diff --git a/common/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/utilities/PropertyUtils.java b/common/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/utilities/PropertyUtils.java
index ba11878c502b3693bf9379caa3840a556e5408e8..4ffbdfa0b532de40f9cbce44df519830bf546bda 100644
--- a/common/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/utilities/PropertyUtils.java
+++ b/common/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/utilities/PropertyUtils.java
@@ -175,6 +175,26 @@ public final class PropertyUtils
         return Arrays.asList(items);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * @returns A list of comma separated values at the specific property key. Each item is trimmed,
+     *          but case is not changed.
+     */
+    public final static List<String> tryGetListInOriginalCase(Properties properties,
+            String propertyKey)
+    {
+        String itemsList = PropertyUtils.getProperty(properties, propertyKey);
+        if (itemsList == null)
+        {
+            return null;
+        }
+        String[] items = itemsList.split(LIST_SEPARATOR);
+        for (int i = 0; i < items.length; i++)
+        {
+            items[i] = items[i].trim();
+        }
+        return Arrays.asList(items);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Looks up given <var>propertyKey</var> in given <var>properties</var>.
      *