diff --git a/src/libvirt_private.syms b/src/libvirt_private.syms
index c1eaf6f498..2573b8acf1 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_private.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_private.syms
@@ -85,6 +85,7 @@ virCgroupDenyDeviceMajor;
 virCgroupDenyDevicePath;
 virCgroupForDomain;
 virCgroupForDriver;
+virCgroupGetAppRoot;
 virCgroupForEmulator;
 virCgroupForVcpu;
 virCgroupFree;
diff --git a/src/util/cgroup.c b/src/util/cgroup.c
index f0f9209ab1..9e78314331 100644
--- a/src/util/cgroup.c
+++ b/src/util/cgroup.c
@@ -965,6 +965,21 @@ int virCgroupForDriver(const char *name ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
 }
 #endif
 
+/**
+* virCgroupGetAppRoot:
+*
+* @group: Pointer to returned virCgroupPtr
+*
+* Returns 0 on success
+*/
+int virCgroupGetAppRoot(virCgroupPtr *group)
+{
+#if defined HAVE_MNTENT_H && defined HAVE_GETMNTENT_R
+    return virCgroupNew("/", group);
+#else
+    return -ENXIO;
+#endif
+}
 
 /**
  * virCgroupForDomain:
diff --git a/src/util/cgroup.h b/src/util/cgroup.h
index 0c11eb1a1d..e26f65f13b 100644
--- a/src/util/cgroup.h
+++ b/src/util/cgroup.h
@@ -47,6 +47,8 @@ int virCgroupForDriver(const char *name,
                        int privileged,
                        int create);
 
+int virCgroupGetAppRoot(virCgroupPtr *group);
+
 int virCgroupForDomain(virCgroupPtr driver,
                        const char *name,
                        virCgroupPtr *group,