diff --git a/include/uapi/linux/ethtool_netlink.h b/include/uapi/linux/ethtool_netlink.h
index 3c93276ba066..82fc3b5f41c9 100644
--- a/include/uapi/linux/ethtool_netlink.h
+++ b/include/uapi/linux/ethtool_netlink.h
@@ -29,6 +29,27 @@ enum {
 	ETHTOOL_MSG_KERNEL_MAX = __ETHTOOL_MSG_KERNEL_CNT - 1
 };
 
+/* request header */
+
+/* use compact bitsets in reply */
+#define ETHTOOL_FLAG_COMPACT_BITSETS	(1 << 0)
+/* provide optional reply for SET or ACT requests */
+#define ETHTOOL_FLAG_OMIT_REPLY	(1 << 1)
+
+#define ETHTOOL_FLAG_ALL (ETHTOOL_FLAG_COMPACT_BITSETS | \
+			  ETHTOOL_FLAG_OMIT_REPLY)
+
+enum {
+	ETHTOOL_A_HEADER_UNSPEC,
+	ETHTOOL_A_HEADER_DEV_INDEX,		/* u32 */
+	ETHTOOL_A_HEADER_DEV_NAME,		/* string */
+	ETHTOOL_A_HEADER_FLAGS,			/* u32 - ETHTOOL_FLAG_* */
+
+	/* add new constants above here */
+	__ETHTOOL_A_HEADER_CNT,
+	ETHTOOL_A_HEADER_MAX = __ETHTOOL_A_HEADER_CNT - 1
+};
+
 /* generic netlink info */
 #define ETHTOOL_GENL_NAME "ethtool"
 #define ETHTOOL_GENL_VERSION 1
diff --git a/net/ethtool/netlink.c b/net/ethtool/netlink.c
index 59e1ebde2f15..aef882e0c3f5 100644
--- a/net/ethtool/netlink.c
+++ b/net/ethtool/netlink.c
@@ -1,8 +1,174 @@
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-only
 
+#include <net/sock.h>
 #include <linux/ethtool_netlink.h>
 #include "netlink.h"
 
+static struct genl_family ethtool_genl_family;
+
+static const struct nla_policy ethnl_header_policy[ETHTOOL_A_HEADER_MAX + 1] = {
+	[ETHTOOL_A_HEADER_UNSPEC]	= { .type = NLA_REJECT },
+	[ETHTOOL_A_HEADER_DEV_INDEX]	= { .type = NLA_U32 },
+	[ETHTOOL_A_HEADER_DEV_NAME]	= { .type = NLA_NUL_STRING,
+					    .len = ALTIFNAMSIZ - 1 },
+	[ETHTOOL_A_HEADER_FLAGS]	= { .type = NLA_U32 },
+};
+
+/**
+ * ethnl_parse_header() - parse request header
+ * @req_info:    structure to put results into
+ * @header:      nest attribute with request header
+ * @net:         request netns
+ * @extack:      netlink extack for error reporting
+ * @require_dev: fail if no device identified in header
+ *
+ * Parse request header in nested attribute @nest and puts results into
+ * the structure pointed to by @req_info. Extack from @info is used for error
+ * reporting. If req_info->dev is not null on return, reference to it has
+ * been taken. If error is returned, *req_info is null initialized and no
+ * reference is held.
