diff --git a/src/node_device/node_device_driver.c b/src/node_device/node_device_driver.c
index 107e48c925..f83f2083de 100644
--- a/src/node_device/node_device_driver.c
+++ b/src/node_device/node_device_driver.c
@@ -50,6 +50,13 @@ VIR_LOG_INIT("node_device.node_device_driver");
 
 virNodeDeviceDriverState *driver;
 
+
+VIR_ENUM_IMPL(virMdevctlCommand,
+              MDEVCTL_CMD_LAST,
+              "start", "stop", "define", "undefine", "create"
+);
+
+
 virDrvOpenStatus
 nodeConnectOpen(virConnectPtr conn,
                 virConnectAuthPtr auth G_GNUC_UNUSED,
diff --git a/src/node_device/node_device_driver.h b/src/node_device/node_device_driver.h
index 4101e34a8f..d06efbf354 100644
--- a/src/node_device/node_device_driver.h
+++ b/src/node_device/node_device_driver.h
@@ -33,6 +33,25 @@ int
 udevNodeRegister(void);
 #endif
 
+
+typedef enum {
+    MDEVCTL_CMD_START,
+    MDEVCTL_CMD_STOP,
+    MDEVCTL_CMD_DEFINE,
+    MDEVCTL_CMD_UNDEFINE,
+
+    /* mdevctl actually doesn't have a 'create' command, it will be replaced
+     * with 'start' eventually in nodeDeviceGetMdevctlCommand, but this clear
+     * separation makes our code more readable in terms of knowing when we're
+     * starting a defined device and when we're creating a transient one */
+    MDEVCTL_CMD_CREATE,
+
+    MDEVCTL_CMD_LAST,
+} virMdevctlCommand;
+
+VIR_ENUM_DECL(virMdevctlCommand);
+
+
 void
 nodeDeviceLock(void);
 
diff --git a/tests/nodedevmdevctltest.c b/tests/nodedevmdevctltest.c
index 188e521f59..cf8de852a8 100644
--- a/tests/nodedevmdevctltest.c
+++ b/tests/nodedevmdevctltest.c
@@ -10,19 +10,11 @@
 
 #define VIR_FROM_THIS VIR_FROM_NODEDEV
 
-typedef enum {
-    MDEVCTL_CMD_START,
-    MDEVCTL_CMD_STOP,
-    MDEVCTL_CMD_DEFINE,
-    MDEVCTL_CMD_UNDEFINE,
-    MDEVCTL_CMD_CREATE,
-} MdevctlCmd;
-
 struct startTestInfo {
     const char *virt_type;
     int create;
     const char *filename;
-    MdevctlCmd command;
+    virMdevctlCommand command;
 };
 
 /* capture stdin passed to command */
@@ -126,7 +118,7 @@ testMdevctlCreateOrDefineHelper(const void *data)
 typedef virCommand* (*GetStopUndefineCmdFunc)(const char *uuid, char **errbuf);
 struct UuidCommandTestInfo {
     const char *filename;
-    MdevctlCmd command;
+    virMdevctlCommand command;
 };
 
 static int