diff --git a/ext/ghoul b/ext/ghoul
index 4b64684acd..4a17b2a165 160000
--- a/ext/ghoul
+++ b/ext/ghoul
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 4b64684acd728069e80948f9a4767b30baf268a3
+Subproject commit 4a17b2a1653cc596ab8610d93a53c639930ddb85
diff --git a/include/openspace/scene/scene.h b/include/openspace/scene/scene.h
index 03e7ec71ce..4ebabe66f2 100644
--- a/include/openspace/scene/scene.h
+++ b/include/openspace/scene/scene.h
@@ -343,8 +343,6 @@ private:
     ghoul::MemoryPool<4096> _memoryPool;
 };
 
-void trimSurroundingCharacters(std::string& valueString, const char c);
-
 } // namespace openspace
 
 #endif // __OPENSPACE_CORE___SCENE___H__
diff --git a/src/scene/scene.cpp b/src/scene/scene.cpp
index b8b570193d..cc5420524b 100644
--- a/src/scene/scene.cpp
+++ b/src/scene/scene.cpp
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
 #include <openspace/util/updatestructures.h>
 #include <ghoul/opengl/programobject.h>
 #include <ghoul/logging/logmanager.h>
+#include <ghoul/misc/misc.h>
 #include <ghoul/misc/profiling.h>
 #include <string>
 #include <stack>
@@ -621,7 +622,7 @@ void Scene::setPropertiesFromProfile(const Profile& p) {
         ghoul::lua::push(L, 0.0);
 
         std::string workingValue = prop.value;
-        trimSurroundingCharacters(workingValue, ' ');
+        ghoul::trimSurroundingCharacters(workingValue, ' ');
         // Later functions expect the value to be at the last position on the stack
         propertyPushProfileValueToLua(L, workingValue);
 
@@ -678,16 +679,16 @@ ProfilePropertyLua Scene::propertyProcessValue(ghoul::lua::LuaState& L,
             result = ghoul::lua::nil_t();
             break;
         case PropertyValueType::Table:
-            trimSurroundingCharacters(const_cast<std::string&>(value), '{');
-            trimSurroundingCharacters(const_cast<std::string&>(value), '}');
+            ghoul::trimSurroundingCharacters(const_cast<std::string&>(value), '{');
+            ghoul::trimSurroundingCharacters(const_cast<std::string&>(value), '}');
             handlePropertyLuaTableEntry(L, value);
             _valueIsTable = true;
             break;
         case PropertyValueType::String:
         default:
-            trimSurroundingCharacters(const_cast<std::string&>(value), '\"');
-            trimSurroundingCharacters(const_cast<std::string&>(value), '[');
-            trimSurroundingCharacters(const_cast<std::string&>(value), ']');
+            ghoul::trimSurroundingCharacters(const_cast<std::string&>(value), '\"');
+            ghoul::trimSurroundingCharacters(const_cast<std::string&>(value), '[');
+            ghoul::trimSurroundingCharacters(const_cast<std::string&>(value), ']');
             result = value;
             break;
     }
@@ -752,7 +753,7 @@ void Scene::processPropertyValueTableEntries(ghoul::lua::LuaState& L,
         else {
             nextValue = value.substr(prevPos);
         }
-        trimSurroundingCharacters(nextValue, ' ');
+        ghoul::trimSurroundingCharacters(nextValue, ' ');
         ProfilePropertyLua tableElement = propertyProcessValue(L, nextValue);
         try {
             table.push_back(std::get<T>(tableElement));
@@ -784,15 +785,6 @@ PropertyValueType Scene::propertyValueType(const std::string& value) {
     }
 }
 
-void trimSurroundingCharacters(std::string& valueString, const char c) {
-    while (valueString.front() == c) {
-        valueString.erase(0, 1);
-    }
-    while (valueString.back() == c) {
-        valueString.pop_back();
-    }
-}
-
 scripting::LuaLibrary Scene::luaLibrary() {
     return {
         "",