diff --git a/block.c b/block.c
index a8a013a..dbef3ae 100644
--- a/block.c
+++ b/block.c
@@ -437,6 +437,31 @@
     return 0;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Set open flags for a given cache mode
+ *
+ * Return 0 on success, -1 if the cache mode was invalid.
+ */
+int bdrv_parse_cache_flags(const char *mode, int *flags)
+{
+    *flags &= ~BDRV_O_CACHE_MASK;
+
+    if (!strcmp(mode, "off") || !strcmp(mode, "none")) {
+        *flags |= BDRV_O_NOCACHE | BDRV_O_CACHE_WB;
+    } else if (!strcmp(mode, "writeback")) {
+        *flags |= BDRV_O_CACHE_WB;
+    } else if (!strcmp(mode, "unsafe")) {
+        *flags |= BDRV_O_CACHE_WB;
+        *flags |= BDRV_O_NO_FLUSH;
+    } else if (!strcmp(mode, "writethrough")) {
+        /* this is the default */
+    } else {
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
 /*
  * Common part for opening disk images and files
  */