diff --git a/src/libvirt_private.syms b/src/libvirt_private.syms
index 51a400ba59..fcb02c21b1 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_private.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_private.syms
@@ -1922,6 +1922,7 @@ virCgroupGetCpuShares;
 virCgroupGetDevicePermsString;
 virCgroupGetDomainTotalCpuStats;
 virCgroupGetFreezerState;
+virCgroupGetInode;
 virCgroupGetMemoryHardLimit;
 virCgroupGetMemorySoftLimit;
 virCgroupGetMemoryStat;
diff --git a/src/util/vircgroup.c b/src/util/vircgroup.c
index 1b3b28342e..4c9445340e 100644
--- a/src/util/vircgroup.c
+++ b/src/util/vircgroup.c
@@ -3973,3 +3973,34 @@ virCgroupGetCpuPeriodQuota(virCgroup *cgroup, unsigned long long *period,
 
     return 0;
 }
+
+
+/**
+ * virCgroupGetInode:
+ *
+ * @cgroup: the cgroup to get inode for
+ *
+ * Get the @cgroup inode and return its value to the caller.
+ *
+ * Returns inode on success, -1 on error with error message reported.
+ */
+int
+virCgroupGetInode(virCgroup *cgroup)
+{
+    struct stat st;
+    int controller = virCgroupGetAnyController(cgroup);
+    g_autofree char *path = NULL;
+
+    if (controller < 0)
+        return -1;
+
+    if (virCgroupPathOfController(cgroup, controller, "", &path) < 0)
+        return -1;
+
+    if (stat(path, &st) < 0) {
+        virReportSystemError(errno, _("failed to get stat for '%s'"), path);
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    return st.st_ino;
+}
diff --git a/src/util/vircgroup.h b/src/util/vircgroup.h
index 8002cac570..690f09465c 100644
--- a/src/util/vircgroup.h
+++ b/src/util/vircgroup.h
@@ -283,3 +283,5 @@ int virCgroupSetOwner(virCgroup *cgroup,
 int virCgroupHasEmptyTasks(virCgroup *cgroup, int controller);
 
 bool virCgroupControllerAvailable(int controller);
+
+int virCgroupGetInode(virCgroup *cgroup);