diff --git a/src/providers/grass/qgsgrassgislib.cpp b/src/providers/grass/qgsgrassgislib.cpp
index 960c3a281702..4da4e571945f 100644
--- a/src/providers/grass/qgsgrassgislib.cpp
+++ b/src/providers/grass/qgsgrassgislib.cpp
@@ -605,21 +605,7 @@ int QgsGrassGisLib::G_open_raster_new( const char *name, RASTER_MAP_TYPE wr_type
   }
 
   raster.band = 1;
-  double noDataValue = std::numeric_limits<double>::quiet_NaN();
-  switch ( wr_type )
-  {
-    case CELL_TYPE:
-      noDataValue = -1 * std::numeric_limits<int>::max();
-      break;
-    case FCELL_TYPE:
-      noDataValue = std::numeric_limits<float>::quiet_NaN();
-      break;
-    case DCELL_TYPE:
-      noDataValue = std::numeric_limits<double>::quiet_NaN();
-      break;
-    default:
-      break;
-  }
+  double noDataValue = noDataValueForGrassType( wr_type );
   QgsDebugMsg( QString( "noDataValue = %1" ).arg(( int )noDataValue ) );
   raster.provider->setNoDataValue( raster.band, noDataValue );
 
@@ -1286,6 +1272,26 @@ RASTER_MAP_TYPE QgsGrassGisLib::grassRasterType( QGis::DataType qgisType )
   }
 }
 
+double QgsGrassGisLib::noDataValueForGrassType( RASTER_MAP_TYPE grassType )
+{
+  double noDataValue = std::numeric_limits<double>::quiet_NaN();
+  switch ( grassType )
+  {
+    case CELL_TYPE:
+      noDataValue = -1 * std::numeric_limits<int>::max();
+      break;
+    case FCELL_TYPE:
+      noDataValue = std::numeric_limits<float>::quiet_NaN();
+      break;
+    case DCELL_TYPE:
+      noDataValue = std::numeric_limits<double>::quiet_NaN();
+      break;
+    default:
+      break;
+  }
+  return noDataValue;
+}
+
 typedef int G_vasprintf_type( char **, const char *, va_list );
 int G_vasprintf( char **out, const char *fmt, va_list ap )
 {
diff --git a/src/providers/grass/qgsgrassgislib.h b/src/providers/grass/qgsgrassgislib.h
index 1928ded54342..d7930a70c7be 100644
--- a/src/providers/grass/qgsgrassgislib.h
+++ b/src/providers/grass/qgsgrassgislib.h
@@ -107,6 +107,9 @@ class GRASS_LIB_EXPORT QgsGrassGisLib
     /** Get GRASS raster type for QGIS raster type */
     RASTER_MAP_TYPE grassRasterType( QGis::DataType qgisType );
 
+    /** Get no data value for GRASS data type */
+    double noDataValueForGrassType( RASTER_MAP_TYPE grassType );
+
     /** Grass does not seem to have any function to init Cell_head,
      * initialisation is done in G__read_Cell_head_array */
     void initCellHead( struct Cell_head *cellhd );