diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index f5448350746b..2f4b8334cfe6 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ endif
 if ETHTOOL_ENABLE_NETLINK
 ethtool_SOURCES += \
 		  netlink/netlink.c netlink/netlink.h netlink/extapi.h \
+		  netlink/msgbuff.c netlink/msgbuff.h \
 		  uapi/linux/ethtool_netlink.h \
 		  uapi/linux/netlink.h uapi/linux/genetlink.h \
 		  uapi/linux/rtnetlink.h uapi/linux/if_link.h
diff --git a/netlink/msgbuff.c b/netlink/msgbuff.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..74065709ef7d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/netlink/msgbuff.c
@@ -0,0 +1,255 @@
+/*
+ * msgbuff.c - netlink message buffer
+ *
+ * Data structures and code for flexible message buffer abstraction.
+ */
+
+#include <string.h>
+#include <errno.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <stdint.h>
+
+#include "../internal.h"
+#include "netlink.h"
+#include "msgbuff.h"
+
+#define MAX_MSG_SIZE (4 << 20)		/* 4 MB */
+
+/**
+ * msgbuff_realloc() - reallocate buffer if needed
+ * @msgbuff:  message buffer
+ * @new_size: requested minimum size (add MNL_SOCKET_BUFFER_SIZE if zero)
+ *
+ * Make sure allocated buffer has size at least @new_size. If @new_size is
+ * shorter than current size, do nothing. If @new_size is 0, grow buffer by
+ * MNL_SOCKET_BUFFER_SIZE. Fail if new size would exceed MAX_MSG_SIZE.
+ *
+ * Return: 0 on success or negative error code
+ */
+int msgbuff_realloc(struct nl_msg_buff *msgbuff, unsigned int new_size)
+{
+	unsigned int nlhdr_off, genlhdr_off, payload_off;
+	unsigned int old_size = msgbuff->size;
+	char *nbuff;
+
+	nlhdr_off = (char *)msgbuff->nlhdr - msgbuff->buff;
+	genlhdr_off = (char *)msgbuff->genlhdr - msgbuff->buff;
+	payload_off = (char *)msgbuff->payload - msgbuff->buff;
+
+	if (!new_size)
+		new_size = old_size + MNL_SOCKET_BUFFER_SIZE;
+	if (new_size <= old_size)
+		return 0;
+	if (new_size > MAX_MSG_SIZE)
+		return -EMSGSIZE;
+	nbuff = realloc(msgbuff->buff, new_size);
+	if (!nbuff) {
+		msgbuff->buff = NULL;
+		msgbuff->size = 0;
+		msgbuff->left = 0;
+		return -ENOMEM;
+	}
+	if (nbuff != msgbuff->buff) {
+		if (new_size > old_size)
+			memset(nbuff + old_size, '\0', new_size - old_size);
+		msgbuff->nlhdr = (struct nlmsghdr *)(nbuff + nlhdr_off);
+		msgbuff->genlhdr = (struct genlmsghdr *)(nbuff + genlhdr_off);
+		msgbuff->payload = nbuff + payload_off;
+		msgbuff->buff = nbuff;
+	}
+	msgbuff->size = new_size;
+	msgbuff->left += (new_size - old_size);
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+/**
+ * msgbuff_append() - add contents of another message buffer
+ * @dest: target message buffer
+ * @src:  source message buffer
+ *
+ * Append contents of @src at the end of @dest. Fail if target buffer cannot
+ * be reallocated to sufficient size.
+ *
+ * Return: 0 on success or negative error code.
+ */
+int msgbuff_append(struct nl_msg_buff *dest, struct nl_msg_buff *src)
+{
+	unsigned int src_len = mnl_nlmsg_get_payload_len(src->nlhdr);
+	unsigned int dest_len = MNL_ALIGN(msgbuff_len(dest));
+	int ret;
+
+	ret = msgbuff_realloc(dest, dest_len + src_len);
+	if (ret < 0)
+		return ret;
+	memcpy(mnl_nlmsg_get_payload_tail(dest->nlhdr), src->payload, src_len);
+	msgbuff_reset(dest, dest_len + src_len);
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+/**
+ * ethnla_put - write a netlink attribute to message buffer
+ * @msgbuff: message buffer
+ * @type:    attribute type
+ * @len:     attribute payload length
+ * @data:    attribute payload
+ *
+ * Appends a netlink attribute with header to message buffer, reallocates
+ * if needed. This is mostly used via specific ethnla_put_* wrappers for
+ * basic data types.
