diff --git a/daemons/lvmetad/lvmetad-core.c b/daemons/lvmetad/lvmetad-core.c
index 6c2303df9..0c39a7786 100644
--- a/daemons/lvmetad/lvmetad-core.c
+++ b/daemons/lvmetad/lvmetad-core.c
@@ -15,7 +15,8 @@
 #define _XOPEN_SOURCE 500  /* pthread */
 
 #include "configure.h"
-#include "daemon-shared.h"
+#include "daemon-io.h"
+#include "config-util.h"
 #include "daemon-server.h"
 #include "daemon-log.h"
 
diff --git a/include/.symlinks.in b/include/.symlinks.in
index bd0eba7dc..e94ff8498 100644
--- a/include/.symlinks.in
+++ b/include/.symlinks.in
@@ -61,7 +61,8 @@
 @top_srcdir@/lib/report/report.h
 @top_srcdir@/lib/uuid/uuid.h
 @top_srcdir@/libdaemon/client/daemon-client.h
-@top_srcdir@/libdaemon/client/daemon-shared.h
+@top_srcdir@/libdaemon/client/daemon-io.h
+@top_srcdir@/libdaemon/client/config-util.h
 @top_srcdir@/libdm/libdevmapper.h
 @top_srcdir@/libdm/misc/dm-ioctl.h
 @top_srcdir@/libdm/misc/dm-logging.h
diff --git a/lib/cache/lvmetad.h b/lib/cache/lvmetad.h
index 60110a007..10c4b139e 100644
--- a/lib/cache/lvmetad.h
+++ b/lib/cache/lvmetad.h
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 #ifndef _LVM_METAD_H
 #define _LVM_METAD_H
 
-#include "daemon-shared.h" // XXX
+#include "config-util.h"
 
 struct volume_group;
 struct cmd_context;
diff --git a/libdaemon/client/Makefile.in b/libdaemon/client/Makefile.in
index 4d8c436fe..d608816ab 100644
--- a/libdaemon/client/Makefile.in
+++ b/libdaemon/client/Makefile.in
@@ -15,6 +15,6 @@ top_srcdir = @top_srcdir@
 top_builddir = @top_builddir@
 
 LIB_STATIC = libdaemonclient.a
-SOURCES = daemon-shared.c daemon-client.c
+SOURCES = daemon-io.c config-util.c daemon-client.c
 
 include $(top_builddir)/make.tmpl
diff --git a/libdaemon/client/daemon-shared.c b/libdaemon/client/config-util.c
similarity index 76%
rename from libdaemon/client/daemon-shared.c
rename to libdaemon/client/config-util.c
index e6f17a03b..257313980 100644
--- a/libdaemon/client/daemon-shared.c
+++ b/libdaemon/client/config-util.c
@@ -18,86 +18,9 @@
 #include <unistd.h>
 
 #include "dm-logging.h"
-#include "daemon-shared.h"
+#include "config-util.h"
 #include "libdevmapper.h"
 
