diff --git a/include/qemu/drm.h b/include/qemu/drm.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4c3e622f5c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/qemu/drm.h
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+#ifndef QEMU_DRM_H_
+#define QEMU_DRM_H_
+
+int qemu_drm_rendernode_open(const char *rendernode);
+
+#endif
diff --git a/ui/egl-helpers.c b/ui/egl-helpers.c
index 71b6a97bd1..4f475142fc 100644
--- a/ui/egl-helpers.c
+++ b/ui/egl-helpers.c
@@ -15,9 +15,7 @@
  * License along with this library; if not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
  */
 #include "qemu/osdep.h"
-#include <glob.h>
-#include <dirent.h>
-
+#include "qemu/drm.h"
 #include "qemu/error-report.h"
 #include "ui/console.h"
 #include "ui/egl-helpers.h"
@@ -147,57 +145,12 @@ int qemu_egl_rn_fd;
 struct gbm_device *qemu_egl_rn_gbm_dev;
 EGLContext qemu_egl_rn_ctx;
 
-static int qemu_egl_rendernode_open(const char *rendernode)
-{
-    DIR *dir;
-    struct dirent *e;
-    int r, fd;
-    char *p;
-
-    if (rendernode) {
-        return open(rendernode, O_RDWR | O_CLOEXEC | O_NOCTTY | O_NONBLOCK);
-    }
-
-    dir = opendir("/dev/dri");
-    if (!dir) {
-        return -1;
-    }
-
-    fd = -1;
-    while ((e = readdir(dir))) {
-        if (e->d_type != DT_CHR) {
-            continue;
-        }
-
-        if (strncmp(e->d_name, "renderD", 7)) {
-            continue;
-        }
-
-        p = g_strdup_printf("/dev/dri/%s", e->d_name);
-
-        r = open(p, O_RDWR | O_CLOEXEC | O_NOCTTY | O_NONBLOCK);
-        if (r < 0) {
-            g_free(p);
-            continue;
-        }
-        fd = r;
-        g_free(p);
-        break;
-    }
-
-    closedir(dir);
-    if (fd < 0) {
-        return -1;
-    }
-    return fd;
-}
-
 int egl_rendernode_init(const char *rendernode, DisplayGLMode mode)
 {
     qemu_egl_rn_fd = -1;
     int rc;
 
-    qemu_egl_rn_fd = qemu_egl_rendernode_open(rendernode);
+    qemu_egl_rn_fd = qemu_drm_rendernode_open(rendernode);
     if (qemu_egl_rn_fd == -1) {
         error_report("egl: no drm render node available");
         goto err;
diff --git a/util/drm.c b/util/drm.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a23ff24538
--- /dev/null
+++ b/util/drm.c
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2015-2016 Gerd Hoffmann <kraxel@redhat.com>
+ *
+ * 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 2.1 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, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+#include "qemu/osdep.h"
+#include "qemu/drm.h"
+
+#include <glob.h>
+#include <dirent.h>
+
+int qemu_drm_rendernode_open(const char *rendernode)
+{
+    DIR *dir;
+    struct dirent *e;
+    int r, fd;
+    char *p;
+
+    if (rendernode) {
+        return open(rendernode, O_RDWR | O_CLOEXEC | O_NOCTTY | O_NONBLOCK);
+    }
+
+    dir = opendir("/dev/dri");
+    if (!dir) {
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    fd = -1;
+    while ((e = readdir(dir))) {
+        if (e->d_type != DT_CHR) {
+            continue;
+        }
+
+        if (strncmp(e->d_name, "renderD", 7)) {
+            continue;
+        }
+
+        p = g_strdup_printf("/dev/dri/%s", e->d_name);
+
+        r = open(p, O_RDWR | O_CLOEXEC | O_NOCTTY | O_NONBLOCK);
+        if (r < 0) {
+            g_free(p);
+            continue;
+        }
+        fd = r;
+        g_free(p);
+        break;
+    }
+
+    closedir(dir);
+    if (fd < 0) {
+        return -1;
+    }
+    return fd;
+}
diff --git a/MAINTAINERS b/MAINTAINERS
index 5a83bf56a3..01e2b47c34 100644
--- a/MAINTAINERS
+++ b/MAINTAINERS
@@ -1565,6 +1565,7 @@ S: Odd Fixes
 F: ui/
 F: include/ui/
 F: qapi/ui.json
+F: util/drm.c
 
 Cocoa graphics
 M: Peter Maydell <peter.maydell@linaro.org>
diff --git a/util/Makefile.objs b/util/Makefile.objs
index e1c3fed4dc..1810f970ef 100644
--- a/util/Makefile.objs
+++ b/util/Makefile.objs
@@ -49,3 +49,4 @@ util-obj-y += stats64.o
 util-obj-y += systemd.o
 util-obj-y += iova-tree.o
 util-obj-$(CONFIG_LINUX) += vfio-helpers.o
+util-obj-$(CONFIG_LINUX) += drm.o
