diff --git a/include/qemu-common.h b/include/qemu-common.h
index ca464bb..f134629 100644
--- a/include/qemu-common.h
+++ b/include/qemu-common.h
@@ -170,6 +170,10 @@ int qemu_fdatasync(int fd);
 int fcntl_setfl(int fd, int flag);
 int qemu_parse_fd(const char *param);
 
+int parse_uint(const char *s, unsigned long long *value, char **endptr,
+               int base);
+int parse_uint_full(const char *s, unsigned long long *value, int base);
+
 /*
  * strtosz() suffixes used to specify the default treatment of an
  * argument passed to strtosz() without an explicit suffix.
diff --git a/tests/Makefile b/tests/Makefile
index d86e95a..e5929cd 100644
--- a/tests/Makefile
+++ b/tests/Makefile
@@ -45,6 +45,8 @@ gcov-files-test-aio-$(CONFIG_WIN32) = aio-win32.c
 gcov-files-test-aio-$(CONFIG_POSIX) = aio-posix.c
 check-unit-y += tests/test-thread-pool$(EXESUF)
 gcov-files-test-thread-pool-y = thread-pool.c
+check-unit-y += tests/test-cutils$(EXESUF)
+gcov-files-test-cutils-y += util/cutils.c
 
 check-block-$(CONFIG_POSIX) += tests/qemu-iotests-quick.sh
 
@@ -86,6 +88,7 @@ tests/test-coroutine$(EXESUF): tests/test-coroutine.o $(block-obj-y) libqemuutil
 tests/test-aio$(EXESUF): tests/test-aio.o $(block-obj-y) libqemuutil.a libqemustub.a
 tests/test-thread-pool$(EXESUF): tests/test-thread-pool.o $(block-obj-y) libqemuutil.a libqemustub.a
 tests/test-iov$(EXESUF): tests/test-iov.o libqemuutil.a
+tests/test-cutils$(EXESUF): tests/test-cutils.o util/cutils.o
 
