diff --git a/src/common/rclconfig.cpp b/src/common/rclconfig.cpp
index 466a443f..6a1aafa1 100644
--- a/src/common/rclconfig.cpp
+++ b/src/common/rclconfig.cpp
@@ -493,6 +493,32 @@ string RclConfig::getMimeHandlerDef(const std::string &mtype, bool filtertypes)
     return hs;
 }
 
+/** 
+ * @param whole is like "base value ; attr1 = somthing; attr2 = somethelse"
+ * There is no way to escape a semi-colon inside whole
+ */
+bool RclConfig::valueSplitAttributes(const string& whole, string& value, 
+                              ConfSimple& attrs)
+{
+    string::size_type semicol0 = whole.find_first_of(";");
+    value = whole.substr(0, semicol0);
+    string attrstr;
+    if (semicol0 != string::npos && semicol0 < whole.size() - 1) {
+        attrstr = whole.substr(semicol0+1);
+    }
+
+    // Handle additional attributes. We substitute the semi-colons
+    // with newlines and use a ConfSimple
+    if (!attrstr.empty()) {
+        for (string::size_type i = 0; i < attrstr.size(); i++)
+            if (attrstr[i] == ';')
+                attrstr[i] = '\n';
+        attrs = ConfSimple(attrstr);
+    }
+    return true;
+}
+
+
 string RclConfig::getMissingHelperDesc()
 {
     string fmiss = path_cat(getConfDir(), "missing");
diff --git a/src/common/rclconfig.h b/src/common/rclconfig.h
index 3c769df4..d5d79f3c 100644
--- a/src/common/rclconfig.h
+++ b/src/common/rclconfig.h
@@ -167,6 +167,10 @@ class RclConfig {
 
     /** mimeconf: get input filter for mimetype */
     string getMimeHandlerDef(const string &mimetype, bool filtertypes=false);
+    /** For lines like: "name = some value; and additional; attributes"
+     * Split the value and store the attributes in a ConfSimple */
+    bool valueSplitAttributes(const string& whole, string& value, 
+                              ConfSimple& attrs);
 
     /** mimeconf: get icon name for mimetype */
     string getMimeIconName(const string &mtype, string *path = 0);