diff --git a/src/system/helpers.cpp b/src/system/helpers.cpp
index 38e9742a5..5712c70e2 100644
--- a/src/system/helpers.cpp
+++ b/src/system/helpers.cpp
@@ -527,6 +527,20 @@ std::string find_executable(const char *name)
 	return "";
 }
 
+bool exec_controlscript(std::string script)
+{
+	std::string controlscript = (std::string)CONTROLDIR + "/" + script;
+	if (access((std::string)CONTROLDIR_VAR + "/" + script.c_str(), X_OK) == 0)
+		controlscript = (std::string)CONTROLDIR_VAR + "/" + script;
+
+	dprintf(DEBUG_NORMAL, "executing %s\n", controlscript.c_str());
+	int ret = my_system(controlscript.c_str());
+	if (ret)
+		dprintf(DEBUG_NORMAL, "control script failed\n");
+
+	return ret;
+}
+
 std::string backtick(std::string command)
 {
 	char *buf = NULL;
diff --git a/src/system/helpers.h b/src/system/helpers.h
index 38a2955b1..eb788e23d 100644
--- a/src/system/helpers.h
+++ b/src/system/helpers.h
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ bool get_mem_usage(unsigned long &total, unsigned long &free);
 int mySleep(int sec);
 
 std::string find_executable(const char *name);
+bool exec_controlscript(std::string script);
 /* basically what "foo=`command`" does in the shell */
 std::string backtick(std::string command);