 tests/test-qapi-types.c tests/test-qapi-types.h :\
 $(SRC_PATH)/qapi-schema-test.json $(SRC_PATH)/scripts/qapi-types.py
diff --git a/tests/test-cutils.c b/tests/test-cutils.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2a4556d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test-cutils.c
@@ -0,0 +1,251 @@
+/*
+ * cutils.c unit-tests
+ *
+ * Copyright (C) 2013 Red Hat Inc.
+ *
+ * Authors:
+ *  Eduardo Habkost <ehabkost@redhat.com>
+ *
+ * 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 <glib.h>
+#include <errno.h>
+#include <string.h>
+
+#include "qemu-common.h"
+
+
+static void test_parse_uint_null(void)
+{
+    unsigned long long i = 999;
+    char f = 'X';
+    char *endptr = &f;
+    int r;
+
+    r = parse_uint(NULL, &i, &endptr, 0);
+
+    g_assert_cmpint(r, ==, -EINVAL);
+    g_assert_cmpint(i, ==, 0);
+    g_assert(endptr == NULL);
+}
+
+static void test_parse_uint_empty(void)
+{
+    unsigned long long i = 999;
+    char f = 'X';
+    char *endptr = &f;
+    const char *str = "";
+    int r;
+
+    r = parse_uint(str, &i, &endptr, 0);
+
+    g_assert_cmpint(r, ==, -EINVAL);
+    g_assert_cmpint(i, ==, 0);
+    g_assert(endptr == str);
+}
+
+static void test_parse_uint_whitespace(void)
+{
+    unsigned long long i = 999;
+    char f = 'X';
+    char *endptr = &f;
+    const char *str = "   \t   ";
+    int r;
+
+    r = parse_uint(str, &i, &endptr, 0);
+
+    g_assert_cmpint(r, ==, -EINVAL);
+    g_assert_cmpint(i, ==, 0);
+    g_assert(endptr == str);
+}
+
+
+static void test_parse_uint_invalid(void)
+{
+    unsigned long long i = 999;
+    char f = 'X';
+    char *endptr = &f;
+    const char *str = " \t xxx";
+    int r;
+
+    r = parse_uint(str, &i, &endptr, 0);
+
+    g_assert_cmpint(r, ==, -EINVAL);
+    g_assert_cmpint(i, ==, 0);
+    g_assert(endptr == str);
+}
+
+
+static void test_parse_uint_trailing(void)
+{
+    unsigned long long i = 999;
+    char f = 'X';
+    char *endptr = &f;
+    const char *str = "123xxx";
+    int r;
+
+    r = parse_uint(str, &i, &endptr, 0);
+
+    g_assert_cmpint(r, ==, 0);
+    g_assert_cmpint(i, ==, 123);
+    g_assert(endptr == str + 3);
+}
+
+static void test_parse_uint_correct(void)
+{
+    unsigned long long i = 999;
+    char f = 'X';
+    char *endptr = &f;
+    const char *str = "123";
+    int r;
+
+    r = parse_uint(str, &i, &endptr, 0);
+
+    g_assert_cmpint(r, ==, 0);
+    g_assert_cmpint(i, ==, 123);
+    g_assert(endptr == str + strlen(str));
+}
+
+static void test_parse_uint_octal(void)
+{
+    unsigned long long i = 999;
+    char f = 'X';
+    char *endptr = &f;
+    const char *str = "0123";
+    int r;
+
+    r = parse_uint(str, &i, &endptr, 0);
+
+    g_assert_cmpint(r, ==, 0);
+    g_assert_cmpint(i, ==, 0123);
+    g_assert(endptr == str + strlen(str));
+}
+
+static void test_parse_uint_decimal(void)
+{
+    unsigned long long i = 999;
+    char f = 'X';
+    char *endptr = &f;
+    const char *str = "0123";
+    int r;
+
+    r = parse_uint(str, &i, &endptr, 10);
+
+    g_assert_cmpint(r, ==, 0);
+    g_assert_cmpint(i, ==, 123);
+    g_assert(endptr == str + strlen(str));
+}
+
+
+static void test_parse_uint_llong_max(void)
+{
+    unsigned long long i = 999;
+    char f = 'X';
+    char *endptr = &f;
+    char *str = g_strdup_printf("%llu", (unsigned long long)LLONG_MAX + 1);
+    int r;
+
+    r = parse_uint(str, &i, &endptr, 0);
+
+    g_assert_cmpint(r, ==, 0);
+    g_assert_cmpint(i, ==, (unsigned long long)LLONG_MAX + 1);
+    g_assert(endptr == str + strlen(str));
+
+    g_free(str);
+}
+
+static void test_parse_uint_overflow(void)
+{
+    unsigned long long i = 999;
+    char f = 'X';
+    char *endptr = &f;
+    const char *str = "99999999999999999999999999999999999999";
+    int r;
+
+    r = parse_uint(str, &i, &endptr, 0);
+
+    g_assert_cmpint(r, ==, -ERANGE);
+    g_assert_cmpint(i, ==, ULLONG_MAX);
+    g_assert(endptr == str + strlen(str));
+}
+
+static void test_parse_uint_negative(void)
+{
+    unsigned long long i = 999;
+    char f = 'X';
+    char *endptr = &f;
+    const char *str = " \t -321";
+    int r;
+
+    r = parse_uint(str, &i, &endptr, 0);
+
+    g_assert_cmpint(r, ==, -ERANGE);
+    g_assert_cmpint(i, ==, 0);
+    g_assert(endptr == str + strlen(str));
+}
+
+
+static void test_parse_uint_full_trailing(void)
+{
+    unsigned long long i = 999;
+    const char *str = "123xxx";
+    int r;
+
+    r = parse_uint_full(str, &i, 0);
+
+    g_assert_cmpint(r, ==, -EINVAL);
+    g_assert_cmpint(i, ==, 0);
+}
+
+static void test_parse_uint_full_correct(void)
+{
+    unsigned long long i = 999;
+    const char *str = "123";
+    int r;
+
+    r = parse_uint_full(str, &i, 0);
+
+    g_assert_cmpint(r, ==, 0);
+    g_assert_cmpint(i, ==, 123);
+}
+
+int main(int argc, char **argv)
+{
+    g_test_init(&argc, &argv, NULL);
+
+    g_test_add_func("/cutils/parse_uint/null", test_parse_uint_null);
+    g_test_add_func("/cutils/parse_uint/empty", test_parse_uint_empty);
+    g_test_add_func("/cutils/parse_uint/whitespace",
+                    test_parse_uint_whitespace);
+    g_test_add_func("/cutils/parse_uint/invalid", test_parse_uint_invalid);
+    g_test_add_func("/cutils/parse_uint/trailing", test_parse_uint_trailing);
+    g_test_add_func("/cutils/parse_uint/correct", test_parse_uint_correct);
+    g_test_add_func("/cutils/parse_uint/octal", test_parse_uint_octal);
+    g_test_add_func("/cutils/parse_uint/decimal", test_parse_uint_decimal);
+    g_test_add_func("/cutils/parse_uint/llong_max", test_parse_uint_llong_max);
+    g_test_add_func("/cutils/parse_uint/overflow", test_parse_uint_overflow);
+    g_test_add_func("/cutils/parse_uint/negative", test_parse_uint_negative);
+    g_test_add_func("/cutils/parse_uint_full/trailing",
+                    test_parse_uint_full_trailing);
+    g_test_add_func("/cutils/parse_uint_full/correct",
+                    test_parse_uint_full_correct);
+
+    return g_test_run();
+}
diff --git a/util/cutils.c b/util/cutils.c
index 80bb1dc..8e43fae 100644
--- a/util/cutils.c
+++ b/util/cutils.c
@@ -270,6 +270,105 @@ int64_t strtosz(const char *nptr, char **end)
     return strtosz_suffix(nptr, end, STRTOSZ_DEFSUFFIX_MB);
 }
 
