diff --git a/src/libvirt_private.syms b/src/libvirt_private.syms
index 528b2047a0..b118d1e3d7 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_private.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_private.syms
@@ -2221,6 +2221,7 @@ virSecurityLabelDefNew;
 # util/virsecret.h
 virSecretLookupDefClear;
 virSecretLookupDefCopy;
+virSecretLookupFormatSecret;
 virSecretLookupParseSecret;
 
 
diff --git a/src/util/virsecret.c b/src/util/virsecret.c
index 7fdb0ae2da..aded8028b9 100644
--- a/src/util/virsecret.c
+++ b/src/util/virsecret.c
@@ -99,3 +99,26 @@ virSecretLookupParseSecret(xmlNodePtr secretnode,
     VIR_FREE(usage);
     return ret;
 }
+
+
+void
+virSecretLookupFormatSecret(virBufferPtr buf,
+                            const char *secrettype,
+                            virSecretLookupTypeDefPtr def)
+{
+    char uuidstr[VIR_UUID_STRING_BUFLEN];
+
+    if (secrettype)
+        virBufferAsprintf(buf, "<secret type='%s'", secrettype);
+    else
+        virBufferAddLit(buf, "<secret");
+
+    if (def->type == VIR_SECRET_LOOKUP_TYPE_UUID) {
+        virUUIDFormat(def->u.uuid, uuidstr);
+        virBufferAsprintf(buf, " uuid='%s'/>\n", uuidstr);
+    } else if (def->type == VIR_SECRET_LOOKUP_TYPE_USAGE) {
+        virBufferEscapeString(buf, " usage='%s'/>\n", def->u.usage);
+    } else {
+        virBufferAddLit(buf, "/>\n");
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/util/virsecret.h b/src/util/virsecret.h
index eee863f922..4506fb36eb 100644
--- a/src/util/virsecret.h
+++ b/src/util/virsecret.h
@@ -50,4 +50,7 @@ int virSecretLookupDefCopy(virSecretLookupTypeDefPtr dst,
                            const virSecretLookupTypeDef *src);
 int virSecretLookupParseSecret(xmlNodePtr secretnode,
                                virSecretLookupTypeDefPtr def);
+void virSecretLookupFormatSecret(virBufferPtr buf,
+                                 const char *secrettype,
+                                 virSecretLookupTypeDefPtr def);
 #endif /* __VIR_SECRET_H__ */
diff --git a/src/util/virstoragefile.c b/src/util/virstoragefile.c
index 0863c4fe99..de4955b7d0 100644
--- a/src/util/virstoragefile.c
+++ b/src/util/virstoragefile.c
@@ -1623,8 +1623,6 @@ int
 virStorageAuthDefFormat(virBufferPtr buf,
                         virStorageAuthDefPtr authdef)
 {
-    char uuidstr[VIR_UUID_STRING_BUFLEN];
-
     if (authdef->authType == VIR_STORAGE_AUTH_TYPE_NONE) {
         virBufferEscapeString(buf, "<auth username='%s'>\n", authdef->username);
     } else {
@@ -1634,20 +1632,8 @@ virStorageAuthDefFormat(virBufferPtr buf,
     }
 
     virBufferAdjustIndent(buf, 2);
-    if (authdef->secrettype)
-        virBufferAsprintf(buf, "<secret type='%s'", authdef->secrettype);
-    else
-        virBufferAddLit(buf, "<secret");
-
-    if (authdef->seclookupdef.type == VIR_SECRET_LOOKUP_TYPE_UUID) {
-        virUUIDFormat(authdef->seclookupdef.u.uuid, uuidstr);
-        virBufferAsprintf(buf, " uuid='%s'/>\n", uuidstr);
-    } else if (authdef->seclookupdef.type == VIR_SECRET_LOOKUP_TYPE_USAGE) {
-        virBufferEscapeString(buf, " usage='%s'/>\n",
-                              authdef->seclookupdef.u.usage);
-    } else {
-        virBufferAddLit(buf, "/>\n");
-    }
+    virSecretLookupFormatSecret(buf, authdef->secrettype,
+                                &authdef->seclookupdef);
     virBufferAdjustIndent(buf, -2);
     virBufferAddLit(buf, "</auth>\n");