diff --git a/include/cutils/uevent.h b/include/cutils/uevent.h
index 5f5e6ca..4ebc300 100644
--- a/include/cutils/uevent.h
+++ b/include/cutils/uevent.h
@@ -17,12 +17,14 @@
 #ifndef __CUTILS_UEVENT_H
 #define __CUTILS_UEVENT_H
 
+#include <stdbool.h>
 #include <sys/socket.h>
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 extern "C" {
 #endif
 
+int uevent_open_socket(int buf_sz, bool passcred);
 ssize_t uevent_kernel_multicast_recv(int socket, void *buffer, size_t length);
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
diff --git a/init/devices.c b/init/devices.c
index 60659ce..43d0ca3 100644
--- a/init/devices.c
+++ b/init/devices.c
@@ -58,33 +58,6 @@
     int minor;
 };
 
-static int open_uevent_socket(void)
-{
-    struct sockaddr_nl addr;
-    int sz = 64*1024; // XXX larger? udev uses 16MB!
-    int on = 1;
-    int s;
-
-    memset(&addr, 0, sizeof(addr));
-    addr.nl_family = AF_NETLINK;
-    addr.nl_pid = getpid();
-    addr.nl_groups = 0xffffffff;
-
-    s = socket(PF_NETLINK, SOCK_DGRAM, NETLINK_KOBJECT_UEVENT);
-    if(s < 0)
-        return -1;
-
-    setsockopt(s, SOL_SOCKET, SO_RCVBUFFORCE, &sz, sizeof(sz));
-    setsockopt(s, SOL_SOCKET, SO_PASSCRED, &on, sizeof(on));
-
-    if(bind(s, (struct sockaddr *) &addr, sizeof(addr)) < 0) {
-        close(s);
-        return -1;
-    }
-
-    return s;
-}
-
 struct perms_ {
     char *name;
     char *attr;
@@ -847,7 +820,8 @@
     struct stat info;
     int fd;
 
-    device_fd = open_uevent_socket();
+    /* is 64K enough? udev uses 16MB! */
+    device_fd = uevent_open_socket(64*1024, true);
     if(device_fd < 0)
         return;
 
diff --git a/libcutils/uevent.c b/libcutils/uevent.c
index 320f8d1..4add29c 100644
--- a/libcutils/uevent.c
+++ b/libcutils/uevent.c
@@ -17,7 +17,12 @@
 #include <cutils/uevent.h>
 
 #include <errno.h>
+#include <stdbool.h>
+#include <string.h>
 #include <strings.h>
+#include <sys/socket.h>
+#include <sys/un.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
 
 #include <linux/netlink.h>
 
@@ -68,3 +73,29 @@
     errno = EIO;
     return -1;
 }
+
+int uevent_open_socket(int buf_sz, bool passcred)
+{
+    struct sockaddr_nl addr;
+    int on = passcred;
+    int s;
+
+    memset(&addr, 0, sizeof(addr));
+    addr.nl_family = AF_NETLINK;
+    addr.nl_pid = getpid();
+    addr.nl_groups = 0xffffffff;
+
+    s = socket(PF_NETLINK, SOCK_DGRAM, NETLINK_KOBJECT_UEVENT);
+    if(s < 0)
+        return -1;
+
+    setsockopt(s, SOL_SOCKET, SO_RCVBUFFORCE, &buf_sz, sizeof(buf_sz));
+    setsockopt(s, SOL_SOCKET, SO_PASSCRED, &on, sizeof(on));
+
+    if(bind(s, (struct sockaddr *) &addr, sizeof(addr)) < 0) {
+        close(s);
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    return s;
+}