diff --git a/src/genl.c b/src/genl.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..099b317
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/genl.c
@@ -0,0 +1,146 @@
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+#include <time.h>
+
+#include <libmnl/libmnl.h>
+#include <linux/genetlink.h>
+
+#include <libgtpnl/gtpnl.h>
+
+#include "internal.h"
+
+struct nlmsghdr *
+genl_nlmsg_build_hdr(char *buf, uint16_t type, uint16_t flags, uint32_t seq,
+		     uint8_t cmd)
+{
+	struct nlmsghdr *nlh;
+	struct genlmsghdr *genl;
+
+	nlh = mnl_nlmsg_put_header(buf);
+	nlh->nlmsg_type = type;
+	nlh->nlmsg_flags = NLM_F_REQUEST | flags;
+	nlh->nlmsg_seq = seq;
+
+	genl = mnl_nlmsg_put_extra_header(nlh, sizeof(struct genlmsghdr));
+	genl->cmd = cmd;
+	genl->version = 0;
+
+	return nlh;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(genl_nlmsg_build_hdr);
+
+static int genl_ctrl_validate_cb(const struct nlattr *attr, void *data)
+{
+	const struct nlattr **tb = data;
+	int type = mnl_attr_get_type(attr);
+
+	if (mnl_attr_type_valid(attr, CTRL_ATTR_MAX) < 0)
+		return MNL_CB_OK;
+
+	switch(type) {
+	case CTRL_ATTR_FAMILY_ID:
+		if (mnl_attr_validate(attr, MNL_TYPE_U16) < 0) {
+			perror("mnl_attr_validate");
+			return MNL_CB_ERROR;
+		}
+		break;
+	}
+	tb[type] = attr;
+	return MNL_CB_OK;
+}
+
+static int genl_ctrl_cb(const struct nlmsghdr *nlh, void *data)
+{
+	struct nlattr *tb[CTRL_ATTR_MAX + 1] = {};
+	struct genlmsghdr *genl = mnl_nlmsg_get_payload(nlh);
+	int32_t *genl_id = data;
+
+	mnl_attr_parse(nlh, sizeof(*genl), genl_ctrl_validate_cb, tb);
+	if (tb[CTRL_ATTR_FAMILY_ID])
+		*genl_id = mnl_attr_get_u16(tb[CTRL_ATTR_FAMILY_ID]);
+	else
+		*genl_id = -1;
+
+	return MNL_CB_OK;
+}
+
+struct mnl_socket *genl_socket_open(void)
+{
+	struct mnl_socket *nl;
+
+	nl = mnl_socket_open(NETLINK_GENERIC);
+	if (nl == NULL) {
+		perror("mnl_socket_open");
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	if (mnl_socket_bind(nl, 0, MNL_SOCKET_AUTOPID) < 0) {
+		perror("mnl_socket_bind");
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	return nl;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(genl_socket_open);
+
+int genl_socket_talk(struct mnl_socket *nl, struct nlmsghdr *nlh, uint32_t seq,
+		     int (*cb)(const struct nlmsghdr *nlh, void *data),
+		     void *data)
+{
+	char buf[MNL_SOCKET_BUFFER_SIZE];
+	int ret;
+
+	if (mnl_socket_sendto(nl, nlh, nlh->nlmsg_len) < 0) {
+		perror("mnl_socket_send");
+		return -1;
+	}
+
+	ret = mnl_socket_recvfrom(nl, buf, sizeof(buf));
+	while (ret > 0) {
+		ret = mnl_cb_run(buf, ret, seq, mnl_socket_get_portid(nl),
+				 cb, data);
+		if (ret <= 0)
+			break;
+		ret = mnl_socket_recvfrom(nl, buf, sizeof(buf));
+	}
+
+	return ret;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(genl_socket_talk);
+
+static struct nlmsghdr *
+genl_nlmsg_build_lookup(char *buf, const char *subsys_name)
+{
+	struct nlmsghdr *nlh;
+	struct genlmsghdr *genl;
+
+	nlh = mnl_nlmsg_put_header(buf);
+	nlh->nlmsg_type	= GENL_ID_CTRL;
+	nlh->nlmsg_flags = NLM_F_REQUEST | NLM_F_ACK;
+	nlh->nlmsg_seq = time(NULL);
+
+	genl = mnl_nlmsg_put_extra_header(nlh, sizeof(struct genlmsghdr));
+	genl->cmd = CTRL_CMD_GETFAMILY;
+	genl->version = 1;
+
+	mnl_attr_put_u32(nlh, CTRL_ATTR_FAMILY_ID, GENL_ID_CTRL);
+	mnl_attr_put_strz(nlh, CTRL_ATTR_FAMILY_NAME, subsys_name);
+
+	return nlh;
+}
+
+int genl_lookup_family(struct mnl_socket *nl, const char *family)
+{
+	int32_t genl_id;
+	char buf[MNL_SOCKET_BUFFER_SIZE];
+	struct nlmsghdr *nlh = genl_nlmsg_build_lookup(buf, "gtp");
+	int err;
+
+	err = genl_socket_talk(nl, nlh, nlh->nlmsg_seq, genl_ctrl_cb, &genl_id);
+	if (err < 0)
+		return -1;
+
+	return genl_id;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(genl_lookup_family);