diff --git a/src/util/virjson.c b/src/util/virjson.c
index 17b11f2b3d..14b68b8c93 100644
--- a/src/util/virjson.c
+++ b/src/util/virjson.c
@@ -1208,6 +1208,33 @@ virJSONValueObjectGetString(virJSONValuePtr object,
 }
 
 
+/**
+ * virJSONValueObjectGetStringOrNumber:
+ * @object: JSON value object
+ * @key: name of the property in @object to get
+ *
+ * Gets a property named @key from the JSON object @object. The value may be
+ * a number or a string and is returned as a string. In cases when the property
+ * is not present or is not a string or number NULL is returned.
+ */
+const char *
+virJSONValueObjectGetStringOrNumber(virJSONValuePtr object,
+                                    const char *key)
+{
+    virJSONValuePtr val = virJSONValueObjectGet(object, key);
+
+    if (!val)
+        return NULL;
+
+    if (val->type == VIR_JSON_TYPE_STRING)
+        return val->data.string;
+    else if (val->type == VIR_JSON_TYPE_NUMBER)
+        return val->data.number;
+
+    return NULL;
+}
+
+
 int
 virJSONValueObjectGetNumberInt(virJSONValuePtr object,
                                const char *key,
diff --git a/src/util/virjson.h b/src/util/virjson.h
index e89a776ab5..b76a3c3472 100644
--- a/src/util/virjson.h
+++ b/src/util/virjson.h
@@ -149,6 +149,7 @@ virJSONValuePtr virJSONValueObjectStealArray(virJSONValuePtr object,
                                              const char *key);
 
 const char *virJSONValueObjectGetString(virJSONValuePtr object, const char *key);
+const char *virJSONValueObjectGetStringOrNumber(virJSONValuePtr object, const char *key);
 int virJSONValueObjectGetNumberInt(virJSONValuePtr object, const char *key, int *value);
 int virJSONValueObjectGetNumberUint(virJSONValuePtr object, const char *key, unsigned int *value);
 int virJSONValueObjectGetNumberLong(virJSONValuePtr object, const char *key, long long *value);