diff --git a/src/fu-common.c b/src/fu-common.c
index 31759793c..b9f20849c 100644
--- a/src/fu-common.c
+++ b/src/fu-common.c
@@ -698,3 +698,102 @@ fu_common_read_uint32 (const guint8 *buf, FuEndianType endian)
 	}
 	return val_native;
 }
+
+static const GError *
+fu_common_error_array_find (GPtrArray *errors, FwupdError error_code)
+{
+	for (guint j = 0; j < errors->len; j++) {
+		const GError *error = g_ptr_array_index (errors, j);
+		if (g_error_matches (error, FWUPD_ERROR, error_code))
+			return error;
+	}
+	return NULL;
+}
+
+static guint
+fu_common_error_array_count (GPtrArray *errors, FwupdError error_code)
+{
+	guint cnt = 0;
+	for (guint j = 0; j < errors->len; j++) {
+		const GError *error = g_ptr_array_index (errors, j);
+		if (g_error_matches (error, FWUPD_ERROR, error_code))
+			cnt++;
+	}
+	return cnt;
+}
+
+static gboolean
+fu_common_error_array_matches_any (GPtrArray *errors, FwupdError *error_codes)
+{
+	for (guint j = 0; j < errors->len; j++) {
+		const GError *error = g_ptr_array_index (errors, j);
+		gboolean matches_any = FALSE;
+		for (guint i = 0; error_codes[i] != FWUPD_ERROR_LAST; i++) {
+			if (g_error_matches (error, FWUPD_ERROR, error_codes[i])) {
+				matches_any = TRUE;
+				break;
+			}
+		}
+		if (!matches_any)
+			return FALSE;
+	}
+	return TRUE;
+}
+
+/**
+ * fu_common_error_array_get_best:
+ * @errors: (element-type GError): array of errors
+ *
+ * Finds the 'best' error to show the user from a array of errors, creating a
+ * completely bespoke error where required.
+ *
+ * Returns: (transfer full): a #GError, never %NULL
+ **/
+GError *
+fu_common_error_array_get_best (GPtrArray *errors)
+{
+	FwupdError err_prio[] =		{ FWUPD_ERROR_INVALID_FILE,
+					  FWUPD_ERROR_VERSION_SAME,
+					  FWUPD_ERROR_VERSION_NEWER,
+					  FWUPD_ERROR_NOT_SUPPORTED,
+					  FWUPD_ERROR_INTERNAL,
+					  FWUPD_ERROR_NOT_FOUND,
+					  FWUPD_ERROR_LAST };
+	FwupdError err_all_uptodate[] =	{ FWUPD_ERROR_VERSION_SAME,
+					  FWUPD_ERROR_NOT_FOUND,
+					  FWUPD_ERROR_NOT_SUPPORTED,
+					  FWUPD_ERROR_LAST };
+	FwupdError err_all_newer[] =	{ FWUPD_ERROR_VERSION_NEWER,
+					  FWUPD_ERROR_VERSION_SAME,
+					  FWUPD_ERROR_NOT_FOUND,
+					  FWUPD_ERROR_NOT_SUPPORTED,
+					  FWUPD_ERROR_LAST };
+
+	/* are all the errors either GUID-not-matched or version-same? */
+	if (fu_common_error_array_count (errors, FWUPD_ERROR_VERSION_SAME) > 1 &&
+	    fu_common_error_array_matches_any (errors, err_all_uptodate)) {
+		return g_error_new (FWUPD_ERROR,
+				    FWUPD_ERROR_NOTHING_TO_DO,
+				    "All updatable firmware is already installed");
+	}
+
+	/* are all the errors either GUID-not-matched or version same or newer? */
+	if (fu_common_error_array_count (errors, FWUPD_ERROR_VERSION_NEWER) > 1 &&
+	    fu_common_error_array_matches_any (errors, err_all_newer)) {
+		return g_error_new (FWUPD_ERROR,
+				    FWUPD_ERROR_NOTHING_TO_DO,
+				    "All updatable devices already have newer versions");
+	}
+
+	/* get the most important single error */
+	for (guint i = 0; err_prio[i] != FWUPD_ERROR_LAST; i++) {
+		const GError *error_tmp = fu_common_error_array_find (errors, err_prio[i]);
+		if (error_tmp != NULL)
+			return g_error_copy (error_tmp);
+	}
+
+	/* fall back to something */
+	return g_error_new (FWUPD_ERROR,
+			    FWUPD_ERROR_NOT_FOUND,
+			    "No supported devices found");
+}
diff --git a/src/fu-common.h b/src/fu-common.h
index 294317fda..c4fc9c12f 100644
--- a/src/fu-common.h
+++ b/src/fu-common.h
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ GBytes		*fu_common_firmware_builder	(GBytes		*bytes,
 						 const gchar	*script_fn,
 						 const gchar	*output_fn,
 						 GError		**error);
+GError		*fu_common_error_array_get_best	(GPtrArray	*errors);
 
 typedef guint FuEndianType;
 
diff --git a/src/fu-main.c b/src/fu-main.c
index 384e16bac..94a17ee4e 100644
--- a/src/fu-main.c
+++ b/src/fu-main.c
@@ -454,96 +454,6 @@ fu_main_authorize_install_queue (FuMainAuthHelper *helper_ref)
 	g_dbus_method_invocation_return_value (helper->invocation, NULL);
 }
 
