diff --git a/src/libvirt_private.syms b/src/libvirt_private.syms
index b6569e2430..e58b5ebe32 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_private.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_private.syms
@@ -2730,6 +2730,7 @@ virMutexUnlock;
 virOnce;
 virRWLockDestroy;
 virRWLockInit;
+virRWLockInitPreferWriter;
 virRWLockRead;
 virRWLockUnlock;
 virRWLockWrite;
diff --git a/src/util/virthread.c b/src/util/virthread.c
index 6c495158f5..a8dd72f8ba 100644
--- a/src/util/virthread.c
+++ b/src/util/virthread.c
@@ -95,6 +95,15 @@ void virMutexUnlock(virMutexPtr m)
 }
 
 
+/**
+ * virRWLockInit:
+ * @m: rwlock to init
+ *
+ * Initializes RW lock using pthread default attributes (which
+ * is PTHREAD_RWLOCK_PREFER_READER_NP).
+ *
+ * Returns 0 on success, -1 otherwise.
+ */
 int virRWLockInit(virRWLockPtr m)
 {
     int ret;
@@ -106,6 +115,32 @@ int virRWLockInit(virRWLockPtr m)
     return 0;
 }
 
+
+/**
+ * virRWLockInitPreferWriter:
+ * @m: rwlock to init
+ *
+ * Initializes RW lock which prefers writers over readers.
+ *
+ * Returns 0 on success, -1 otherwise.
+ */
+int virRWLockInitPreferWriter(virRWLockPtr m)
+{
+    int ret;
+    pthread_rwlockattr_t attr;
+
+    pthread_rwlockattr_init(&attr);
+    pthread_rwlockattr_setkind_np(&attr, PTHREAD_RWLOCK_PREFER_WRITER_NONRECURSIVE_NP);
+    ret = pthread_rwlock_init(&m->lock, &attr);
+    pthread_rwlockattr_destroy(&attr);
+    if (ret != 0) {
+        errno = ret;
+        return -1;
+    }
+    return 0;
+}
+
+
 void virRWLockDestroy(virRWLockPtr m)
 {
     pthread_rwlock_destroy(&m->lock);
diff --git a/src/util/virthread.h b/src/util/virthread.h
index e466d9bf01..18b785af23 100644
--- a/src/util/virthread.h
+++ b/src/util/virthread.h
@@ -136,6 +136,7 @@ void virMutexUnlock(virMutexPtr m);
 
 
 int virRWLockInit(virRWLockPtr m) ATTRIBUTE_RETURN_CHECK;
+int virRWLockInitPreferWriter(virRWLockPtr m) ATTRIBUTE_RETURN_CHECK;
 void virRWLockDestroy(virRWLockPtr m);
 
 void virRWLockRead(virRWLockPtr m);