+/**
+ * parse_uint:
+ *
+ * @s: String to parse
+ * @value: Destination for parsed integer value
+ * @endptr: Destination for pointer to first character not consumed
+ * @base: integer base, between 2 and 36 inclusive, or 0
+ *
+ * Parse unsigned integer
+ *
+ * Parsed syntax is like strtoull()'s: arbitrary whitespace, a single optional
+ * '+' or '-', an optional "0x"if @base is 0 or 16, one or more digits.
+ *
+ * If @s is null, or @base is invalid, or @s doesn't start with an
+ * integer in the syntax above, set *@value to 0, *@endptr to @s, and
+ * return -EINVAL.
+ *
+ * Set *@endptr to point right beyond the parsed integer (even if the integer
+ * overflows or is negative, all digits will be parsed and *@endptr will
+ * point right beyond them).
+ *
+ * If the integer is negative, set *@value to 0, and return -ERANGE.
+ *
+ * If the integer overflows unsigned long long, set *@value to
+ * ULLONG_MAX, and return -ERANGE.
+ *
+ * Else, set *@value to the parsed integer, and return 0.
+ */
+int parse_uint(const char *s, unsigned long long *value, char **endptr,
+               int base)
+{
+    int r = 0;
+    char *endp = (char *)s;
+    unsigned long long val = 0;
+
+    if (!s) {
+        r = -EINVAL;
+        goto out;
+    }
+
+    errno = 0;
+    val = strtoull(s, &endp, base);
+    if (errno) {
+        r = -errno;
+        goto out;
+    }
+
+    if (endp == s) {
+        r = -EINVAL;
+        goto out;
+    }
+
+    /* make sure we reject negative numbers: */
+    while (isspace((unsigned char)*s)) {
+        s++;
+    }
+    if (*s == '-') {
+        val = 0;
+        r = -ERANGE;
+        goto out;
+    }
+
+out:
+    *value = val;
+    *endptr = endp;
+    return r;
+}
+
+/**
+ * parse_uint_full:
+ *
+ * @s: String to parse
+ * @value: Destination for parsed integer value
+ * @base: integer base, between 2 and 36 inclusive, or 0
+ *
+ * Parse unsigned integer from entire string
+ *
+ * Have the same behavior of parse_uint(), but with an additional check
+ * for additional data after the parsed number. If extra characters are present
+ * after the parsed number, the function will return -EINVAL, and *@v will
+ * be set to 0.
+ */
+int parse_uint_full(const char *s, unsigned long long *value, int base)
+{
+    char *endp;
+    int r;
+
+    r = parse_uint(s, value, &endp, base);
+    if (r < 0) {
+        return r;
+    }
+    if (*endp) {
+        *value = 0;
+        return -EINVAL;
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
 int qemu_parse_fd(const char *param)
 {
     int fd;