-static const GError *
-fu_main_error_array_find (GPtrArray *errors, FwupdError error_code)
-{
-	for (guint j = 0; j < errors->len; j++) {
-		const GError *error = g_ptr_array_index (errors, j);
-		if (g_error_matches (error, FWUPD_ERROR, error_code))
-			return error;
-	}
-	return NULL;
-}
-
-static guint
-fu_main_error_array_count (GPtrArray *errors, FwupdError error_code)
-{
-	guint cnt = 0;
-	for (guint j = 0; j < errors->len; j++) {
-		const GError *error = g_ptr_array_index (errors, j);
-		if (g_error_matches (error, FWUPD_ERROR, error_code))
-			cnt++;
-	}
-	return cnt;
-}
-
-static gboolean
-fu_main_error_array_matches_any (GPtrArray *errors, FwupdError *error_codes)
-{
-	for (guint j = 0; j < errors->len; j++) {
-		const GError *error = g_ptr_array_index (errors, j);
-		gboolean matches_any = FALSE;
-		for (guint i = 0; error_codes[i] != FWUPD_ERROR_LAST; i++) {
-			if (g_error_matches (error, FWUPD_ERROR, error_codes[i])) {
-				matches_any = TRUE;
-				break;
-			}
-		}
-		if (!matches_any)
-			return FALSE;
-	}
-	return TRUE;
-}
-
-static GError *
-fu_main_error_array_build_composite (GPtrArray *errors)
-{
-	FwupdError err_prio[] =		{ FWUPD_ERROR_INVALID_FILE,
-					  FWUPD_ERROR_VERSION_SAME,
-					  FWUPD_ERROR_VERSION_NEWER,
-					  FWUPD_ERROR_NOT_SUPPORTED,
-					  FWUPD_ERROR_INTERNAL,
-					  FWUPD_ERROR_NOT_FOUND,
-					  FWUPD_ERROR_LAST };
-	FwupdError err_all_uptodate[] =	{ FWUPD_ERROR_VERSION_SAME,
-					  FWUPD_ERROR_NOT_FOUND,
-					  FWUPD_ERROR_NOT_SUPPORTED,
-					  FWUPD_ERROR_LAST };
-	FwupdError err_all_newer[] =	{ FWUPD_ERROR_VERSION_NEWER,
-					  FWUPD_ERROR_VERSION_SAME,
-					  FWUPD_ERROR_NOT_FOUND,
-					  FWUPD_ERROR_NOT_SUPPORTED,
-					  FWUPD_ERROR_LAST };
-
-	/* are all the errors either GUID-not-matched or version-same? */
-	if (fu_main_error_array_count (errors, FWUPD_ERROR_VERSION_SAME) > 1 &&
-	    fu_main_error_array_matches_any (errors, err_all_uptodate)) {
-		return g_error_new (FWUPD_ERROR,
-				    FWUPD_ERROR_NOTHING_TO_DO,
-				    "All updatable firmware is already installed");
-	}
-
-	/* are all the errors either GUID-not-matched or version same or newer? */
-	if (fu_main_error_array_count (errors, FWUPD_ERROR_VERSION_NEWER) > 1 &&
-	    fu_main_error_array_matches_any (errors, err_all_newer)) {
-		return g_error_new (FWUPD_ERROR,
-				    FWUPD_ERROR_NOTHING_TO_DO,
-				    "All updatable devices already have newer versions");
-	}
-
-	/* get the most important single error */
-	for (guint i = 0; err_prio[i] != FWUPD_ERROR_LAST; i++) {
-		const GError *error_tmp = fu_main_error_array_find (errors, err_prio[i]);
-		if (error_tmp != NULL)
-			return g_error_copy (error_tmp);
-	}
-
-	/* fall back to something */
-	return g_error_new (FWUPD_ERROR,
-			    FWUPD_ERROR_NOT_FOUND,
-			    "No supported devices found");
-}
-
 #if !GLIB_CHECK_VERSION(2,54,0)
 static gboolean
 g_ptr_array_find (GPtrArray *haystack, gconstpointer needle, guint *index_)
@@ -645,7 +555,7 @@ fu_main_install_with_helper (FuMainAuthHelper *helper_ref, GError **error)
 
 	/* nothing suitable */
 	if (helper->install_tasks->len == 0) {
-		GError *error_tmp = fu_main_error_array_build_composite (errors);
+		GError *error_tmp = fu_common_error_array_get_best (errors);
 		g_propagate_error (error, error_tmp);
 		return FALSE;
 	}