diff --git a/cmd/collectors/commonutils.go b/cmd/collectors/commonutils.go
index f4249401b..930a6ba69 100644
--- a/cmd/collectors/commonutils.go
+++ b/cmd/collectors/commonutils.go
@@ -265,3 +265,10 @@ func SplitVscanName(ontapName string) (string, string, string, bool) {
 	}
 	return ontapName[:firstColon], ontapName[firstColon+1 : lastColon], ontapName[lastColon+1:], true
 }
+
+func RunPlugin(runPluginIfNoData bool, mat map[string]*matrix.Matrix, err error) (map[string]*matrix.Matrix, error) {
+	if runPluginIfNoData {
+		return mat, nil
+	}
+	return nil, err
+}
diff --git a/cmd/collectors/commonutils_test.go b/cmd/collectors/commonutils_test.go
index 3a6ea7ec4..2449b638a 100644
--- a/cmd/collectors/commonutils_test.go
+++ b/cmd/collectors/commonutils_test.go
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 package collectors
 
 import (
+	"errors"
+	"github.com/netapp/harvest/v2/pkg/errs"
 	"github.com/netapp/harvest/v2/pkg/logging"
 	"github.com/netapp/harvest/v2/pkg/matrix"
 	"github.com/netapp/harvest/v2/pkg/tree/node"
@@ -396,3 +398,35 @@ func Test_SplitVscanName(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func TestRunPlugin(t *testing.T) {
+	type test struct {
+		name              string
+		runPluginIfNoData bool
+		mat               map[string]*matrix.Matrix
+		err               error
+		wantMatrix        bool
+		wantErr           error
+	}
+
+	testMat := make(map[string]*matrix.Matrix)
+	err := errs.New(errs.ErrConfig, "test Error")
+
+	tests := []test{
+		{"runPluginIfNoData_false", false, testMat, err, false, err},
+		{"runPluginIfNoData_true", true, testMat, err, true, nil},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			got, err := RunPlugin(tt.runPluginIfNoData, tt.mat, tt.err)
+			if !errors.Is(err, tt.wantErr) {
+				t.Errorf("RunPlugin() error = %v, wantErr %v", err, tt.wantErr)
+				return
+			}
+			if (got != nil) != tt.wantMatrix {
+				t.Errorf("RunPlugin() got = %v, wantMatrix %v", got, tt.wantMatrix)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}