+ *
+ * Return: false on success, true on error (reallocation failed)
+ */
+bool ethnla_put(struct nl_msg_buff *msgbuff, uint16_t type, size_t len,
+		const void *data)
+{
+	struct nlmsghdr *nlhdr = msgbuff->nlhdr;
+
+	while (!mnl_attr_put_check(nlhdr, msgbuff->left, type, len, data)) {
+		int ret = msgbuff_realloc(msgbuff, 0);
+
+		if (ret < 0)
+			return true;
+	}
+
+	return false;
+}
+
+/**
+ * ethnla_nest_start - start a nested attribute
+ * @msgbuff: message buffer
+ * @type:    nested attribute type (NLA_F_NESTED is added automatically)
+ *
+ * Return: pointer to the nest attribute or null of error
+ */
+struct nlattr *ethnla_nest_start(struct nl_msg_buff *msgbuff, uint16_t type)
+{
+	struct nlmsghdr *nlhdr = msgbuff->nlhdr;
+	struct nlattr *attr;
+
+	do {
+		attr = mnl_attr_nest_start_check(nlhdr, msgbuff->left, type);
+		if (attr)
+			return attr;
+	} while (msgbuff_realloc(msgbuff, 0) == 0);
+
+	return NULL;
+}
+
+/**
+ * ethnla_fill_header() - write standard ethtool request header to message
+ * @msgbuff: message buffer
+ * @type:    attribute type for header nest
+ * @devname: device name (NULL to omit)
+ * @flags:   request flags (omitted if 0)
+ *
+ * Return: pointer to the nest attribute or null of error
+ */
+bool ethnla_fill_header(struct nl_msg_buff *msgbuff, uint16_t type,
+			const char *devname, uint32_t flags)
+{
+	struct nlattr *nest;
+
+	nest = ethnla_nest_start(msgbuff, type);
+	if (!nest)
+		return true;
+
+	if ((devname &&
+	     ethnla_put_strz(msgbuff, ETHTOOL_A_HEADER_DEV_NAME, devname)) ||
+	    (flags &&
+	     ethnla_put_u32(msgbuff, ETHTOOL_A_HEADER_FLAGS, flags)))
+		goto err;
+
+	ethnla_nest_end(msgbuff, nest);
+	return false;
+
+err:
+	ethnla_nest_cancel(msgbuff, nest);
+	return true;
+}
+
+/**
+ * __msg_init() - init a genetlink message, fill netlink and genetlink header
+ * @msgbuff: message buffer
+ * @family:  genetlink family
+ * @cmd:     genetlink command (genlmsghdr::cmd)
+ * @flags:   netlink flags (nlmsghdr::nlmsg_flags)
+ * @version: genetlink family version (genlmsghdr::version)
+ *
+ * Initialize a new genetlink message, fill netlink and genetlink header and
+ * set pointers in struct nl_msg_buff.
+ *
+ * Return: 0 on success or negative error code.
+ */
+int __msg_init(struct nl_msg_buff *msgbuff, int family, int cmd,
+	       unsigned int flags, int version)
+{
+	struct nlmsghdr *nlhdr;
+	struct genlmsghdr *genlhdr;
+	int ret;
+
+	ret = msgbuff_realloc(msgbuff, MNL_SOCKET_BUFFER_SIZE);
+	if (ret < 0)
+		return ret;
+	memset(msgbuff->buff, '\0', NLMSG_HDRLEN + GENL_HDRLEN);
+
+	nlhdr = mnl_nlmsg_put_header(msgbuff->buff);
+	nlhdr->nlmsg_type = family;
+	nlhdr->nlmsg_flags = flags;
+	msgbuff->nlhdr = nlhdr;
+
+	genlhdr = mnl_nlmsg_put_extra_header(nlhdr, sizeof(*genlhdr));
+	genlhdr->cmd = cmd;
+	genlhdr->version = version;
+	msgbuff->genlhdr = genlhdr;
+
+	msgbuff->payload = mnl_nlmsg_get_payload_offset(nlhdr, GENL_HDRLEN);
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+/**
+ * msg_init() - init an ethtool netlink message
+ * @msgbuff: message buffer
+ * @cmd:     genetlink command (genlmsghdr::cmd)
+ * @flags:   netlink flags (nlmsghdr::nlmsg_flags)
+ *
+ * Initialize a new ethtool netlink message, fill netlink and genetlink header
+ * and set pointers in struct nl_msg_buff.
+ *
+ * Return: 0 on success or negative error code.
+ */
+int msg_init(struct nl_context *nlctx, struct nl_msg_buff *msgbuff, int cmd,
+	     unsigned int flags)
+{
+	return __msg_init(msgbuff, nlctx->ethnl_fam, cmd, flags,
+			  ETHTOOL_GENL_VERSION);
+}
+
+/**
+ * msgbuff_init() - initialize a message buffer
+ * @msgbuff: message buffer
+ *
+ * Initialize a message buffer structure before first use. Buffer length is
+ * set to zero and the buffer is not allocated until the first call to
+ * msgbuff_reallocate().
+ */
+void msgbuff_init(struct nl_msg_buff *msgbuff)
+{
+	memset(msgbuff, '\0', sizeof(*msgbuff));
+}
+
+/**
+ * msg_done() - destroy a message buffer
+ * @msgbuff: message buffer
+ *
+ * Free the buffer and reset size and remaining size.
