diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index b59545a3e6..b8b5e2e934 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ block-nested-$(CONFIG_CURL) += curl.o
 block-obj-y +=  $(addprefix block/, $(block-nested-y))
 
 net-obj-y = net.o
-net-nested-y = queue.o checksum.o
+net-nested-y = queue.o checksum.o util.o
 net-nested-y += socket.o
 net-nested-y += dump.o
 net-nested-$(CONFIG_POSIX) += tap.o
diff --git a/net.c b/net.c
index 7195827cc4..cca008a915 100644
--- a/net.c
+++ b/net.c
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #include "net/dump.h"
 #include "net/slirp.h"
 #include "net/vde.h"
+#include "net/util.h"
 #include "monitor.h"
 #include "sysemu.h"
 #include "qemu-common.h"
@@ -69,38 +70,6 @@ static void hex_dump(FILE *f, const uint8_t *buf, int size)
 }
 #endif
 
-static int parse_macaddr(uint8_t *macaddr, const char *p)
-{
-    int i;
-    char *last_char;
-    long int offset;
-
-    errno = 0;
-    offset = strtol(p, &last_char, 0);    
-    if (0 == errno && '\0' == *last_char &&
-            offset >= 0 && offset <= 0xFFFFFF) {
-        macaddr[3] = (offset & 0xFF0000) >> 16;
-        macaddr[4] = (offset & 0xFF00) >> 8;
-        macaddr[5] = offset & 0xFF;
-        return 0;
-    } else {
-        for(i = 0; i < 6; i++) {
-            macaddr[i] = strtol(p, (char **)&p, 16);
-            if (i == 5) {
-                if (*p != '\0')
-                    return -1;
-            } else {
-                if (*p != ':' && *p != '-')
-                    return -1;
-                p++;
-            }
-        }
-        return 0;    
-    }
-
-    return -1;
-}
-
 static int get_str_sep(char *buf, int buf_size, const char **pp, int sep)
 {
     const char *p, *p1;
@@ -858,7 +827,7 @@ static int net_init_nic(QemuOpts *opts,
     nd->macaddr[5] = 0x56 + idx;
 
     if (qemu_opt_get(opts, "macaddr") &&
-        parse_macaddr(nd->macaddr, qemu_opt_get(opts, "macaddr")) < 0) {
+        net_parse_macaddr(nd->macaddr, qemu_opt_get(opts, "macaddr")) < 0) {
         qemu_error("invalid syntax for ethernet address\n");
         return -1;
     }
diff --git a/net/util.c b/net/util.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1e9afbc1ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/net/util.c
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+/*
+ * QEMU System Emulator
+ *
+ * Copyright (c) 2003-2008 Fabrice Bellard
+ *
+ * Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
+ * of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
+ * in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
+ * to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
+ * copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
+ * furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+ *
+ * The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in
+ * all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+ *
+ * THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+ * IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+ * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL
+ * THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+ * LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
+ * OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN
+ * THE SOFTWARE.
+ */
+
+#include "net/util.h"
+#include <errno.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+
+int net_parse_macaddr(uint8_t *macaddr, const char *p)
+{
+    int i;
+    char *last_char;
+    long int offset;
+
+    errno = 0;
+    offset = strtol(p, &last_char, 0);
+    if (errno == 0 && *last_char == '\0' &&
+        offset >= 0 && offset <= 0xFFFFFF) {
+        macaddr[3] = (offset & 0xFF0000) >> 16;
+        macaddr[4] = (offset & 0xFF00) >> 8;
+        macaddr[5] = offset & 0xFF;
+        return 0;
+    }
+
+    for (i = 0; i < 6; i++) {
+        macaddr[i] = strtol(p, (char **)&p, 16);
+        if (i == 5) {
+            if (*p != '\0') {
+                return -1;
+            }
+        } else {
+            if (*p != ':' && *p != '-') {
+                return -1;
+            }
+            p++;
+        }
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}
diff --git a/net/util.h b/net/util.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..10c7da95f0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/net/util.h
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+/*
+ * QEMU System Emulator
+ *
+ * Copyright (c) 2003-2008 Fabrice Bellard
+ *
+ * Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
+ * of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
+ * in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
+ * to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
+ * copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
+ * furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+ *
+ * The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in
+ * all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+ *
+ * THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+ * IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+ * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL
+ * THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+ * LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
+ * OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN
+ * THE SOFTWARE.
+ */
+
+#ifndef QEMU_NET_UTIL_H
+#define QEMU_NET_UTIL_H
+
+#include <stdint.h>
+
+int net_parse_macaddr(uint8_t *macaddr, const char *p);
+
+#endif /* QEMU_NET_UTIL_H */