diff --git a/include/wicked/netinfo.h b/include/wicked/netinfo.h
index 4c7506382..c12696901 100644
--- a/include/wicked/netinfo.h
+++ b/include/wicked/netinfo.h
@@ -257,6 +257,17 @@ extern ni_netdev_t *	ni_netdev_ref_bind_ifindex(ni_netdev_ref_t *, ni_netconfig_
 extern ni_netdev_t *	ni_netdev_ref_bind_ifname (ni_netdev_ref_t *, ni_netconfig_t *);
 extern void		ni_netdev_ref_destroy(ni_netdev_ref_t *);
 
+extern ni_bool_t	ni_netdev_ref_array_init(ni_netdev_ref_array_t *);
+extern const ni_netdev_ref_t *
+			ni_netdev_ref_array_at(const ni_netdev_ref_array_t *, unsigned int);
+extern const ni_netdev_ref_t *
+			ni_netdev_ref_array_find_name(const ni_netdev_ref_array_t *, const char *);
+extern const ni_netdev_ref_t *
+			ni_netdev_ref_array_find_index(const ni_netdev_ref_array_t *, unsigned int);
+extern const ni_netdev_ref_t *
+			ni_netdev_ref_array_append(ni_netdev_ref_array_t *, const char *, unsigned int);
+extern void		ni_netdev_ref_array_destroy(ni_netdev_ref_array_t *);
+
 extern ni_netdev_req_t *ni_netdev_req_new(void);
 extern void		ni_netdev_req_free(ni_netdev_req_t *req);
 
diff --git a/include/wicked/types.h b/include/wicked/types.h
index 1189ce4e6..ccbb18930 100644
--- a/include/wicked/types.h
+++ b/include/wicked/types.h
@@ -76,6 +76,13 @@ typedef struct ni_netdev_ref {
 	char *			name;	/* by ifname  */
 } ni_netdev_ref_t;
 
+#define NI_NETDEV_REF_ARRAY_INIT	{ .count = 0, .data = NULL }
+
+typedef struct ni_netdev_ref_array {
+	unsigned int		count;
+	ni_netdev_ref_t *	data;
+} ni_netdev_ref_array_t;
+
 typedef struct ni_dbus_server	ni_dbus_server_t;
 typedef struct ni_dbus_client	ni_dbus_client_t;
 
diff --git a/src/netinfo.c b/src/netinfo.c
index 9598155d6..c802b8e8a 100644
--- a/src/netinfo.c
+++ b/src/netinfo.c
@@ -35,6 +35,9 @@
 #include "dhcp.h"
 #include <gcrypt.h>
 
+
+#define NI_NETDEV_REF_ARRAY_CHUNK	16
+
 extern void		ni_addrconf_updater_free(ni_addrconf_updater_t **);
 
 typedef struct ni_netconfig_filter {
@@ -1008,6 +1011,114 @@ ni_netdev_ref_destroy(ni_netdev_ref_t *ref)
 	}
 }
 
+ni_bool_t
+ni_netdev_ref_array_init(ni_netdev_ref_array_t *array)
+{
+	if (array) {
+		memset(array, 0, sizeof(*array));
+		return TRUE;
+	}
+	return FALSE;
+}
+
+const ni_netdev_ref_t *
+ni_netdev_ref_array_at(const ni_netdev_ref_array_t *array, unsigned int i)
+{
+	if (!array || i >= array->count)
+		return NULL;
+	return &array->data[i];
+}
+
+const ni_netdev_ref_t *
+ni_netdev_ref_array_find_index(const ni_netdev_ref_array_t *array, unsigned int index)
+{
+	const ni_netdev_ref_t *ref;
+	unsigned int i;
+
+	if (!array)
+		return NULL;
+
+	for (i = 0; i < array->count; ++i) {
+		ref = &array->data[i];
+		if (ref->index == index)
+			return ref;
+	}
+	return NULL;
+}
+
+const ni_netdev_ref_t *
+ni_netdev_ref_array_find_name(const ni_netdev_ref_array_t *array, const char *name)
+{
+	const ni_netdev_ref_t *ref;
+	unsigned int i;
+
+	if (!array)
+		return NULL;
+
+	for (i = 0; i < array->count; ++i) {
+		ref = &array->data[i];
+		if (ni_string_eq(ref->name, name))
+			return ref;
+	}
+	return NULL;
+}
+
+static ni_bool_t
+ni_netdev_ref_array_realloc(ni_netdev_ref_array_t *array, unsigned int count)
+{
+	ni_netdev_ref_t *newdata;
+	size_t           newsize;
+	unsigned int     i;
+
+	if ((UINT_MAX - array->count) <= count)
+		return FALSE;
+
+	newsize = array->count + count;
+	if ((SIZE_MAX / sizeof(*newdata)) < newsize)
+		return FALSE;
+
+	newdata = realloc(array->data, newsize * sizeof(*newdata));
+	if (!newdata)
+		return FALSE;
+
+	array->data = newdata;
+	for (i = array->count; i < newsize; ++i) {
+		array->data[i].index = 0;
+		array->data[i].name = NULL;
+	}
+	return TRUE;
+}
+
+const ni_netdev_ref_t *
+ni_netdev_ref_array_append(ni_netdev_ref_array_t *array, const char *name, unsigned int index)
+{
+	ni_netdev_ref_t *item;
+
+	if (!array || ((array->count % NI_NETDEV_REF_ARRAY_CHUNK) == 0 &&
+	    !ni_netdev_ref_array_realloc(array, NI_NETDEV_REF_ARRAY_CHUNK)))
+		return NULL;
+
+	item = &array->data[array->count++];
+	ni_netdev_ref_set(item, name, index);
+	return item;
+}
+
+void
+ni_netdev_ref_array_destroy(ni_netdev_ref_array_t *array)
+{
+	ni_netdev_ref_t *item;
+
+	if (array) {
+		while (array->count) {
+			array->count--;
+			item = &array->data[array->count];
+			ni_netdev_ref_destroy(item);
+		}
+		free(array->data);
+		array->data = NULL;
+	}
+}
+
 /*
  * Handle netdev request port config
  */