diff --git a/udev/lib/exported_symbols b/udev/lib/exported_symbols
index 0826e6f6f1..4db23b2251 100644
--- a/udev/lib/exported_symbols
+++ b/udev/lib/exported_symbols
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ udev_device_ref
 udev_device_unref
 udev_device_get_udev
 udev_device_get_devpath
+udev_device_get_syspath
 udev_device_get_devname
 udev_device_get_subsystem
 udev_device_get_devlinks
diff --git a/udev/lib/libudev-device.c b/udev/lib/libudev-device.c
index 6465157fbd..c4d65e9c49 100644
--- a/udev/lib/libudev-device.c
+++ b/udev/lib/libudev-device.c
@@ -32,6 +32,17 @@
 #include "libudev-private.h"
 #include "../udev.h"
 
+struct udev_device {
+	int refcount;
+	struct udev *udev;
+	char *devpath;
+	char *syspath;
+	char *devname;
+	char *subsystem;
+	struct list_head link_list;
+	struct list_head env_list;
+};
+
 struct udev_device *device_init(struct udev *udev)
 {
 	struct udev_device *udev_device;
@@ -99,7 +110,7 @@ struct udev_device *udev_device_new_from_devpath(struct udev *udev, const char *
 	/* resolve possible symlink to real path */
 	strlcpy(path, devpath, sizeof(path));
 	sysfs_resolve_link(path, sizeof(path));
-	udev_device->devpath = strdup(path);
+	device_set_devpath(udev_device, devpath);
 	log_info(udev, "device %p has devpath '%s'\n", udev_device, udev_device_get_devpath(udev_device));
 
 	err = udev_db_get_device(udevice, path);
@@ -171,7 +182,7 @@ void udev_device_unref(struct udev_device *udev_device)
 	udev_device->refcount--;
 	if (udev_device->refcount > 0)
 		return;
-	free(udev_device->devpath);
+	free(udev_device->syspath);
 	free(udev_device->devname);
 	free(udev_device->subsystem);
 	name_list_cleanup(&udev_device->link_list);
@@ -184,10 +195,10 @@ void udev_device_unref(struct udev_device *udev_device)
  * udev_device_get_devpath:
  * @udev_device: udev device
  *
- * Retrieve the sys path of the udev device. The path does not contain
- * the sys mount point.
+ * Retrieve the kernel devpath value of the udev device. The path
+ * does not contain the sys mount point, and starts with a '/'.
  *
- * Returns: the sys path of the udev device
+ * Returns: the devpath of the udev device
  **/
 const char *udev_device_get_devpath(struct udev_device *udev_device)
 {
@@ -196,6 +207,22 @@ const char *udev_device_get_devpath(struct udev_device *udev_device)
 	return udev_device->devpath;
 }
 
+/**
+ * udev_device_get_syspath:
+ * @udev_device: udev device
+ *
+ * Retrieve the sys path of the udev device. The path is an
+ * absolute path and starts with the sys mount point.
+ *
+ * Returns: the sys path of the udev device
+ **/
+const char *udev_device_get_syspath(struct udev_device *udev_device)
+{
+	if (udev_device == NULL)
+		return NULL;
+	return udev_device->syspath;
+}
+
 /**
  * udev_device_get_devname:
  * @udev_device: udev device
@@ -305,3 +332,41 @@ int udev_device_get_properties(struct udev_device *udev_device,
 	}
 	return count;
 }
+
+int device_set_devpath(struct udev_device *udev_device, const char *devpath)
+{
+	if (asprintf(&udev_device->syspath, "%s%s", udev_get_sys_path(udev_device->udev), devpath) < 0)
+		return -ENOMEM;
+	udev_device->devpath = &udev_device->syspath[strlen(udev_get_sys_path(udev_device->udev))];
+	return 0;
+}
+
+int device_set_subsystem(struct udev_device *udev_device, const char *subsystem)
+{
+	udev_device->subsystem = strdup(subsystem);
+	if (udev_device->subsystem == NULL)
+		return -1;
+	return 0;
+}
+
+int device_set_devname(struct udev_device *udev_device, const char *devname)
+{
+	udev_device->devname = strdup(devname);
+	if (udev_device->devname == NULL)
+		return -ENOMEM;
+	return 0;
+}
+
+int device_add_devlink(struct udev_device *udev_device, const char *devlink)
+{
+	if (name_list_add(&udev_device->link_list, devlink, 0) == NULL)
+		return -ENOMEM;
+	return 0;
+}
+
+int device_add_property(struct udev_device *udev_device, const char *property)
+{
+	if (name_list_add(&udev_device->env_list, property, 0) == NULL)
+		return -ENOMEM;
+	return 0;
+}
diff --git a/udev/lib/libudev-monitor.c b/udev/lib/libudev-monitor.c
index c8f07eae8f..92617e8888 100644
--- a/udev/lib/libudev-monitor.c
+++ b/udev/lib/libudev-monitor.c
@@ -257,25 +257,25 @@ struct udev_device *udev_monitor_get_device(struct udev_monitor *udev_monitor)
 		bufpos += keylen + 1;
 
