diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 9890da80..343e8788 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 ACLOCAL_AMFLAGS    = -I m4
 sbin_PROGRAMS      = finit initctl reboot
 finit_SOURCES      = finit.c api.c client.c conf.c exec.c getty.c helpers.c pid.c \
-		     sig.c svc.c service.c plugin.c tty.c cond.c cond-w.c sm.c
+		     sig.c svc.c service.c plugin.c tty.c cond.c cond-w.c sm.c    \
+		     utmp-api.c utmp-api.h
 pkginclude_HEADERS = cond.h finit.h helpers.h inetd.h plugin.h svc.h
 if INETD
 finit_SOURCES     += inetd.c
diff --git a/helpers.c b/helpers.c
index 5a66c20d..8fcf5670 100644
--- a/helpers.c
+++ b/helpers.c
@@ -31,14 +31,13 @@
 #include <net/if.h>
 #include <netinet/in.h>
 #include <stdarg.h>
-#include <string.h>
 #include <sys/ioctl.h>
-#include <utmp.h>
 #include <lite/lite.h>
 
 #include "finit.h"
 #include "helpers.h"
 #include "private.h"
+#include "utmp-api.h"
 
 char *strip_line(char *line)
 {
@@ -57,24 +56,9 @@ char *strip_line(char *line)
 	return line;
 }
 
-static int encode(int lvl)
-{
-	if (!lvl) return 0;
-	return lvl + '0';
-}
-
 void runlevel_set(int pre, int now)
 {
-	struct utmp utent;
-
-	memset(&utent, 0, sizeof(utent));
-	utent.ut_type  = RUN_LVL;
-	utent.ut_pid   = (encode(pre) << 8) | (encode(now) & 0xFF);
-	strlcpy(utent.ut_user, "runlevel", sizeof(utent.ut_user));
-
-	setutent();
-	pututline(&utent);
-	endutent();
+	utmp_set_runlevel(pre, now);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/utmp-api.c b/utmp-api.c
index 1dbefdd0..1b140df5 100644
--- a/utmp-api.c
+++ b/utmp-api.c
@@ -24,6 +24,35 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <time.h>
 #include <utmp.h>
+#include <lite/lite.h>
+
+int utmp_set(int type, int pid, char *user)
+{
+	int result;
+	struct utmp ut;
+
+	memset(&ut, 0, sizeof(ut));
+	ut.ut_type  = type;
+	ut.ut_pid   = pid;
+	strlcpy(ut.ut_user, user, sizeof(ut.ut_user));
+
+	setutent();
+	result = pututline(&ut) ? 0 : 1;;
+	endutent();
+
+	return result;
+}
+
+static int encode(int lvl)
+{
+	if (!lvl) return 0;
+	return lvl + '0';
+}
+
+int utmp_set_runlevel(int pre, int now)
+{
+	return utmp_set(RUN_LVL, (encode(pre) << 8) | (encode(now) & 0xFF), "runlevel"); 
+}
 
 int utmp_show(char *file)
 {
diff --git a/utmp-api.h b/utmp-api.h
index aa2222b2..5df60503 100644
--- a/utmp-api.h
+++ b/utmp-api.h
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@
  * THE SOFTWARE.
  */
 
+int utmp_set (int type, int pid, char *user);
+int utmp_set_runlevel(int pre, int now);
 int utmp_show(char *file);
 
 /**