diff --git a/lib/mu-util.c b/lib/mu-util.c
index f5e398e0..8d60ac35 100644
--- a/lib/mu-util.c
+++ b/lib/mu-util.c
@@ -494,3 +494,27 @@ mu_util_printerr_encoded (const char *frm, ...)
 
 	return rv;
 }
+
+
+char*
+mu_util_read_password (const char *prompt)
+{
+	char *pass, *tmp;
+
+	g_return_val_if_fail (prompt, NULL);
+
+	/* note: getpass is obsolete; replace with something better */
+
+	tmp = getpass (prompt);
+	if (!tmp) {
+		if (errno)
+			g_warning ("error: %s", strerror(errno));
+		return NULL;
+	}
+	/* make sure we can free with g_free(), not free() */
+
+	pass = g_strdup (tmp);
+	free (tmp);
+
+	return pass;
+}
diff --git a/lib/mu-util.h b/lib/mu-util.h
index 69cdf9e2..b5b1eac8 100644
--- a/lib/mu-util.h
+++ b/lib/mu-util.h
@@ -179,6 +179,16 @@ gboolean mu_util_printerr_encoded (const char *frm, ...) G_GNUC_PRINTF(1,2);
 
 
 
+/**
+ * read a password from stdin (without echoing), and return it.
+ *
+ * @param prompt the prompt text before the password
+ *
+ * @return the password (free with g_free), or NULL
+ */
+char* mu_util_read_password (const char *prompt)
+	   G_GNUC_MALLOC G_GNUC_WARN_UNUSED_RESULT;
+
 /**
  * Try to 'play' (ie., open with it's associated program) a file. On
  * MacOS, the the program 'open' is used for this; on other platforms