 		if (strncmp(key, "DEVPATH=", 8) == 0) {
-			udev_device->devpath = strdup(&key[8]);
+			device_set_devpath(udev_device, &key[8]);
 		} else if (strncmp(key, "SUBSYSTEM=", 10) == 0) {
-			udev_device->subsystem = strdup(&key[10]);
+			device_set_subsystem(udev_device, &key[10]);
 		} else if (strncmp(key, "DEVNAME=", 8) == 0) {
-			udev_device->devname = strdup(&key[8]);
+			device_set_devname(udev_device, &key[8]);
 		} else if (strncmp(key, "DEVLINKS=", 9) == 0) {
 			char *slink = &key[9];
 			char *next = strchr(slink, ' ');
 
 			while (next != NULL) {
 				next[0] = '\0';
-				name_list_add(&udev_device->link_list, slink, 0);
+				device_add_devlink(udev_device, slink);
 				slink = &next[1];
 				next = strchr(slink, ' ');
 			}
 			if (slink[0] != '\0')
-				name_list_add(&udev_device->link_list, slink, 0);
+				device_add_devlink(udev_device, slink);
 		}
-		name_list_add(&udev_device->env_list, key, 0);
+		device_add_property(udev_device, key);
 	}
 
 	return udev_device;
diff --git a/udev/lib/libudev-private.h b/udev/lib/libudev-private.h
index 6331f99d5b..ffdf571513 100644
--- a/udev/lib/libudev-private.h
+++ b/udev/lib/libudev-private.h
@@ -43,16 +43,16 @@ void udev_log(struct udev *udev,
 #define log_err(format, arg...) do { } while (0)
 #endif
 
-struct udev_device {
-	int refcount;
-	struct udev *udev;
-	char *devpath;
-	char *devname;
-	char *subsystem;
-	struct list_head link_list;
-	struct list_head env_list;
-};
-
+/* libudev */
 extern struct udev_device *device_init(struct udev *udev);
+
+/* libudev-device */
+extern int device_set_devpath(struct udev_device *udev_device, const char *devpath);
+extern int device_set_subsystem(struct udev_device *udev_device, const char *subsystem);
+extern int device_set_devname(struct udev_device *udev_device, const char *devname);
+extern int device_add_devlink(struct udev_device *udev_device, const char *devlink);
+extern int device_add_property(struct udev_device *udev_device, const char *property);
+
+/* libudev-utils */
 extern ssize_t util_get_sys_subsystem(struct udev *udev, const char *devpath, char *subsystem, size_t size);
 #endif
diff --git a/udev/lib/libudev.h b/udev/lib/libudev.h
index 3a1c1bf3ac..30753a19a7 100644
--- a/udev/lib/libudev.h
+++ b/udev/lib/libudev.h
@@ -44,8 +44,9 @@ extern struct udev_device *udev_device_ref(struct udev_device *udev_device);
 extern void udev_device_unref(struct udev_device *udev_device);
 extern struct udev *udev_device_get_udev(struct udev_device *udev_device);
 extern const char *udev_device_get_devpath(struct udev_device *udev_device);
-extern const char *udev_device_get_devname(struct udev_device *udev_device);
 extern const char *udev_device_get_subsystem(struct udev_device *udev_device);
+extern const char *udev_device_get_syspath(struct udev_device *udev_device);
+extern const char *udev_device_get_devname(struct udev_device *udev_device);
 extern int udev_device_get_devlinks(struct udev_device *udev_device,
 				    int (*cb)(struct udev_device *udev_device,
 					      const char *value, void *data),
diff --git a/udev/lib/test-libudev.c b/udev/lib/test-libudev.c
index 3c38600192..d0095f15fc 100644
--- a/udev/lib/test-libudev.c
+++ b/udev/lib/test-libudev.c
@@ -58,6 +58,8 @@ static void print_device(struct udev_device *device)
 	printf("devpath:   '%s'\n", str);
 	str = udev_device_get_subsystem(device);
 	printf("subsystem: '%s'\n", str);
+	str = udev_device_get_syspath(device);
+	printf("syspath:   '%s'\n", str);
 	str = udev_device_get_devname(device);
 	printf("devname:   '%s'\n", str);
 	count = udev_device_get_devlinks(device, print_devlinks_cb, NULL);