+ *
+ * Return: 0 on success or negative error code
+ */
+int ethnl_parse_header(struct ethnl_req_info *req_info,
+		       const struct nlattr *header, struct net *net,
+		       struct netlink_ext_ack *extack, bool require_dev)
+{
+	struct nlattr *tb[ETHTOOL_A_HEADER_MAX + 1];
+	const struct nlattr *devname_attr;
+	struct net_device *dev = NULL;
+	int ret;
+
+	if (!header) {
+		NL_SET_ERR_MSG(extack, "request header missing");
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+	ret = nla_parse_nested(tb, ETHTOOL_A_HEADER_MAX, header,
+			       ethnl_header_policy, extack);
+	if (ret < 0)
+		return ret;
+	devname_attr = tb[ETHTOOL_A_HEADER_DEV_NAME];
+
+	if (tb[ETHTOOL_A_HEADER_DEV_INDEX]) {
+		u32 ifindex = nla_get_u32(tb[ETHTOOL_A_HEADER_DEV_INDEX]);
+
+		dev = dev_get_by_index(net, ifindex);
+		if (!dev) {
+			NL_SET_ERR_MSG_ATTR(extack,
+					    tb[ETHTOOL_A_HEADER_DEV_INDEX],
+					    "no device matches ifindex");
+			return -ENODEV;
+		}
+		/* if both ifindex and ifname are passed, they must match */
+		if (devname_attr &&
+		    strncmp(dev->name, nla_data(devname_attr), IFNAMSIZ)) {
+			dev_put(dev);
+			NL_SET_ERR_MSG_ATTR(extack, header,
+					    "ifindex and name do not match");
+			return -ENODEV;
+		}
+	} else if (devname_attr) {
+		dev = dev_get_by_name(net, nla_data(devname_attr));
+		if (!dev) {
+			NL_SET_ERR_MSG_ATTR(extack, devname_attr,
+					    "no device matches name");
+			return -ENODEV;
+		}
+	} else if (require_dev) {
+		NL_SET_ERR_MSG_ATTR(extack, header,
+				    "neither ifindex nor name specified");
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
+	if (dev && !netif_device_present(dev)) {
+		dev_put(dev);
+		NL_SET_ERR_MSG(extack, "device not present");
+		return -ENODEV;
+	}
+
+	req_info->dev = dev;
+	if (tb[ETHTOOL_A_HEADER_FLAGS])
+		req_info->flags = nla_get_u32(tb[ETHTOOL_A_HEADER_FLAGS]);
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+/**
+ * ethnl_fill_reply_header() - Put common header into a reply message
+ * @skb:      skb with the message
+ * @dev:      network device to describe in header
+ * @attrtype: attribute type to use for the nest
+ *
+ * Create a nested attribute with attributes describing given network device.
+ *
+ * Return: 0 on success, error value (-EMSGSIZE only) on error
+ */
+int ethnl_fill_reply_header(struct sk_buff *skb, struct net_device *dev,
+			    u16 attrtype)
+{
+	struct nlattr *nest;
+
+	if (!dev)
+		return 0;
+	nest = nla_nest_start(skb, attrtype);
+	if (!nest)
+		return -EMSGSIZE;
+
+	if (nla_put_u32(skb, ETHTOOL_A_HEADER_DEV_INDEX, (u32)dev->ifindex) ||
+	    nla_put_string(skb, ETHTOOL_A_HEADER_DEV_NAME, dev->name))
+		goto nla_put_failure;
+	/* If more attributes are put into reply header, ethnl_header_size()
+	 * must be updated to account for them.
+	 */
+
+	nla_nest_end(skb, nest);
+	return 0;
+
+nla_put_failure:
+	nla_nest_cancel(skb, nest);
+	return -EMSGSIZE;
+}
+
+/**
+ * ethnl_reply_init() - Create skb for a reply and fill device identification
+ * @payload: payload length (without netlink and genetlink header)
+ * @dev:     device the reply is about (may be null)
+ * @cmd:     ETHTOOL_MSG_* message type for reply
+ * @info:    genetlink info of the received packet we respond to
+ * @ehdrp:   place to store payload pointer returned by genlmsg_new()
+ *
+ * Return: pointer to allocated skb on success, NULL on error
+ */
+struct sk_buff *ethnl_reply_init(size_t payload, struct net_device *dev, u8 cmd,
+				 u16 hdr_attrtype, struct genl_info *info,
