diff --git a/proxmox-sys/src/command.rs b/proxmox-sys/src/command.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b1ba1ccb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/proxmox-sys/src/command.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+use std::process::{Output, Command};
+
+use anyhow::{bail, format_err, Error};
+
+/// Helper to check result from [Command] output
+///
+/// The exit_code_check() function should return true if the exit code
+/// is considered successful.
+pub fn command_output(
+    output: Output,
+    exit_code_check: Option<fn(i32) -> bool>,
+) -> Result<Vec<u8>, Error> {
+    if !output.status.success() {
+        match output.status.code() {
+            Some(code) => {
+                let is_ok = match exit_code_check {
+                    Some(check_fn) => check_fn(code),
+                    None => code == 0,
+                };
+                if !is_ok {
+                    let msg = String::from_utf8(output.stderr)
+                        .map(|m| {
+                            if m.is_empty() {
+                                String::from("no error message")
+                            } else {
+                                m
+                            }
+                        })
+                        .unwrap_or_else(|_| String::from("non utf8 error message (suppressed)"));
+
+                    bail!("status code: {} - {}", code, msg);
+                }
+            }
+            None => bail!("terminated by signal"),
+        }
+    }
+
+    Ok(output.stdout)
+}
+
+/// Helper to check result from [Command] output, returns String.
+///
+/// The exit_code_check() function should return true if the exit code
+/// is considered successful.
+pub fn command_output_as_string(
+    output: Output,
+    exit_code_check: Option<fn(i32) -> bool>,
+) -> Result<String, Error> {
+    let output = command_output(output, exit_code_check)?;
+    let output = String::from_utf8(output)?;
+    Ok(output)
+}
+
+/// Helper to run a [Command], returns output as String.
+///
+/// The exit_code_check() function should return true if the exit code
+/// is considered successful.
+pub fn run_command(
+    mut command: Command,
+    exit_code_check: Option<fn(i32) -> bool>,
+) -> Result<String, Error> {
+    let output = command
+        .output()
+        .map_err(|err| format_err!("failed to execute {:?} - {}", command, err))?;
+
+    let output = command_output_as_string(output, exit_code_check)
+        .map_err(|err| format_err!("command {:?} failed - {}", command, err))?;
+
+    Ok(output)
+}
diff --git a/proxmox-sys/src/lib.rs b/proxmox-sys/src/lib.rs
index 8567e9db..d0507fc4 100644
--- a/proxmox-sys/src/lib.rs
+++ b/proxmox-sys/src/lib.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+pub mod command;
 pub mod crypt;
 pub mod error;
 pub mod fd;