diff --git a/include/wicked/util.h b/include/wicked/util.h
index 370a82aed..5b9423510 100644
--- a/include/wicked/util.h
+++ b/include/wicked/util.h
@@ -112,6 +112,8 @@ extern void		ni_string_array_comm(const ni_string_array_t *a, const ni_string_ar
 				ni_string_array_t *uniq_b,
 				ni_string_array_t *common);
 extern int		ni_string_array_is_uniq(const ni_string_array_t *);
+extern ni_bool_t	ni_string_array_eq(const ni_string_array_t *, const ni_string_array_t *);
+extern int		ni_string_array_cmp(const ni_string_array_t *, const ni_string_array_t *);
 
 extern void		ni_uint_array_init(ni_uint_array_t *);
 extern void		ni_uint_array_destroy(ni_uint_array_t *);
@@ -273,6 +275,25 @@ ni_string_eq_nocase(const char *a, const char *b)
 	return strcasecmp(a, b) == 0;
 }
 
+static inline int
+ni_string_cmp(const char *a, const char *b)
+{
+	if (a == NULL || b == NULL)
+		return a > b ? 1 : -1;
+	else
+		return strcmp(a, b);
+}
+
+static inline int
+ni_string_cmp_nocase(const char *a, const char *b)
+{
+	if (a == NULL || b == NULL)
+		return a > b ? 1 : -1;
+	else
+		return strcasecmp(a, b);
+}
+
+
 static inline ni_bool_t
 ni_string_contains(const char *haystack, const char *needle)
 {
diff --git a/src/util.c b/src/util.c
index 0850f2f64..16f394763 100644
--- a/src/util.c
+++ b/src/util.c
@@ -316,6 +316,30 @@ ni_string_array_is_uniq(const ni_string_array_t *nsa)
 	return 1;
 }
 
+int
+ni_string_array_cmp(const ni_string_array_t *la, const ni_string_array_t *ra)
+{
+	unsigned int i;
+	int ret;
+
+	if (!la || !ra)
+		return la > ra ? 1 : -1;
+
+	if (la->count != ra->count)
+		return la->count > ra->count ? 1 : -1;
+
+	for (ret = i = 0; i < la->count && !ret; ++i)
+		ret = ni_string_cmp(la->data[i], ra->data[i]);
+
+	return ret;
+}
+
+ni_bool_t
+ni_string_array_eq(const ni_string_array_t *la, const ni_string_array_t *ra)
+{
+	return ni_string_array_cmp(la, ra) == 0;
+}
+
 /*
  * Array of unsigned integers
  */