diff --git a/src/lxc/lxclock.c b/src/lxc/lxclock.c
index 3857ff06c..64823d2a5 100644
--- a/src/lxc/lxclock.c
+++ b/src/lxc/lxclock.c
@@ -31,6 +31,10 @@
 #include <lxc/log.h>
 #include <lxc/lxccontainer.h>
 
+#ifdef MUTEX_DEBUGGING
+#include <execinfo.h>
+#endif
+
 #define OFLAG (O_CREAT | O_RDWR)
 #define SEMMODE 0660
 #define SEMVALUE 1
@@ -40,10 +44,55 @@ lxc_log_define(lxc_lock, lxc);
 
 #ifdef MUTEX_DEBUGGING
 pthread_mutex_t thread_mutex = PTHREAD_ERRORCHECK_MUTEX_INITIALIZER_NP;
+pthread_mutex_t static_mutex = PTHREAD_ERRORCHECK_MUTEX_INITIALIZER_NP;
+
+inline void dump_stacktrace(void)
+{
+	void *array[MAX_STACKDEPTH];
+	size_t size;
+	char **strings;
+	size_t i;
+
+	size = backtrace(array, MAX_STACKDEPTH);
+	strings = backtrace_symbols(array, size);
+
+	// Using fprintf here as our logging module is not thread safe
+	fprintf(stderr, "\tObtained %zd stack frames.\n", size);
+
+	for (i = 0; i < size; i++)
+		fprintf(stderr, "\t\t%s\n", strings[i]);
+
+	free (strings);
+}
 #else
 pthread_mutex_t thread_mutex = PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER;
+pthread_mutex_t static_mutex = PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER;
+
+inline void dump_stacktrace(void) {;}
 #endif
 
+void lock_mutex(pthread_mutex_t *l)
+{
+	int ret;
+
+	if ((ret = pthread_mutex_lock(l)) != 0) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "pthread_mutex_lock returned:%d %s", ret, strerror(ret));
+		dump_stacktrace();
+		exit(1);
+	}
+}
+
+void unlock_mutex(pthread_mutex_t *l)
+{
+	int ret;
+
+	if ((ret = pthread_mutex_unlock(l)) != 0) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "pthread_mutex_lock returned:%d %s", ret, strerror(ret));
+		dump_stacktrace();
+		exit(1);
+	}
+}
+
 static char *lxclock_name(const char *p, const char *n)
 {
 	int ret;
@@ -267,24 +316,23 @@ void lxc_putlock(struct lxc_lock *l)
 
 void process_lock(void)
 {
-	int ret;
-
-	if ((ret = pthread_mutex_lock(&thread_mutex)) != 0) {
-		ERROR("pthread_mutex_lock returned:%d %s", ret, strerror(ret));
-		dump_stacktrace();
-		exit(1);
-	}
+	lock_mutex(&thread_mutex);
 }
 
 void process_unlock(void)
 {
-	int ret;
+	unlock_mutex(&thread_mutex);
+}
 
-	if ((ret = pthread_mutex_unlock(&thread_mutex)) != 0) {
-		ERROR("pthread_mutex_unlock returned:%d %s", ret, strerror(ret));
-		dump_stacktrace();
-		exit(1);
-	}
+/* Protects static const values inside the lxc_global_config_value funtion */
+void static_lock(void)
+{
+	lock_mutex(&static_mutex);
+}
+
+void static_unlock(void)
+{
+	unlock_mutex(&static_mutex);
 }
 
 int container_mem_lock(struct lxc_container *c)
diff --git a/src/lxc/lxclock.h b/src/lxc/lxclock.h
index dcdf79d2d..12ba82750 100644
--- a/src/lxc/lxclock.h
+++ b/src/lxc/lxclock.h
@@ -87,6 +87,9 @@ extern void lxc_putlock(struct lxc_lock *l);
 
 extern void process_lock(void);
 extern void process_unlock(void);
+extern void static_lock(void);
+extern void static_unlock(void);
+
 struct lxc_container;
 extern int container_mem_lock(struct lxc_container *c);
 extern void container_mem_unlock(struct lxc_container *c);
diff --git a/src/lxc/utils.c b/src/lxc/utils.c
index 4bc2c35e4..3fab9ae7e 100644
--- a/src/lxc/utils.c
+++ b/src/lxc/utils.c
@@ -39,11 +39,6 @@
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <sys/wait.h>
 #include <assert.h>
-#include <pthread.h>
-
-#ifdef MUTEX_DEBUGGING
-#include <execinfo.h>
-#endif
 
 #ifndef HAVE_GETLINE
 #ifdef HAVE_FGETLN
@@ -59,57 +54,6 @@
 
 lxc_log_define(lxc_utils, lxc);
 
-
-#ifdef MUTEX_DEBUGGING
-static pthread_mutex_t static_mutex = PTHREAD_ERRORCHECK_MUTEX_INITIALIZER_NP;
-
-inline void dump_stacktrace(void)
-{
-	void *array[MAX_STACKDEPTH];
-	size_t size;
-	char **strings;
-	size_t i;
-
-	size = backtrace(array, MAX_STACKDEPTH);
-	strings = backtrace_symbols(array, size);
-
-	// Using fprintf here as our logging module is not thread safe
-	fprintf(stderr, "\tObtained %zd stack frames.\n", size);
-
-	for (i = 0; i < size; i++)
-		fprintf(stderr, "\t\t%s\n", strings[i]);
-
-	free (strings);
-}
-#else
-static pthread_mutex_t static_mutex = PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER;
-
-inline void dump_stacktrace(void) {;}
-#endif
-
-/* Protects static const values inside the lxc_global_config_value funtion */
-static void static_lock(void)
-{
-	int ret;
-
-	if ((ret = pthread_mutex_lock(&static_mutex)) != 0) {
-		ERROR("pthread_mutex_lock returned:%d %s", ret, strerror(ret));
-		dump_stacktrace();
-		exit(1);
-	}
-}
-
-static void static_unlock(void)
-{
-	int ret;
-
-	if ((ret = pthread_mutex_unlock(&static_mutex)) != 0) {
-		ERROR("pthread_mutex_unlock returned:%d %s", ret, strerror(ret));
-		dump_stacktrace();
-		exit(1);
-	}
-}
-
 static int _recursive_rmdir_onedev(char *dirname, dev_t pdev)
 {
 	struct dirent dirent, *direntp;
@@ -392,6 +336,7 @@ out:
 	if (fin)
 		fclose(fin);
 	process_unlock();
+
 	static_lock();
 	value = values[i];
 	static_unlock();