diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 21c43884b7..a8353656da 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -669,6 +669,7 @@ libnm_core_lib_h_pub_mkenums = \
 	libnm-core/nm-core-enum-types.h
 libnm_core_lib_h_priv = \
 	shared/nm-ethtool-utils.h \
+	shared/nm-libnm-core-utils.h \
 	shared/nm-meta-setting.h \
 	libnm-core/nm-crypto.h \
 	libnm-core/nm-crypto-impl.h \
@@ -731,6 +732,7 @@ libnm_core_lib_c_settings_real = \
 libnm_core_lib_c_real = \
 	$(libnm_core_lib_c_settings_real) \
 	shared/nm-ethtool-utils.c \
+	shared/nm-libnm-core-utils.c \
 	shared/nm-meta-setting.c \
 	libnm-core/nm-crypto.c \
 	libnm-core/nm-connection.c \
@@ -3914,6 +3916,8 @@ clients_common_libnmc_la_SOURCES = \
 	\
 	shared/nm-ethtool-utils.c \
 	shared/nm-ethtool-utils.h \
+	shared/nm-libnm-core-utils.c \
+	shared/nm-libnm-core-utils.h \
 	\
 	clients/common/nm-meta-setting-desc.c \
 	clients/common/nm-meta-setting-desc.h \
diff --git a/clients/common/meson.build b/clients/common/meson.build
index b4b6bcacd3..c137d4463e 100644
--- a/clients/common/meson.build
+++ b/clients/common/meson.build
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ libnmc = static_library(
   sources: files(
     'nm-meta-setting-access.c',
     'nm-meta-setting-desc.c',
-  ) + shared_nm_meta_setting_c + shared_nm_ethtool_utils_c + [settings_docs_source],
+  ) + shared_nm_meta_setting_c + shared_nm_ethtool_utils_c + shared_nm_libnm_core_utils_c + [settings_docs_source],
   dependencies: deps,
   c_args: cflags,
   link_with: libnmc_base,
diff --git a/libnm-core/meson.build b/libnm-core/meson.build
index d10dd1c551..beee290e78 100644
--- a/libnm-core/meson.build
+++ b/libnm-core/meson.build
@@ -189,6 +189,7 @@ libnm_core_sources_all =  libnm_core_sources
 libnm_core_sources_all += libnm_core_enum
 libnm_core_sources_all += shared_nm_meta_setting_c
 libnm_core_sources_all += shared_nm_ethtool_utils_c
+libnm_core_sources_all += shared_nm_libnm_core_utils_c
 libnm_core_sources_all += [version_header]
 
 libnm_core = static_library(
diff --git a/shared/meson.build b/shared/meson.build
index a6e94d6b88..f9d9e62bff 100644
--- a/shared/meson.build
+++ b/shared/meson.build
@@ -75,6 +75,8 @@ version_header = configure_file(
 
 shared_nm_ethtool_utils_c = files('nm-ethtool-utils.c')
 
+shared_nm_libnm_core_utils_c = files('nm-libnm-core-utils.c')
+
 shared_nm_meta_setting_c = files('nm-meta-setting.c')
 
 shared_nm_test_utils_impl_c = files('nm-test-utils-impl.c')
diff --git a/shared/nm-libnm-core-utils.c b/shared/nm-libnm-core-utils.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..244b318d72
--- /dev/null
+++ b/shared/nm-libnm-core-utils.c
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+/*
+ * This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ * modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
+ * License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either
+ * version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This library 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
+ * Lesser General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public
+ * License along with this library; if not, write to the
+ * Free Software Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor,
+ * Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA.
+ */
+
+#include "nm-default.h"
+
+#include "nm-libnm-core-utils.h"
+
+/*****************************************************************************/
diff --git a/shared/nm-libnm-core-utils.h b/shared/nm-libnm-core-utils.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..fcdd425a54
--- /dev/null
+++ b/shared/nm-libnm-core-utils.h
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+/*
+ * This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ * modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
+ * License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either
+ * version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This library 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
+ * Lesser General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public
+ * License along with this library; if not, write to the
+ * Free Software Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor,
+ * Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA.
+ */
+
+#ifndef __NM_LIBNM_SHARED_UTILS_H__
+#define __NM_LIBNM_SHARED_UTILS_H__
+
+/****************************************************************************/
+
+#endif /* __NM_LIBNM_SHARED_UTILS_H__ */