diff --git a/api.c b/api.c
index ee2354d8..8d4959fe 100644
--- a/api.c
+++ b/api.c
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@
  */
 
 #include <errno.h>
-#include <ctype.h>
 #include <fcntl.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
@@ -44,28 +43,6 @@
 
 uev_t api_watcher;
 
-/* Allowed characters in job/id/name */
-static int isallowed(int ch)
-{
-	return isprint(ch);
-}
-
-/* Sanitize user input, make sure to NUL terminate. */
-static char *sanitize(char *arg, size_t len)
-{
-	size_t i = 0;
-
-	while (isallowed(arg[i]) && i < len)
-		i++;
-
-	if (i + 1 < len) {
-		arg[i + 1] = 0;
-		return arg;
-	}
-
-	return NULL;
-}
-
 static int call(int (*action)(svc_t *), char *buf, size_t len)
 {
 	int result = 0;
diff --git a/util.c b/util.c
index fd97c73e..7f98d17c 100644
--- a/util.c
+++ b/util.c
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
  * THE SOFTWARE.
  */
 
+#include <ctype.h>		/* isprint() */
 #include <string.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 
@@ -43,6 +44,30 @@ void do_sleep(unsigned int sec)
 		;
 }
 
+/* Allowed characters in job/id/name */
+static int isallowed(int ch)
+{
+	return isprint(ch);
+}
+
+/* Sanitize user input, make sure to NUL terminate. */
+char *sanitize(char *arg, size_t len)
+{
+	size_t i = 0;
+
+	while (isallowed(arg[i]) && i < len)
+		i++;
+
+	if (i + 1 < len) {
+		arg[i + 1] = 0;
+		return arg;
+	}
+
+	if (i > 1 && arg[i] == 0)
+		return arg;
+
+	return NULL;
+}
 
 /**
  * Local Variables:
diff --git a/util.h b/util.h
index 9aefd2b2..ef522415 100644
--- a/util.h
+++ b/util.h
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ extern char *prognm;
 
 char *progname(char *arg0);
 void  do_sleep(unsigned int sec);
+char *sanitize(char *arg, size_t len);
 
 #endif /* FINIT_UTIL_H_ */