diff --git a/api.c b/api.c
index e46af9d6..853cfe06 100644
--- a/api.c
+++ b/api.c
@@ -45,50 +45,7 @@ uev_t api_watcher;
 
 static int call(int (*action)(svc_t *), char *buf, size_t len)
 {
-	int result = 0;
-	char *input, *token, *pos;
-
-	input = sanitize(buf, len);
-	if (!input)
-		return -1;
-
-	token = strtok_r(input, " ", &pos);
-	while (token) {
-		svc_t *svc;
-		char *ptr = strchr(token, ':');
-
-		if (isdigit(token[0])) {
-			int job = atonum(token);
-
-			if (!ptr) {
-				svc = svc_job_iterator(1, job);
-				while (svc) {
-					result += action(svc);
-					svc = svc_job_iterator(0, job);
-				}
-			} else {
-				*ptr++ = 0;
-				job = atonum(token);
-				result += action(svc_find_by_jobid(job, atonum(ptr)));
-			}
-
-		} else {
-			if (!ptr) {
-				svc = svc_named_iterator(1, token);
-				while (svc) {
-					result += action(svc);
-					svc = svc_named_iterator(0, token);
-				}
-			} else {
-				*ptr++ = 0;
-				result += action(svc_find_by_nameid(token, atonum(ptr)));
-			}
-		}
-
-		token = strtok_r(NULL, " ", &pos);
-	}
-
-	return result;
+	return svc_parse_jobstr(buf, len, action, NULL);
 }
 
 static int service_block(svc_t *svc)
diff --git a/svc.c b/svc.c
index 5400a87c..7a3001b7 100644
--- a/svc.c
+++ b/svc.c
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
  * THE SOFTWARE.
  */
 
+#include <ctype.h>		/* isdigit() */
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <strings.h>
 #include <sys/time.h>
@@ -29,6 +30,7 @@
 #include "finit.h"
 #include "svc.h"
 #include "helpers.h"
+#include "util.h"
 
 /* Each svc_t needs a unique job# */
 static int jobcounter = 1;
@@ -565,6 +567,76 @@ int svc_is_unique(svc_t *svc)
 	return unique;
 }
 
+/*
+ * Used by api.c (to start/stop/restart) and initctl.c (for input validation)
+ */
+int svc_parse_jobstr(char *str, size_t len, int (*found)(svc_t *), int (not_found)(char *, int))
+{
+	int result = 0;
+	char *input, *token, *pos;
+
+	input = sanitize(str, len);
+	if (!input)
+		return -1;
+
+	token = strtok_r(input, " ", &pos);
+	while (token) {
+		int id = 1;
+		svc_t *svc;
+		char *ptr = strchr(token, ':');
+
+		if (isdigit(token[0])) {
+			int job = atonum(token);
+
+			if (!ptr) {
+				svc = svc_job_iterator(1, job);
+				if (!svc && not_found)
+					result += not_found(NULL, job);
+
+				while (svc) {
+					if (found)
+						result += found(svc);
+					svc = svc_job_iterator(0, job);
+				}
+			} else {
+				*ptr++ = 0;
+				id  = atonum(ptr);
+				job = atonum(token);
+
+				svc = svc_find_by_jobid(job, id);
+				if (!svc && not_found)
+					result += not_found(token, id);
+				else if (found)
+					result += found(svc);
+			}
+		} else {
+			if (!ptr) {
+				svc = svc_named_iterator(1, token);
+				if (!svc && not_found)
+					result += not_found(token, id);
+
+				while (svc) {
+					if (found)
+						result += found(svc);
+					svc = svc_named_iterator(0, token);
+				}
+			} else {
+				*ptr++ = 0;
+				id  = atonum(ptr);
+
+				svc = svc_find_by_nameid(token, id);
+				if (!svc && not_found)
+					result += not_found(token, id);
+				else if (found)
+					result += found(svc);
+			}
+		}
+
+		token = strtok_r(NULL, " ", &pos);
+	}
+
+	return result;
+}
 
 /**
  * Local Variables:
diff --git a/svc.h b/svc.h
index 51d1bf65..a2e434bb 100644
--- a/svc.h
+++ b/svc.h
@@ -171,6 +171,8 @@ const char *svc_dirtystr           (svc_t *svc);
 int         svc_next_id            (char  *cmd);
 int         svc_is_unique          (svc_t *svc);
 
+int         svc_parse_jobstr       (char *str, size_t len, int (*found)(svc_t *), int (not_found)(char *, int));
+
 static inline int svc_in_runlevel  (svc_t *svc, int runlevel) { return svc && ISSET(svc->runlevels, runlevel); }
 static inline int svc_has_sighup   (svc_t *svc) { return svc &&  0 != svc->sighup; }