diff --git a/libnm-core/nm-utils.c b/libnm-core/nm-utils.c
index 4659734b6b..f5bf396ae1 100644
--- a/libnm-core/nm-utils.c
+++ b/libnm-core/nm-utils.c
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@
 #include <libintl.h>
 #include <gmodule.h>
 #include <sys/stat.h>
-#include <net/if.h>
 #include <linux/pkt_sched.h>
 
 #if WITH_JSON_VALIDATION
@@ -4718,45 +4717,7 @@ nm_utils_is_valid_iface_name_utf8safe (const char *utf8safe_name)
 gboolean
 nm_utils_is_valid_iface_name (const char *name, GError **error)
 {
-	int i;
-
-	if (!name) {
-		g_set_error_literal (error, NM_UTILS_ERROR, NM_UTILS_ERROR_UNKNOWN,
-		                     _("interface name is missing"));
-		return FALSE;
-	}
-
-	if (name[0] == '\0') {
-		g_set_error_literal (error, NM_UTILS_ERROR, NM_UTILS_ERROR_UNKNOWN,
-		                     _("interface name is too short"));
-		return FALSE;
-	}
-
-	if (   name[0] == '.'
-	    && (   name[1] == '\0'
-	        || (   name[1] == '.'
-	            && name[2] == '\0'))) {
-		g_set_error_literal (error, NM_UTILS_ERROR, NM_UTILS_ERROR_UNKNOWN,
-		                     _("interface name is reserved"));
-		return FALSE;
-	}
-
-	for (i = 0; i < IFNAMSIZ; i++) {
-		char ch = name[i];
-
-		if (ch == '\0')
-			return TRUE;
-		if (   NM_IN_SET (ch, '/', ':')
-		    || g_ascii_isspace (ch)) {
-			g_set_error_literal (error, NM_UTILS_ERROR, NM_UTILS_ERROR_UNKNOWN,
-			                     _("interface name contains an invalid character"));
-			return FALSE;
-		}
-	}
-
-	g_set_error_literal (error, NM_UTILS_ERROR, NM_UTILS_ERROR_UNKNOWN,
-	                     _("interface name is longer than 15 characters"));
-	return FALSE;
+	return nm_utils_ifname_valid_kernel (name, error);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/shared/nm-glib-aux/nm-shared-utils.c b/shared/nm-glib-aux/nm-shared-utils.c
index 8e1c8b5806..8d82aa118d 100644
--- a/shared/nm-glib-aux/nm-shared-utils.c
+++ b/shared/nm-glib-aux/nm-shared-utils.c
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 #include <fcntl.h>
 #include <sys/syscall.h>
 #include <glib-unix.h>
+#include <net/if.h>
 
 #include "nm-errno.h"
 
@@ -3987,3 +3988,91 @@ nm_utils_g_main_context_create_integrate_source (GMainContext *inner_context)
 
 	return &ctx_src->source;
 }
+
+gboolean
+nm_utils_ifname_valid_kernel (const char *name, GError **error)
+{
+	int i;
+
+	if (!name) {
+		g_set_error_literal (error, NM_UTILS_ERROR, NM_UTILS_ERROR_UNKNOWN,
+		                     _("interface name is missing"));
+		return FALSE;
+	}
+
+	if (name[0] == '\0') {
+		g_set_error_literal (error, NM_UTILS_ERROR, NM_UTILS_ERROR_UNKNOWN,
+		                     _("interface name is too short"));
+		return FALSE;
+	}
+
+	if (   name[0] == '.'
+	    && (   name[1] == '\0'
+	        || (   name[1] == '.'
+	            && name[2] == '\0'))) {
+		g_set_error_literal (error, NM_UTILS_ERROR, NM_UTILS_ERROR_UNKNOWN,
+		                     _("interface name is reserved"));
+		return FALSE;
+	}
+
+	for (i = 0; i < IFNAMSIZ; i++) {
+		char ch = name[i];
+
+		if (ch == '\0')
+			return TRUE;
+		if (   NM_IN_SET (ch, '/', ':')
+		    || g_ascii_isspace (ch)) {
+			g_set_error_literal (error, NM_UTILS_ERROR, NM_UTILS_ERROR_UNKNOWN,
+			                     _("interface name contains an invalid character"));
+			return FALSE;
+		}
+	}
+
+	g_set_error_literal (error, NM_UTILS_ERROR, NM_UTILS_ERROR_UNKNOWN,
+	                     _("interface name is longer than 15 characters"));
+	return FALSE;
+}
+
+static gboolean
+_nm_utils_ifname_valid_ovs (const char* name, GError **error)
+{
+	const char *ch;
+
+	for (ch = name; *ch; ++ch) {
+		if (   *ch == '\\'
+		    || *ch == '/'
+		    || g_ascii_isspace (*ch)
+		    || !g_ascii_isalnum (*ch)) {
+			g_set_error_literal (error, NM_UTILS_ERROR, NM_UTILS_ERROR_UNKNOWN,
+			                     _("interface name must be alphanumerical with "
+			                       "no forward or backward slashes"));
+			return FALSE;
+		}
+	};
+	return TRUE;
+}
+
+gboolean
+nm_utils_ifname_valid (const char* name,
+                       NMUtilsIfaceType type,
+                       GError **error)
+{
+	g_return_val_if_fail (!error || !(*error), FALSE);
+
+	if (!name || !(name[0])) {
+		g_set_error_literal (error, NM_UTILS_ERROR, NM_UTILS_ERROR_UNKNOWN,
+		                     _("interface name must not be empty"));
+		return FALSE;
+	}
+
+	g_return_val_if_fail (g_utf8_validate (name, -1, NULL), FALSE);
+
+	switch (type) {
+	case NMU_IFACE_KERNEL:
+		return nm_utils_ifname_valid_kernel (name, error);
+	case NMU_IFACE_OVS:
+		return _nm_utils_ifname_valid_ovs (name, error);
+	}
+
+	g_return_val_if_reached (FALSE);
+}
diff --git a/shared/nm-glib-aux/nm-shared-utils.h b/shared/nm-glib-aux/nm-shared-utils.h
index 3ec19ee112..740e61d0b8 100644
--- a/shared/nm-glib-aux/nm-shared-utils.h
+++ b/shared/nm-glib-aux/nm-shared-utils.h
@@ -1440,4 +1440,17 @@ guint nm_utils_parse_debug_string (const char *string,
                                    const GDebugKey *keys,
                                    guint nkeys);
 
+/*****************************************************************************/
+
+typedef enum {
+	NMU_IFACE_KERNEL = 0,
+	NMU_IFACE_OVS,
+} NMUtilsIfaceType;
+
+gboolean nm_utils_ifname_valid_kernel (const char *name, GError **error);
+
+gboolean nm_utils_ifname_valid (const char* name,
+                                NMUtilsIfaceType type,
+                                GError **error);
+
 #endif /* __NM_SHARED_UTILS_H__ */