-/*
- * Read a single message from a (socket) filedescriptor. Messages are delimited
- * by blank lines. This call will block until all of a message is received. The
- * memory will be allocated from heap. Upon error, all memory is freed and the
- * buffer pointer is set to NULL.
- *
- * See also write_buffer about blocking (read_buffer has identical behaviour).
- */
-int read_buffer(int fd, char **buffer) {
-	int bytes = 0;
-	int buffersize = 32;
-	char *new;
-	*buffer = dm_malloc(buffersize + 1);
-
-	while (1) {
-		int result = read(fd, (*buffer) + bytes, buffersize - bytes);
-		if (result > 0) {
-			bytes += result;
-			if (!strncmp((*buffer) + bytes - 4, "\n##\n", 4)) {
-				*(*buffer + bytes - 4) = 0;
-				break; /* success, we have the full message now */
-			}
-			if (bytes == buffersize) {
-				buffersize += 1024;
-				if (!(new = realloc(*buffer, buffersize + 1)))
-					goto fail;
-				*buffer = new;
-			}
-			continue;
-		}
-		if (result == 0) {
-			errno = ECONNRESET;
-			goto fail; /* we should never encounter EOF here */
-		}
-		if (result < 0 && errno != EAGAIN && errno != EWOULDBLOCK && errno != EINTR)
-			goto fail;
-		/* TODO call select here if we encountered EAGAIN/EWOULDBLOCK/EINTR */
-	}
-	return 1;
-fail:
-	dm_free(*buffer);
-	*buffer = NULL;
-	return 0;
-}
-
-/*
- * Write a buffer to a filedescriptor. Keep trying. Blocks (even on
- * SOCK_NONBLOCK) until all of the write went through.
- *
- * TODO use select on EWOULDBLOCK/EAGAIN/EINTR to avoid useless spinning
- */
-int write_buffer(int fd, const char *buffer, int length) {
-	static const char terminate[] = "\n##\n";
-	int done = 0;
-	int written = 0;
-write:
-	while (1) {
-		int result = write(fd, buffer + written, length - written);
-		if (result > 0)
-			written += result;
-		if (result < 0 && errno != EWOULDBLOCK && errno != EAGAIN && errno != EINTR)
-			return 0; /* too bad */
-		if (written == length) {
-			if (done)
-				return 1;
-			else
-				break; /* done */
-		}
-	}
-
-	buffer = terminate;
-	length = 4;
-	written = 0;
-	done = 1;
-	goto write;
-}
-
 char *format_buffer_v(const char *head, va_list ap)
 {
 	char *buffer, *old;
diff --git a/libdaemon/client/daemon-shared.h b/libdaemon/client/config-util.h
similarity index 88%
rename from libdaemon/client/daemon-shared.h
rename to libdaemon/client/config-util.h
index acb71c6b2..ae5e5569f 100644
--- a/libdaemon/client/daemon-shared.h
+++ b/libdaemon/client/config-util.h
@@ -12,22 +12,14 @@
  * Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307  USA
  */
 
-#ifndef _LVM_DAEMON_SHARED_H
-#define _LVM_DAEMON_SHARED_H
+#ifndef _LVM_DAEMON_CONFIG_UTIL_H
+#define _LVM_DAEMON_CONFIG_UTIL_H
 
 #include "configure.h"
 #include "libdevmapper.h"
 
-#define _REENTRANT
-#define _GNU_SOURCE
-#define _FILE_OFFSET_BITS 64
-
-/* TODO function names */
-
 #include <stdarg.h>
 
-int read_buffer(int fd, char **buffer);
-int write_buffer(int fd, const char *buffer, int length);
 char *format_buffer_v(const char *head, va_list ap);
 char *format_buffer(const char *head, ...);
 
diff --git a/libdaemon/client/daemon-client.c b/libdaemon/client/daemon-client.c
index 2de970acf..e34a2a00f 100644
--- a/libdaemon/client/daemon-client.c
+++ b/libdaemon/client/daemon-client.c
@@ -12,8 +12,10 @@
  * Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307  USA
  */
 
-#include "daemon-shared.h"
+#include "daemon-io.h"
+#include "config-util.h"
 #include "daemon-client.h"
+#include "dm-logging.h"
 
