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
  */
diff --git a/block.h b/block.h
index a3bfaaf..c7b5128 100644
--- a/block.h
+++ b/block.h
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@
 BlockDriverState *bdrv_new(const char *device_name);
 void bdrv_make_anon(BlockDriverState *bs);
 void bdrv_delete(BlockDriverState *bs);
+int bdrv_parse_cache_flags(const char *mode, int *flags);
 int bdrv_file_open(BlockDriverState **pbs, const char *filename, int flags);
 int bdrv_open(BlockDriverState *bs, const char *filename, int flags,
               BlockDriver *drv);
diff --git a/blockdev.c b/blockdev.c
index d272659..2602591 100644
--- a/blockdev.c
+++ b/blockdev.c
@@ -321,18 +321,9 @@
     }
 
     if ((buf = qemu_opt_get(opts, "cache")) != NULL) {
-        if (!strcmp(buf, "off") || !strcmp(buf, "none")) {
-            bdrv_flags |= BDRV_O_NOCACHE | BDRV_O_CACHE_WB;
-        } else if (!strcmp(buf, "writeback")) {
-            bdrv_flags |= BDRV_O_CACHE_WB;
-        } else if (!strcmp(buf, "unsafe")) {
-            bdrv_flags |= BDRV_O_CACHE_WB;
-            bdrv_flags |= BDRV_O_NO_FLUSH;
-        } else if (!strcmp(buf, "writethrough")) {
-            /* this is the default */
-        } else {
-           error_report("invalid cache option");
-           return NULL;
+        if (bdrv_parse_cache_flags(buf, &bdrv_flags) != 0) {
+            error_report("invalid cache option");
+            return NULL;
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/qemu-img.c b/qemu-img.c
index 95f3219..5e203c2 100644
--- a/qemu-img.c
+++ b/qemu-img.c
@@ -183,27 +183,6 @@
 }
 #endif
 
-static int set_cache_flag(const char *mode, int *flags)
-{
-    *flags &= ~BDRV_O_CACHE_MASK;
-
-    if (!strcmp(mode, "none") || !strcmp(mode, "off")) {
-        *flags |= BDRV_O_CACHE_WB;
-        *flags |= BDRV_O_NOCACHE;
-    } 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;
-}
-
 static int print_block_option_help(const char *filename, const char *fmt)
 {
     BlockDriver *drv, *proto_drv;
@@ -495,7 +474,7 @@
     filename = argv[optind++];
 
     flags = BDRV_O_RDWR;
-    ret = set_cache_flag(cache, &flags);
+    ret = bdrv_parse_cache_flags(cache, &flags);
     if (ret < 0) {
         error_report("Invalid cache option: %s", cache);
         return -1;
@@ -819,7 +798,7 @@
     }
 
     flags = BDRV_O_RDWR;
-    ret = set_cache_flag(cache, &flags);
+    ret = bdrv_parse_cache_flags(cache, &flags);
     if (ret < 0) {
         error_report("Invalid cache option: %s", cache);
         return -1;
@@ -1291,7 +1270,7 @@
     qemu_progress_print(0, 100);
 
     flags = BDRV_O_RDWR | (unsafe ? BDRV_O_NO_BACKING : 0);
-    ret = set_cache_flag(cache, &flags);
+    ret = bdrv_parse_cache_flags(cache, &flags);
     if (ret < 0) {
         error_report("Invalid cache option: %s", cache);
         return -1;