diff --git a/stand/kboot/Makefile b/stand/kboot/Makefile
index c8bd313d1d1d..42385c9caf76 100644
--- a/stand/kboot/Makefile
+++ b/stand/kboot/Makefile
@@ -1,55 +1,56 @@
 # $FreeBSD$
 
 LOADER_DISK_SUPPORT?=	yes
 LOADER_CD9660_SUPPORT?=	yes
 LOADER_MSDOS_SUPPORT?=	no
 LOADER_EXT2FS_SUPPORT?=	yes
 LOADER_UFS_SUPPORT?=	yes
 LOADER_NET_SUPPORT?=	yes
 LOADER_NFS_SUPPORT?=	yes
 LOADER_TFTP_SUPPORT?=	no
 LOADER_GZIP_SUPPORT?=	yes
 LOADER_BZIP2_SUPPORT?=	no
 
 .include <bsd.init.mk>
 
 PROG=		loader.kboot
 NEWVERSWHAT=	"kboot loader" ${MACHINE_ARCH}
 INSTALLFLAGS=	-b
 
 # Architecture-specific loader code
 SRCS=	\
 		conf.c \
 		crt1.c \
 		gfx_fb_stub.c \
 		host_syscalls.c \
 		hostcons.c \
 		hostdisk.c \
 		hostfs.c \
 		init.c \
 		kbootfdt.c \
 		main.c \
 		termios.c \
-		vers.c \
+		util.c \
+		vers.c
 
 CFLAGS.gfx_fb_stub.c += -I${SRCTOP}/contrib/pnglite -I${SRCTOP}/sys/teken
 
 .include	"${BOOTSRC}/fdt.mk"
 
 # Note: Since we're producing a userland binary, we key off of MACHINE_ARCH
 # instead of the more normal MACHINE since the changes between different flavors
 # of MACHINE_ARCH are large enough in Linux that it's easier that way.
 .PATH:	${.CURDIR}/arch/${MACHINE_ARCH}
 .include "${.CURDIR}/arch/${MACHINE_ARCH}/Makefile.inc"
 
 # Always add MI sources
 .include	"${BOOTSRC}/loader.mk"
 .PATH:		${SYSDIR}/libkern
 CFLAGS+=	-I${.CURDIR} -I${.CURDIR}/arch/${MACHINE_ARCH}
 
 CFLAGS+=	-Wall
 
 DPADD=		${LDR_INTERP} ${LIBOFW} ${LIBFDT} ${LIBSA}
 LDADD=		${LDR_INTERP} ${LIBOFW} ${LIBFDT} ${LIBSA}
 
 .include <bsd.prog.mk>
diff --git a/stand/kboot/kboot.h b/stand/kboot/kboot.h
index 5441c90eaecc..e3d169ee5ac0 100644
--- a/stand/kboot/kboot.h
+++ b/stand/kboot/kboot.h
@@ -1,22 +1,26 @@
 /*-
  * Copyright (c) 2022, Netflix, Inc.
  *
  * SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-2-Clause
  */
 
 #ifndef KBOOT_H
 #define KBOOT_H
 
 #define DEVT_HOSTDISK 1234
 
 void do_init(void);
 
 extern const char *hostfs_root;
 
 /* Per-platform fdt fixup */
 void fdt_arch_fixups(void *fdtp);
 
 uint64_t kboot_get_phys_load_segment(void);
 uint8_t kboot_get_kernel_machine_bits(void);
 
+/* util.c */
+bool file2str(const char *fn, char *buffer, size_t buflen);
+bool file2u64(const char *fn, uint64_t *val);
+
 #endif /* KBOOT_H */
diff --git a/stand/kboot/util.c b/stand/kboot/util.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..938aad599e19
--- /dev/null
+++ b/stand/kboot/util.c
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+/*-
+ * Copyright 2022 Netflix, Inc
+ *
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-2-Clause
+ */
+
+#include "stand.h"
+#include "host_syscall.h"
+#include "kboot.h"
+
+bool
+file2str(const char *fn, char *buffer, size_t buflen)
+{
+	int fd;
+	ssize_t len;
+
+	fd = host_open(fn, HOST_O_RDONLY, 0);
+	if (fd == -1)
+		return false;
+	len = host_read(fd, buffer, buflen - 1);
+	if (len < 0) {
+		host_close(fd);
+		return false;
+	}
+	buffer[len] = '\0';
+	/*
+	 * Trim trailing white space
+	 */
+	while (isspace(buffer[len - 1]))
+		buffer[--len] = '\0';
+	host_close(fd);
+	return true;
+}
+
+bool
+file2u64(const char *fn, uint64_t *val)
+{
+	unsigned long v;
+	char buffer[80];
+
+	if (!file2str(fn, buffer, sizeof(buffer)))
+		return false;
+	v = strtoull(buffer, NULL, 0);	/* XXX check return values? */
+	*val = v;
+	return true;
+}