ extern char __tmp_string[1024];
 
 
 /* @END */
-#endif // __UTILITY_H
+#endif /* __UTILITY_H */