diff --git a/lib/libutil/Makefile b/lib/libutil/Makefile
--- a/lib/libutil/Makefile
+++ b/lib/libutil/Makefile
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 LIB=	util
 SHLIB_MAJOR= 9
 
-SRCS=	_secure_path.c auth.c expand_number.c flopen.c fparseln.c \
+SRCS=	_secure_path.c auth.c cpuset.c expand_number.c flopen.c fparseln.c \
 	getlocalbase.c  gr_util.c \
 	hexdump.c humanize_number.c kinfo_getfile.c \
 	kinfo_getallproc.c kinfo_getproc.c kinfo_getvmmap.c \
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 
 CFLAGS+= -I${.CURDIR} -I${SRCTOP}/lib/libc/gen/
 
-MAN+=	expand_number.3 flopen.3 fparseln.3 getlocalbase.3 hexdump.3 \
+MAN+=	cpuset.3 expand_number.3 flopen.3 fparseln.3 getlocalbase.3 hexdump.3 \
 	humanize_number.3 kinfo_getallproc.3 kinfo_getfile.3 \
 	kinfo_getproc.3 kinfo_getvmmap.3 kinfo_getvmobject.3 kld.3 \
 	login_auth.3 login_cap.3 \
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@
 	pw_util.3 pw_scan.3 \
 	pw_util.3 pw_tempname.3 \
 	pw_util.3 pw_tmp.3
+MLINKS+=cpuset.3 cpuset_parselist.3
 