+ */
+void msgbuff_done(struct nl_msg_buff *msgbuff)
+{
+	free(msgbuff->buff);
+	msgbuff->buff = NULL;
+	msgbuff->size = 0;
+	msgbuff->left = 0;
+}
diff --git a/netlink/msgbuff.h b/netlink/msgbuff.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..24b99c5a28d7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/netlink/msgbuff.h
@@ -0,0 +1,117 @@
+/*
+ * msgbuff.h - netlink message buffer
+ *
+ * Declarations of netlink message buffer and related functions.
+ */
+
+#ifndef ETHTOOL_NETLINK_MSGBUFF_H__
+#define ETHTOOL_NETLINK_MSGBUFF_H__
+
+#include <string.h>
+#include <libmnl/libmnl.h>
+#include <linux/netlink.h>
+#include <linux/genetlink.h>
+
+struct nl_context;
+
+/**
+ * struct nl_msg_buff - message buffer abstraction
+ * @buff:    pointer to buffer
+ * @size:    total size of allocated buffer
+ * @left:    remaining length current message end to end of buffer
+ * @nlhdr:   pointer to netlink header of current message
+ * @genlhdr: pointer to genetlink header of current message
+ * @payload: pointer to message payload (after genetlink header)
+ */
+struct nl_msg_buff {
+	char			*buff;
+	unsigned int		size;
+	unsigned int		left;
+	struct nlmsghdr		*nlhdr;
+	struct genlmsghdr	*genlhdr;
+	void			*payload;
+};
+
+void msgbuff_init(struct nl_msg_buff *msgbuff);
+void msgbuff_done(struct nl_msg_buff *msgbuff);
+int msgbuff_realloc(struct nl_msg_buff *msgbuff, unsigned int new_size);
+int msgbuff_append(struct nl_msg_buff *dest, struct nl_msg_buff *src);
+
+int __msg_init(struct nl_msg_buff *msgbuff, int family, int cmd,
+	       unsigned int flags, int version);
+int msg_init(struct nl_context *nlctx, struct nl_msg_buff *msgbuff, int cmd,
+	     unsigned int flags);
+
+bool ethnla_put(struct nl_msg_buff *msgbuff, uint16_t type, size_t len,
+		const void *data);
+struct nlattr *ethnla_nest_start(struct nl_msg_buff *msgbuff, uint16_t type);
+bool ethnla_fill_header(struct nl_msg_buff *msgbuff, uint16_t type,
+			const char *devname, uint32_t flags);
+
+/* length of current message */
+static inline unsigned int msgbuff_len(const struct nl_msg_buff *msgbuff)
+{
+	return msgbuff->nlhdr->nlmsg_len;
+}
+
+/* reset message length to position returned by msgbuff_len() */
+static inline void msgbuff_reset(const struct nl_msg_buff *msgbuff,
+				 unsigned int len)
+{
+	msgbuff->nlhdr->nlmsg_len = len;
+}
+
+/* put data wrappers */
+
+static inline void ethnla_nest_end(struct nl_msg_buff *msgbuff,
+				   struct nlattr *nest)
+{
+	mnl_attr_nest_end(msgbuff->nlhdr, nest);
+}
+
+static inline void ethnla_nest_cancel(struct nl_msg_buff *msgbuff,
+				      struct nlattr *nest)
+{
+	mnl_attr_nest_cancel(msgbuff->nlhdr, nest);
+}
+
+static inline bool ethnla_put_u32(struct nl_msg_buff *msgbuff, uint16_t type,
+				  uint32_t data)
+{
+	return ethnla_put(msgbuff, type, sizeof(uint32_t), &data);
+}
+
+static inline bool ethnla_put_u8(struct nl_msg_buff *msgbuff, uint16_t type,
+				 uint8_t data)
+{
+	return ethnla_put(msgbuff, type, sizeof(uint8_t), &data);
+}
+
+static inline bool ethnla_put_flag(struct nl_msg_buff *msgbuff, uint16_t type,
+				   bool val)
+{
+	if (val)
+		return ethnla_put(msgbuff, type, 0, &val);
+	else
+		return false;
+}
+
+static inline bool ethnla_put_bitfield32(struct nl_msg_buff *msgbuff,
+					 uint16_t type, uint32_t value,
+					 uint32_t selector)
+{
+	struct nla_bitfield32 val = {
+		.value		= value,
+		.selector	= selector,
+	};
+
+	return ethnla_put(msgbuff, type, sizeof(val), &val);
+}
+
+static inline bool ethnla_put_strz(struct nl_msg_buff *msgbuff, uint16_t type,
+				   const char *data)
+{
+	return ethnla_put(msgbuff, type, strlen(data) + 1, data);
+}
+
+#endif /* ETHTOOL_NETLINK_MSGBUFF_H__ */
diff --git a/netlink/netlink.h b/netlink/netlink.h
index 99636ac8d9c4..1eaeec30b7d2 100644
--- a/netlink/netlink.h
+++ b/netlink/netlink.h
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ struct nl_context {
 	bool			is_dump;
 	int			exit_code;
 	unsigned int		suppress_nlerr;
+	uint16_t		ethnl_fam;
 };
 
 #endif /* ETHTOOL_NETLINK_INT_H__ */
