diff --git a/dlls/kernel32/profile.c b/dlls/kernel32/profile.c
index f7d64f16a5f..02c6fa5efb7 100644
--- a/dlls/kernel32/profile.c
+++ b/dlls/kernel32/profile.c
@@ -949,64 +949,6 @@ static INT PROFILE_GetSectionNames( LPWSTR buffer, UINT len )
     return buf-buffer;
 }
 
-
-/***********************************************************************
- *           PROFILE_GetString
- *
- * Get a profile string.
- *
- * Tests with GetPrivateProfileString16, W95a,
- * with filled buffer ("****...") and section "set1" and key_name "1" valid:
- * section	key_name	def_val		res	buffer
- * "set1"	"1"		"x"		43	[data]
- * "set1"	"1   "		"x"		43	[data]		(!)
- * "set1"	"  1  "'	"x"		43	[data]		(!)
- * "set1"	""		"x"		1	"x"
- * "set1"	""		"x   "		1	"x"		(!)
- * "set1"	""		"  x   "	3	"  x"		(!)
- * "set1"	NULL		"x"		6	"1\02\03\0\0"
- * "set1"	""		"x"		1	"x"
- * NULL		"1"		"x"		0	""		(!)
- * ""		"1"		"x"		1	"x"
- * NULL		NULL		""		0	""
- *
- *
- */
-static INT PROFILE_GetString( LPCWSTR section, LPCWSTR key_name,
-                              LPCWSTR def_val, LPWSTR buffer, UINT len )
-{
-    PROFILEKEY *key = NULL;
-    static const WCHAR empty_strW[] = { 0 };
-
-    if(!buffer || !len) return 0;
-
-    if (!def_val) def_val = empty_strW;
-    if (key_name)
-    {
-        key = PROFILE_Find( &CurProfile->section, section, key_name, FALSE, FALSE);
-        PROFILE_CopyEntry( buffer, (key && key->value) ? key->value : def_val,
-                           len, TRUE );
-        TRACE("(%s,%s,%s): returning %s\n",
-              debugstr_w(section), debugstr_w(key_name),
-              debugstr_w(def_val), debugstr_w(buffer) );
-        return strlenW( buffer );
-    }
-    /* no "else" here ! */
-    if (section)
-    {
-        INT ret = PROFILE_GetSection(CurProfile->section, section, buffer, len, FALSE);
-        if (!buffer[0]) /* no luck -> def_val */
-        {
-            PROFILE_CopyEntry(buffer, def_val, len, TRUE);
-            ret = strlenW(buffer);
-        }
-        return ret;
-    }
-    buffer[0] = '\0';
-    return 0;
-}
-
-
 /***********************************************************************
  *           PROFILE_SetString
  *
@@ -1087,45 +1029,59 @@ INT WINAPI GetPrivateProfileStringW( LPCWSTR section, LPCWSTR entry,
 				     LPCWSTR def_val, LPWSTR buffer,
 				     UINT len, LPCWSTR filename )
 {
+    static const WCHAR emptyW[] = {0};
     int		ret;
     LPWSTR	defval_tmp = NULL;
+    const WCHAR *p;
 
     TRACE("%s,%s,%s,%p,%u,%s\n", debugstr_w(section), debugstr_w(entry),
           debugstr_w(def_val), buffer, len, debugstr_w(filename));
 
+    if (!buffer || !len) return 0;
+    if (!def_val) def_val = emptyW;
+    if (!section) return GetPrivateProfileSectionNamesW( buffer, len, filename );
+
     /* strip any trailing ' ' of def_val. */
-    if (def_val)
+    p = def_val + strlenW(def_val) - 1;
+
+    while (p > def_val && *p == ' ') p--;
+
+    if (p >= def_val)
     {
-        LPCWSTR p = def_val + strlenW(def_val) - 1;
+        int vlen = (int)(p - def_val) + 1;
 
-        while (p > def_val && *p == ' ')
-            p--;
-
-        if (p >= def_val)
-        {
-            int vlen = (int)(p - def_val) + 1;
-
-            defval_tmp = HeapAlloc(GetProcessHeap(), 0, (vlen + 1) * sizeof(WCHAR));
-            memcpy(defval_tmp, def_val, vlen * sizeof(WCHAR));
-            defval_tmp[vlen] = '\0';
-            def_val = defval_tmp;
-        }
+        defval_tmp = HeapAlloc(GetProcessHeap(), 0, (vlen + 1) * sizeof(WCHAR));
+        memcpy(defval_tmp, def_val, vlen * sizeof(WCHAR));
+        defval_tmp[vlen] = '\0';
+        def_val = defval_tmp;
     }
 
     RtlEnterCriticalSection( &PROFILE_CritSect );
 
-    if (PROFILE_Open( filename, FALSE )) {
-	if (section == NULL)
-            ret = PROFILE_GetSectionNames(buffer, len);
-	else 
-	    /* PROFILE_GetString can handle the 'entry == NULL' case */
-            ret = PROFILE_GetString( section, entry, def_val, buffer, len );
-    } else if (buffer && def_val) {
+    if (PROFILE_Open( filename, FALSE ))
+    {
+        if (entry)
+        {
+            PROFILEKEY *key = PROFILE_Find( &CurProfile->section, section, entry, FALSE, FALSE );
+            PROFILE_CopyEntry( buffer, (key && key->value) ? key->value : def_val, len, TRUE );
+            TRACE("-> %s\n", debugstr_w( buffer ));
+            ret = strlenW( buffer );
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            ret = PROFILE_GetSection( CurProfile->section, section, buffer, len, FALSE );
+            if (!buffer[0])
+            {
+                PROFILE_CopyEntry( buffer, def_val, len, TRUE );
+                ret = strlenW( buffer );
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    else
+    {
        lstrcpynW( buffer, def_val, len );
        ret = strlenW( buffer );
     }
-    else
-       ret = 0;
 
     RtlLeaveCriticalSection( &PROFILE_CritSect );