diff --git a/config/alfresco/template-services-context.xml b/config/alfresco/template-services-context.xml
index 5492cf5b57..78262dae8a 100644
--- a/config/alfresco/template-services-context.xml
+++ b/config/alfresco/template-services-context.xml
@@ -155,5 +155,14 @@
             <value>cropContent</value>
         </property>
     </bean>
+
+    <bean id="shortQNameTemplateExtension" parent="baseTemplateImplementation" class="org.alfresco.repo.template.ShortQNameMethod">
+        <property name="extensionName">
+            <value>shortQName</value>
+        </property>
+        <property name="serviceRegistry">
+            <ref bean="ServiceRegistry"/>
+        </property>
+    </bean>
     
 </beans>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/jscript/ScriptUtils.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/jscript/ScriptUtils.java
index 9b02368ddd..bbc376266b 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/jscript/ScriptUtils.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/jscript/ScriptUtils.java
@@ -42,6 +42,8 @@ import org.alfresco.util.ISO8601DateFormat;
  */
 public final class ScriptUtils extends BaseScopableProcessorExtension
 {
+    private final static String NAMESPACE_BEGIN = "" + QName.NAMESPACE_BEGIN;
+
     /** Services */
     private ServiceRegistry services;
     
@@ -147,4 +149,37 @@ public final class ScriptUtils extends BaseScopableProcessorExtension
     {
         return ISO8601DateFormat.parse(isoDateString);
     }
+    
+    /**
+     * Given a long-form QName string, this method uses the namespace service to create a
+     * short-form QName string.
+     * 
+     * @param s   Fully qualified QName string
+     * @return the short form of the QName string, e.g. "cm:content"
+     */
+    public String shortQName(String s)
+    {
+        return createQName(s).toPrefixString(services.getNamespaceService());
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Helper to create a QName from either a fully qualified or short-name QName string
+     * 
+     * @param s    Fully qualified or short-name QName string
+     * 
+     * @return QName
+     */
+    private QName createQName(String s)
+    {
+        QName qname;
+        if (s.indexOf(NAMESPACE_BEGIN) != -1)
+        {
+            qname = QName.createQName(s);
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            qname = QName.createQName(s, this.services.getNamespaceService());
+        }
+        return qname;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/template/ShortQNameMethod.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/template/ShortQNameMethod.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..97744c34e4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/template/ShortQNameMethod.java
@@ -0,0 +1,109 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2005-2009 Alfresco Software Limited.
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ * modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License
+ * as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2
+ * of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
+ * Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA.
+
+ * As a special exception to the terms and conditions of version 2.0 of 
+ * the GPL, you may redistribute this Program in connection with Free/Libre 
+ * and Open Source Software ("FLOSS") applications as described in Alfresco's 
+ * FLOSS exception.  You should have recieved a copy of the text describing 
+ * the FLOSS exception, and it is also available here: 
+ * http://www.alfresco.com/legal/licensing
+ */
+package org.alfresco.repo.template;
+
+import java.util.List;
+
+import org.alfresco.repo.processor.BaseProcessorExtension;
+import org.alfresco.service.ServiceRegistry;
+import org.alfresco.service.namespace.QName;
+
+import freemarker.ext.beans.BeanModel;
+import freemarker.template.TemplateMethodModelEx;
+import freemarker.template.TemplateModelException;
+import freemarker.template.TemplateScalarModel;
+
+/**
+ * @author Mike Hatfield
+ * 
+ * FreeMarker custom method to return the short (prefix) version of a QName.
+ * <p>
+ * Usage: String shortQname(String longQName)
+ */
+public final class ShortQNameMethod extends BaseProcessorExtension implements TemplateMethodModelEx
+{
+    private final static String NAMESPACE_BEGIN = "" + QName.NAMESPACE_BEGIN;
+
+    /* Repository Service Registry */
+    private ServiceRegistry services;
+
+    /**
+     * Set the service registry
+     * 
+     * @param serviceRegistry	the service registry
+     */
+    public void setServiceRegistry(ServiceRegistry serviceRegistry)
+    {
+    	this.services = serviceRegistry;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @see freemarker.template.TemplateMethodModel#exec(java.util.List)
+     */
+    public Object exec(List args) throws TemplateModelException
+    {
+        String result = null;
+        
+        if (args.size() == 1)
+        {
+            // arg 0 can be either wrapped QName object or a String 
+            String arg0String = null;
+            Object arg0 = args.get(0);
+            if (arg0 instanceof BeanModel)
+            {
+                arg0String = ((BeanModel)arg0).getWrappedObject().toString();
+            }
+            else if (arg0 instanceof TemplateScalarModel)
+            {
+                arg0String = ((TemplateScalarModel)arg0).getAsString();
+            }
+
+            result = createQName(arg0String).toPrefixString(services.getNamespaceService());
+        }
+        
+        return result != null ? result : "";
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Helper to create a QName from either a fully qualified or short-name QName string
+     * 
+     * @param s    Fully qualified or short-name QName string
+     * 
+     * @return QName
+     */
+    private QName createQName(String s)
+    {
+        QName qname;
+        if (s.indexOf(NAMESPACE_BEGIN) != -1)
+        {
+            qname = QName.createQName(s);
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            qname = QName.createQName(s, this.services.getNamespaceService());
+        }
+        return qname;
+    }
+}