 HAS_TESTS=
 SUBDIR.${MK_TESTS}+= tests
diff --git a/lib/libutil/cpuset.3 b/lib/libutil/cpuset.3
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/libutil/cpuset.3
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+.\" Copyright (c) 2017 Baptiste Daroussin <bapt@FreeBSD.org>
+.\" All rights reserved.
+.\"
+.\" Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
+.\" modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions
+.\" are met:
+.\" 1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
+.\"    notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
+.\" 2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright
+.\"    notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the
+.\"    documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
+.\"
+.\" THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE AUTHORS AND CONTRIBUTORS ``AS IS'' AND
+.\" ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE
+.\" IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE
+.\" ARE DISCLAIMED.  IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE
+.\" FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL
+.\" DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS
+.\" OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION)
+.\" HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT
+.\" LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY
+.\" OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF
+.\" SUCH DAMAGE.
+.\"
+.\" $FreeBSD$
+.\"
+.Dd October 31, 2017
+.Dt CPUSET 3
+.Os
+.Sh NAME
+.Nm cpuset_parselist
+.Nd utility functions for
+.Xr cpuset 2
+handling
+.Sh LIBRARY
+.Lb libutil
+.Sh SYNOPSIS
+.In sys/cpuset.h
+.In libutil.h
+.Ft int
+.Fn cpuset_parselist "const char *cpu-list" "cpuset_t *mask"
+.Sh DESCRIPTION
+The
+.Fn cpuset_parselist
+function parses a
+.Va cpu-list
+filling the
+.Va mask .
+.Pp
+The
+.Va cpu-list
+may include numbers separated by '-' for ranges and commas separating individual
+numbers.
+A special list of
+.Dq all
+may be specified in which case the list includes all CPUs from the root set.
+.Sh RETURN VALUES
+Return values can be the following
+.Bl -tag -width Er
+.It Dv CPUSET_PARSE_OK
+The parsing was successful
+.It Dv CPUSET_PARSE_ERROR
+The
+.Va cpu-list
+format is invalid
+.It Dv CPUSET_PARSE_GETAFFINITY
+The
+.Xr cpuset_getaffinity 2
+call has failed
+.It Dv CPUSET_PARSE_INVALID_CPU
+The number of supported CPUs has been exceeded.
+The maximum number being
+.Va CPU_SETSIZE .
+.El
+.Sh SEE ALSO
+.Xr cpuset 1 ,
+.Xr cpuset 2 ,
+.Xr cpuset 9
+.Sh AUTHORS
+.An Jeffrey Roberson Aq Mt jeff@FreeBSD.org
diff --git a/lib/libutil/cpuset.c b/lib/libutil/cpuset.c
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/libutil/cpuset.c
@@ -0,0 +1,113 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2007, 2008 	Jeffrey Roberson <jeff@freebsd.org>
+ * All rights reserved.
+ *
+ * Copyright (c) 2008 Nokia Corporation
+ * All rights reserved.
+ *
+ * Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
+ * modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions
+ * are met:
+ * 1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
+ *    notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
+ * 2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright
+ *    notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the
+ *    documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
+ *
+ * THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE REGENTS AND CONTRIBUTORS ``AS IS'' AND
+ * ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE
+ * IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE
+ * ARE DISCLAIMED.  IN NO EVENT SHALL THE REGENTS OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE
+ * FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL
+ * DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS
+ * OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION)
+ * HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT
+ * LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY
+ * OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF
+ * SUCH DAMAGE.
+ */
+
+#include <sys/types.h>
+#include <sys/cpuset.h>
+
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <libutil.h>
+#include <ctype.h>
+
+int
+cpuset_parselist(const char *list, cpuset_t *mask)
+{
+	enum { NONE, NUM, DASH } state;
+	int lastnum;
+	int curnum;
+	const char *l;
+
+	if (strcasecmp(list, "all") == 0) {
+		if (cpuset_getaffinity(CPU_LEVEL_ROOT, CPU_WHICH_PID, -1,
+		    sizeof(*mask), mask) != 0)
+			return (CPUSET_PARSE_GETAFFINITY);
+		return (CPUSET_PARSE_OK);
+	}
+	state = NONE;
+	curnum = lastnum = 0;
+	for (l = list; *l != '\0';) {
+		if (isdigit(*l)) {
+			curnum = atoi(l);
+			if (curnum > CPU_SETSIZE)
+				return (CPUSET_PARSE_INVALID_CPU);
+			while (isdigit(*l))
+				l++;
+			switch (state) {
+			case NONE:
+				lastnum = curnum;
+				state = NUM;
+				break;
+			case DASH:
+				for (; lastnum <= curnum; lastnum++)
+					CPU_SET(lastnum, mask);
+				state = NONE;
+				break;
+			case NUM:
+			default:
+				goto parserr;
+			}
+			continue;
+		}
+		switch (*l) {
+		case ',':
+			switch (state) {
+			case NONE:
+				break;
+			case NUM:
+				CPU_SET(curnum, mask);
+				state = NONE;
+				break;
+			case DASH:
+				goto parserr;
+				break;
+			}
+			break;
+		case '-':
+			if (state != NUM)
+				goto parserr;
+			state = DASH;
+			break;
+		default:
+			goto parserr;
+		}
+		l++;
+	}
+	switch (state) {
+		case NONE:
+			break;
+		case NUM:
+			CPU_SET(curnum, mask);
+			break;
+		case DASH:
+			goto parserr;
+	}
+	return (CPUSET_PARSE_OK);
+parserr:
+	return (CPUSET_PARSE_ERROR);
+}
diff --git a/lib/libutil/libutil.h b/lib/libutil/libutil.h
--- a/lib/libutil/libutil.h
+++ b/lib/libutil/libutil.h
@@ -210,6 +210,14 @@
 int	quota_write_usage(struct quotafile *_qf, struct dqblk *_dqb, int _id);
 #endif
 
+#ifdef _SYS_CPUSET_H_
+int	cpuset_parselist(const char *list, cpuset_t *mask);
+#define CPUSET_PARSE_OK			0
+#define CPUSET_PARSE_GETAFFINITY	-1
+#define CPUSET_PARSE_ERROR		-2
+#define CPUSET_PARSE_INVALID_CPU	-3
+#endif
+
 __END_DECLS
 
 /* fparseln(3) */