diff --git a/error.c b/error.c
index 1f05fc466e..128d88cd91 100644
--- a/error.c
+++ b/error.c
@@ -43,6 +43,34 @@ void error_set(Error **errp, ErrorClass err_class, const char *fmt, ...)
     *errp = err;
 }
 
+void error_set_errno(Error **errp, int os_errno, ErrorClass err_class,
+                     const char *fmt, ...)
+{
+    Error *err;
+    char *msg1;
+    va_list ap;
+
+    if (errp == NULL) {
+        return;
+    }
+    assert(*errp == NULL);
+
+    err = g_malloc0(sizeof(*err));
+
+    va_start(ap, fmt);
+    msg1 = g_strdup_vprintf(fmt, ap);
+    if (os_errno != 0) {
+        err->msg = g_strdup_printf("%s: %s", msg1, strerror(os_errno));
+        g_free(msg1);
+    } else {
+        err->msg = msg1;
+    }
+    va_end(ap);
+    err->err_class = err_class;
+
+    *errp = err;
+}
+
 Error *error_copy(const Error *err)
 {
     Error *err_new;
diff --git a/error.h b/error.h
index da7fed399e..4d52e7369e 100644
--- a/error.h
+++ b/error.h
@@ -29,11 +29,20 @@ typedef struct Error Error;
  */
 void error_set(Error **err, ErrorClass err_class, const char *fmt, ...) GCC_FMT_ATTR(3, 4);
 
+/**
+ * Set an indirect pointer to an error given a ErrorClass value and a
+ * printf-style human message, followed by a strerror() string if
+ * @os_error is not zero.
+ */
+void error_set_errno(Error **err, int os_error, ErrorClass err_class, const char *fmt, ...) GCC_FMT_ATTR(4, 5);
+
 /**
  * Same as error_set(), but sets a generic error
  */
 #define error_setg(err, fmt, ...) \
     error_set(err, ERROR_CLASS_GENERIC_ERROR, fmt, ## __VA_ARGS__)
+#define error_setg_errno(err, os_error, fmt, ...) \
+    error_set_errno(err, os_error, ERROR_CLASS_GENERIC_ERROR, fmt, ## __VA_ARGS__)
 
 /**
  * Returns true if an indirect pointer to an error is pointing to a valid