diff --git a/drivers/rpmsg/rpmsg_core.c b/drivers/rpmsg/rpmsg_core.c
index 3bee8e03a387..81101775fed0 100644
--- a/drivers/rpmsg/rpmsg_core.c
+++ b/drivers/rpmsg/rpmsg_core.c
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@
 #include <linux/kernel.h>
 #include <linux/rpmsg.h>
 
+#include "rpmsg_internal.h"
+
 /**
  * rpmsg_create_ept() - create a new rpmsg_endpoint
  * @rpdev: rpmsg channel device
@@ -229,3 +231,34 @@ int rpmsg_trysend_offchannel(struct rpmsg_endpoint *ept, u32 src, u32 dst,
 	return ept->ops->trysend_offchannel(ept, src, dst, data, len);
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(rpmsg_trysend_offchannel);
+
+/*
+ * match an rpmsg channel with a channel info struct.
+ * this is used to make sure we're not creating rpmsg devices for channels
+ * that already exist.
+ */
+static int rpmsg_device_match(struct device *dev, void *data)
+{
+	struct rpmsg_channel_info *chinfo = data;
+	struct rpmsg_device *rpdev = to_rpmsg_device(dev);
+
+	if (chinfo->src != RPMSG_ADDR_ANY && chinfo->src != rpdev->src)
+		return 0;
+
+	if (chinfo->dst != RPMSG_ADDR_ANY && chinfo->dst != rpdev->dst)
+		return 0;
+
+	if (strncmp(chinfo->name, rpdev->id.name, RPMSG_NAME_SIZE))
+		return 0;
+
+	/* found a match ! */
+	return 1;
+}
+
+struct device *rpmsg_find_device(struct device *parent,
+				 struct rpmsg_channel_info *chinfo)
+{
+	return device_find_child(parent, chinfo, rpmsg_device_match);
+
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(rpmsg_find_device);
diff --git a/drivers/rpmsg/rpmsg_internal.h b/drivers/rpmsg/rpmsg_internal.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..205debf4ea65
--- /dev/null
+++ b/drivers/rpmsg/rpmsg_internal.h
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+/*
+ * remote processor messaging bus internals
+ *
+ * Copyright (C) 2011 Texas Instruments, Inc.
+ * Copyright (C) 2011 Google, Inc.
+ *
+ * Ohad Ben-Cohen <ohad@wizery.com>
+ * Brian Swetland <swetland@google.com>
+ *
+ * This software is licensed under the terms of the GNU General Public
+ * License version 2, as published by the Free Software Foundation, and
+ * may be copied, distributed, and modified under those terms.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ */
+
+#ifndef __RPMSG_INTERNAL_H__
+#define __RPMSG_INTERNAL_H__
+
+#include <linux/rpmsg.h>
+
+#define to_rpmsg_device(d) container_of(d, struct rpmsg_device, dev)
+#define to_rpmsg_driver(d) container_of(d, struct rpmsg_driver, drv)
+
+struct device *rpmsg_find_device(struct device *parent,
+				 struct rpmsg_channel_info *chinfo);
+
+#endif
diff --git a/drivers/rpmsg/virtio_rpmsg_bus.c b/drivers/rpmsg/virtio_rpmsg_bus.c
index 184663276e51..488fd93a290c 100644
--- a/drivers/rpmsg/virtio_rpmsg_bus.c
+++ b/drivers/rpmsg/virtio_rpmsg_bus.c
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@
 #include <linux/mutex.h>
 #include <linux/of_device.h>
 
+#include "rpmsg_internal.h"
+
 /**
  * struct virtproc_info - virtual remote processor state
  * @vdev:	the virtio device
@@ -452,29 +454,6 @@ static void rpmsg_release_device(struct device *dev)
 	kfree(rpdev);
 }
 
-/*
- * match an rpmsg channel with a channel info struct.
- * this is used to make sure we're not creating rpmsg devices for channels
- * that already exist.
- */
-static int rpmsg_device_match(struct device *dev, void *data)
-{
-	struct rpmsg_channel_info *chinfo = data;
-	struct rpmsg_device *rpdev = to_rpmsg_device(dev);
-
-	if (chinfo->src != RPMSG_ADDR_ANY && chinfo->src != rpdev->src)
-		return 0;
-
-	if (chinfo->dst != RPMSG_ADDR_ANY && chinfo->dst != rpdev->dst)
-		return 0;
-
-	if (strncmp(chinfo->name, rpdev->id.name, RPMSG_NAME_SIZE))
-		return 0;
-
-	/* found a match ! */
-	return 1;
-}
-
 static const struct rpmsg_device_ops virtio_rpmsg_ops = {
 	.create_ept = virtio_rpmsg_create_ept,
 	.announce_create = virtio_rpmsg_announce_create,
@@ -494,7 +473,7 @@ static struct rpmsg_device *rpmsg_create_channel(struct virtproc_info *vrp,
 	int ret;
 
 	/* make sure a similar channel doesn't already exist */
-	tmp = device_find_child(dev, chinfo, rpmsg_device_match);
+	tmp = rpmsg_find_device(dev, chinfo);
 	if (tmp) {
 		/* decrement the matched device's refcount back */
 		put_device(tmp);
@@ -547,7 +526,7 @@ static int rpmsg_destroy_channel(struct virtproc_info *vrp,
 	struct virtio_device *vdev = vrp->vdev;
 	struct device *dev;
 
-	dev = device_find_child(&vdev->dev, chinfo, rpmsg_device_match);
+	dev = rpmsg_find_device(&vdev->dev, chinfo);
 	if (!dev)
 		return -EINVAL;
 
