diff --git a/openbsc/include/openbsc/control_cmd.h b/openbsc/include/openbsc/control_cmd.h
index 24292ea..2a5391f 100644
--- a/openbsc/include/openbsc/control_cmd.h
+++ b/openbsc/include/openbsc/control_cmd.h
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@
 struct ctrl_cmd *ctrl_cmd_parse(void *ctx, struct msgb *msg);
 struct msgb *ctrl_cmd_make(struct ctrl_cmd *cmd);
 struct ctrl_cmd *ctrl_cmd_cpy(void *ctx, struct ctrl_cmd *cmd);
+struct ctrl_cmd *ctrl_cmd_create(void *ctx, enum ctrl_type);
 
 #define CTRL_CMD_DEFINE_RANGE(cmdname, cmdstr, dtype, element, min, max) \
 static int get_##cmdname(struct ctrl_cmd *cmd, void *data) \
diff --git a/openbsc/src/libctrl/control_cmd.c b/openbsc/src/libctrl/control_cmd.c
index 7a75e0e..3c4efc0 100644
--- a/openbsc/src/libctrl/control_cmd.c
+++ b/openbsc/src/libctrl/control_cmd.c
@@ -239,6 +239,18 @@
 	return 0;
 }
 
+struct ctrl_cmd *ctrl_cmd_create(void *ctx, enum ctrl_type type)
+{
+	struct ctrl_cmd *cmd;
+
+	cmd = talloc_zero(ctx, struct ctrl_cmd);
+	if (!cmd)
+		return NULL;
+
+	cmd->type = type;
+	return cmd;
+}
+
 struct ctrl_cmd *ctrl_cmd_cpy(void *ctx, struct ctrl_cmd *cmd)
 {
 	struct ctrl_cmd *cmd2;