+				 void **ehdrp)
+{
+	struct sk_buff *skb;
+
+	skb = genlmsg_new(payload, GFP_KERNEL);
+	if (!skb)
+		goto err;
+	*ehdrp = genlmsg_put_reply(skb, info, &ethtool_genl_family, 0, cmd);
+	if (!*ehdrp)
+		goto err_free;
+
+	if (dev) {
+		int ret;
+
+		ret = ethnl_fill_reply_header(skb, dev, hdr_attrtype);
+		if (ret < 0)
+			goto err_free;
+	}
+	return skb;
+
+err_free:
+	nlmsg_free(skb);
+err:
+	if (info)
+		GENL_SET_ERR_MSG(info, "failed to setup reply message");
+	return NULL;
+}
+
 /* genetlink setup */
 
 static const struct genl_ops ethtool_genl_ops[] = {
diff --git a/net/ethtool/netlink.h b/net/ethtool/netlink.h
index e4220780d368..1bda27f6f9f8 100644
--- a/net/ethtool/netlink.h
+++ b/net/ethtool/netlink.h
@@ -6,5 +6,210 @@
 #include <linux/ethtool_netlink.h>
 #include <linux/netdevice.h>
 #include <net/genetlink.h>
+#include <net/sock.h>
+
+struct ethnl_req_info;
+
+int ethnl_parse_header(struct ethnl_req_info *req_info,
+		       const struct nlattr *nest, struct net *net,
+		       struct netlink_ext_ack *extack, bool require_dev);
+int ethnl_fill_reply_header(struct sk_buff *skb, struct net_device *dev,
+			    u16 attrtype);
+struct sk_buff *ethnl_reply_init(size_t payload, struct net_device *dev, u8 cmd,
+				 u16 hdr_attrtype, struct genl_info *info,
+				 void **ehdrp);
+
+/**
+ * ethnl_strz_size() - calculate attribute length for fixed size string
+ * @s: ETH_GSTRING_LEN sized string (may not be null terminated)
+ *
+ * Return: total length of an attribute with null terminated string from @s
+ */
+static inline int ethnl_strz_size(const char *s)
+{
+	return nla_total_size(strnlen(s, ETH_GSTRING_LEN) + 1);
+}
+
+/**
+ * ethnl_put_strz() - put string attribute with fixed size string
+ * @skb:     skb with the message
+ * @attrype: attribute type
+ * @s:       ETH_GSTRING_LEN sized string (may not be null terminated)
+ *
+ * Puts an attribute with null terminated string from @s into the message.
+ *
+ * Return: 0 on success, negative error code on failure
+ */
+static inline int ethnl_put_strz(struct sk_buff *skb, u16 attrtype,
+				 const char *s)
+{
+	unsigned int len = strnlen(s, ETH_GSTRING_LEN);
+	struct nlattr *attr;
+
+	attr = nla_reserve(skb, attrtype, len + 1);
+	if (!attr)
+		return -EMSGSIZE;
+
+	memcpy(nla_data(attr), s, len);
+	((char *)nla_data(attr))[len] = '\0';
+	return 0;
+}
+
+/**
+ * ethnl_update_u32() - update u32 value from NLA_U32 attribute
+ * @dst:  value to update
+ * @attr: netlink attribute with new value or null
+ * @mod:  pointer to bool for modification tracking
+ *
+ * Copy the u32 value from NLA_U32 netlink attribute @attr into variable
+ * pointed to by @dst; do nothing if @attr is null. Bool pointed to by @mod
+ * is set to true if this function changed the value of *dst, otherwise it
+ * is left as is.
+ */
+static inline void ethnl_update_u32(u32 *dst, const struct nlattr *attr,
+				    bool *mod)
+{
+	u32 val;
+
+	if (!attr)
+		return;
+	val = nla_get_u32(attr);
+	if (*dst == val)
+		return;
+
+	*dst = val;
+	*mod = true;
+}
+
+/**
+ * ethnl_update_u8() - update u8 value from NLA_U8 attribute
+ * @dst:  value to update
+ * @attr: netlink attribute with new value or null
+ * @mod:  pointer to bool for modification tracking
+ *
+ * Copy the u8 value from NLA_U8 netlink attribute @attr into variable
+ * pointed to by @dst; do nothing if @attr is null. Bool pointed to by @mod
+ * is set to true if this function changed the value of *dst, otherwise it
+ * is left as is.