 #include <sys/un.h>
 #include <sys/socket.h>
diff --git a/libdaemon/client/daemon-io.c b/libdaemon/client/daemon-io.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4af9343f8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libdaemon/client/daemon-io.c
@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2011-2012 Red Hat, Inc.
+ *
+ * This file is part of LVM2.
+ *
+ * This copyrighted material is made available to anyone wishing to use,
+ * modify, copy, or redistribute it subject to the terms and conditions
+ * of the GNU Lesser General Public License v.2.1.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License
+ * along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation,
+ * Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307  USA
+ */
+
+#include <errno.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+
+#include "daemon-io.h"
+#include "dm-logging.h"
+#include "libdevmapper.h"
+
+/*
+ * Read a single message from a (socket) filedescriptor. Messages are delimited
+ * by blank lines. This call will block until all of a message is received. The
+ * memory will be allocated from heap. Upon error, all memory is freed and the
+ * buffer pointer is set to NULL.
+ *
+ * See also write_buffer about blocking (read_buffer has identical behaviour).
+ */
+int read_buffer(int fd, char **buffer) {
+	int bytes = 0;
+	int buffersize = 32;
+	char *new;
+	*buffer = dm_malloc(buffersize + 1);
+
+	while (1) {
+		int result = read(fd, (*buffer) + bytes, buffersize - bytes);
+		if (result > 0) {
+			bytes += result;
+			if (!strncmp((*buffer) + bytes - 4, "\n##\n", 4)) {
+				*(*buffer + bytes - 4) = 0;
+				break; /* success, we have the full message now */
+			}
+			if (bytes == buffersize) {
+				buffersize += 1024;
+				if (!(new = realloc(*buffer, buffersize + 1)))
+					goto fail;
+				*buffer = new;
+			}
+			continue;
+		}
+		if (result == 0) {
+			errno = ECONNRESET;
+			goto fail; /* we should never encounter EOF here */
+		}
+		if (result < 0 && errno != EAGAIN && errno != EWOULDBLOCK && errno != EINTR)
+			goto fail;
+		/* TODO call select here if we encountered EAGAIN/EWOULDBLOCK/EINTR */
+	}
+	return 1;
+fail:
+	dm_free(*buffer);
+	*buffer = NULL;
+	return 0;
+}
+
+/*
+ * Write a buffer to a filedescriptor. Keep trying. Blocks (even on
+ * SOCK_NONBLOCK) until all of the write went through.
+ *
+ * TODO use select on EWOULDBLOCK/EAGAIN/EINTR to avoid useless spinning
+ */
+int write_buffer(int fd, const char *buffer, int length) {
+	static const char terminate[] = "\n##\n";
+	int done = 0;
+	int written = 0;
+write:
+	while (1) {
+		int result = write(fd, buffer + written, length - written);
+		if (result > 0)
+			written += result;
+		if (result < 0 && errno != EWOULDBLOCK && errno != EAGAIN && errno != EINTR)
+			return 0; /* too bad */
+		if (written == length) {
+			if (done)
+				return 1;
+			else
+				break; /* done */
+		}
+	}
+
+	buffer = terminate;
+	length = 4;
+	written = 0;
+	done = 1;
+	goto write;
+}
diff --git a/libdaemon/client/daemon-io.h b/libdaemon/client/daemon-io.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e6e5f0625
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libdaemon/client/daemon-io.h
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2011-2012 Red Hat, Inc.
+ *
+ * This file is part of LVM2.
+ *
+ * This copyrighted material is made available to anyone wishing to use,
+ * modify, copy, or redistribute it subject to the terms and conditions
+ * of the GNU Lesser General Public License v.2.1.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License
+ * along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation,
+ * Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307  USA
+ */
+
+#ifndef _LVM_DAEMON_IO_H
+#define _LVM_DAEMON_IO_H
+
+#include "configure.h"
+#include "libdevmapper.h"
+
+#define _REENTRANT
+#define _GNU_SOURCE
+#define _FILE_OFFSET_BITS 64
+
+/* TODO function names */
+
+int read_buffer(int fd, char **buffer);
+int write_buffer(int fd, const char *buffer, int length);
+
+#endif /* _LVM_DAEMON_SHARED_H */
diff --git a/libdaemon/server/daemon-server.c b/libdaemon/server/daemon-server.c
index 50bf06560..b15a7cc94 100644
--- a/libdaemon/server/daemon-server.c
+++ b/libdaemon/server/daemon-server.c
@@ -10,7 +10,8 @@
  * Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307  USA
  */
 
-#include "daemon-shared.h"
+#include "daemon-io.h"
+#include "config-util.h"
 #include "daemon-server.h"
 #include "daemon-log.h"