diff --git a/proxmox-rest-server/Cargo.toml b/proxmox-rest-server/Cargo.toml
index 33ed6f39..4d1f1459 100644
--- a/proxmox-rest-server/Cargo.toml
+++ b/proxmox-rest-server/Cargo.toml
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ http = "0.2"
 hyper = { version = "0.14", features = [ "full" ] }
 lazy_static = "1.4"
 libc = "0.2"
+log = "0.4"
 nix = "0.19.1"
 serde = { version = "1.0", features = [] }
 serde_json = "1.0"
diff --git a/src/tools/daemon.rs b/proxmox-rest-server/src/daemon.rs
similarity index 97%
rename from src/tools/daemon.rs
rename to proxmox-rest-server/src/daemon.rs
index 1291601b..5401e30c 100644
--- a/src/tools/daemon.rs
+++ b/proxmox-rest-server/src/daemon.rs
@@ -15,8 +15,9 @@ use anyhow::{bail, format_err, Error};
 use futures::future::{self, Either};
 
 use proxmox::tools::io::{ReadExt, WriteExt};
+use proxmox::tools::fd::Fd;
 
-use crate::tools::{fd_change_cloexec, self};
+use crate::fd_change_cloexec;
 
 #[link(name = "systemd")]
 extern "C" {
@@ -218,7 +219,7 @@ impl Reloadable for tokio::net::TcpListener {
     // FIXME: We could become "independent" of the TcpListener and its reference to the file
     // descriptor by `dup()`ing it (and check if the listener still exists via kcmp()?)
     fn get_store_func(&self) -> Result<BoxedStoreFunc, Error> {
-        let mut fd_opt = Some(tools::Fd(
+        let mut fd_opt = Some(Fd(
             nix::fcntl::fcntl(self.as_raw_fd(), nix::fcntl::FcntlArg::F_DUPFD_CLOEXEC(0))?
         ));
         Ok(Box::new(move || {
@@ -273,11 +274,11 @@ where
     ).await?;
 
     let server_future = create_service(listener, NotifyReady)?;
-    let shutdown_future = proxmox_rest_server::shutdown_future();
+    let shutdown_future = crate::shutdown_future();
 
     let finish_future = match future::select(server_future, shutdown_future).await {
         Either::Left((_, _)) => {
-            proxmox_rest_server::request_shutdown(); // make sure we are in shutdown mode
+            crate::request_shutdown(); // make sure we are in shutdown mode
             None
         }
         Either::Right((_, server_future)) => Some(server_future),
@@ -285,7 +286,7 @@ where
 
     let mut reloader = Some(reloader);
 
-    if proxmox_rest_server::is_reload_request() {
+    if crate::is_reload_request() {
         log::info!("daemon reload...");
         if let Err(e) = systemd_notify(SystemdNotify::Reloading) {
             log::error!("failed to notify systemd about the state change: {}", e);
@@ -304,7 +305,7 @@ where
     }
 
     // FIXME: this is a hack, replace with sd_notify_barrier when available
-    if proxmox_rest_server::is_reload_request() {
+    if crate::is_reload_request() {
         wait_service_is_not_state(service_name, "reloading").await?;
     }
 
diff --git a/proxmox-rest-server/src/lib.rs b/proxmox-rest-server/src/lib.rs
index 38dd610c..21a91115 100644
--- a/proxmox-rest-server/src/lib.rs
+++ b/proxmox-rest-server/src/lib.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,10 @@
-use anyhow::{bail, Error};
+use std::os::unix::io::RawFd;
+
+use anyhow::{bail, format_err, Error};
+
+use proxmox::tools::fd::Fd;
+
+pub mod daemon;
 
 mod state;
 pub use state::*;
@@ -52,3 +58,26 @@ pub fn fail_on_shutdown() -> Result<(), Error> {
     Ok(())
 }
 
+/// Helper to set/clear the FD_CLOEXEC flag on file descriptors
+pub fn fd_change_cloexec(fd: RawFd, on: bool) -> Result<(), Error> {
+    use nix::fcntl::{fcntl, FdFlag, F_GETFD, F_SETFD};
+    let mut flags = FdFlag::from_bits(fcntl(fd, F_GETFD)?)
+        .ok_or_else(|| format_err!("unhandled file flags"))?; // nix crate is stupid this way...
+    flags.set(FdFlag::FD_CLOEXEC, on);
+    fcntl(fd, F_SETFD(flags))?;
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+/// safe wrapper for `nix::sys::socket::socketpair` defaulting to `O_CLOEXEC` and guarding the file
+/// descriptors.
+pub fn socketpair() -> Result<(Fd, Fd), Error> {
+    use nix::sys::socket;
+    let (pa, pb) = socket::socketpair(
+        socket::AddressFamily::Unix,
+        socket::SockType::Stream,
+        None,
+        socket::SockFlag::SOCK_CLOEXEC,
+    )?;
+    Ok((Fd(pa), Fd(pb)))
+}
+