+ */
+static inline void ethnl_update_u8(u8 *dst, const struct nlattr *attr,
+				   bool *mod)
+{
+	u8 val;
+
+	if (!attr)
+		return;
+	val = nla_get_u32(attr);
+	if (*dst == val)
+		return;
+
+	*dst = val;
+	*mod = true;
+}
+
+/**
+ * ethnl_update_bool32() - update u32 used as bool from NLA_U8 attribute
+ * @dst:  value to update
+ * @attr: netlink attribute with new value or null
+ * @mod:  pointer to bool for modification tracking
+ *
+ * Use the u8 value from NLA_U8 netlink attribute @attr to set u32 variable
+ * pointed to by @dst to 0 (if zero) or 1 (if not); do nothing if @attr is
+ * null. Bool pointed to by @mod is set to true if this function changed the
+ * logical value of *dst, otherwise it is left as is.
+ */
+static inline void ethnl_update_bool32(u32 *dst, const struct nlattr *attr,
+				       bool *mod)
+{
+	u8 val;
+
+	if (!attr)
+		return;
+	val = !!nla_get_u8(attr);
+	if (!!*dst == val)
+		return;
+
+	*dst = val;
+	*mod = true;
+}
+
+/**
+ * ethnl_update_binary() - update binary data from NLA_BINARY atribute
+ * @dst:  value to update
+ * @len:  destination buffer length
+ * @attr: netlink attribute with new value or null
+ * @mod:  pointer to bool for modification tracking
+ *
+ * Use the u8 value from NLA_U8 netlink attribute @attr to rewrite data block
+ * of length @len at @dst by attribute payload; do nothing if @attr is null.
+ * Bool pointed to by @mod is set to true if this function changed the logical
+ * value of *dst, otherwise it is left as is.
+ */
+static inline void ethnl_update_binary(void *dst, unsigned int len,
+				       const struct nlattr *attr, bool *mod)
+{
+	if (!attr)
+		return;
+	if (nla_len(attr) < len)
+		len = nla_len(attr);
+	if (!memcmp(dst, nla_data(attr), len))
+		return;
+
+	memcpy(dst, nla_data(attr), len);
+	*mod = true;
+}
+
+/**
+ * ethnl_update_bitfield32() - update u32 value from NLA_BITFIELD32 attribute
+ * @dst:  value to update
+ * @attr: netlink attribute with new value or null
+ * @mod:  pointer to bool for modification tracking
+ *
+ * Update bits in u32 value which are set in attribute's mask to values from
+ * attribute's value. Do nothing if @attr is null or the value wouldn't change;
+ * otherwise, set bool pointed to by @mod to true.
+ */
+static inline void ethnl_update_bitfield32(u32 *dst, const struct nlattr *attr,
+					   bool *mod)
+{
+	struct nla_bitfield32 change;
+	u32 newval;
+
+	if (!attr)
+		return;
+	change = nla_get_bitfield32(attr);
+	newval = (*dst & ~change.selector) | (change.value & change.selector);
+	if (*dst == newval)
+		return;
+
+	*dst = newval;
+	*mod = true;
+}
+
+/**
+ * ethnl_reply_header_size() - total size of reply header
+ *
+ * This is an upper estimate so that we do not need to hold RTNL lock longer
+ * than necessary (to prevent rename between size estimate and composing the
+ * message). Accounts only for device ifindex and name as those are the only
+ * attributes ethnl_fill_reply_header() puts into the reply header.
+ */
+static inline unsigned int ethnl_reply_header_size(void)
+{
+	return nla_total_size(nla_total_size(sizeof(u32)) +
+			      nla_total_size(IFNAMSIZ));
+}
+
+/**
+ * struct ethnl_req_info - base type of request information for GET requests
+ * @dev:   network device the request is for (may be null)
+ * @flags: request flags common for all request types
+ *
+ * This is a common base, additional members may follow after this structure.
+ */
+struct ethnl_req_info {
+	struct net_device	*dev;
+	u32			flags;
+};
 
 #endif /* _NET_ETHTOOL_NETLINK_H */
