diff --git a/utils/src/mode_types.c b/utils/src/mode_types.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2382dd41
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utils/src/mode_types.c
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+#include <unistd.h>
+#include <sys/stat.h>
+
+#include "sparse.h"
+#include "util.h"
+#include "format.h"
+#include "mode_types.h"
+
+unsigned int mode_to_type(mode_t mode)
+{
+#define S_SHIFT 12
+	static unsigned char mode_types[S_IFMT >> S_SHIFT] = {
+		[S_IFIFO >> S_SHIFT]	= SCOUTFS_DT_FIFO,
+		[S_IFCHR >> S_SHIFT]	= SCOUTFS_DT_CHR,
+		[S_IFDIR >> S_SHIFT]	= SCOUTFS_DT_DIR,
+		[S_IFBLK >> S_SHIFT]	= SCOUTFS_DT_BLK,
+		[S_IFREG >> S_SHIFT]	= SCOUTFS_DT_REG,
+		[S_IFLNK >> S_SHIFT]	= SCOUTFS_DT_LNK,
+		[S_IFSOCK >> S_SHIFT]	= SCOUTFS_DT_SOCK,
+	};
+
+	return mode_types[(mode & S_IFMT) >> S_SHIFT];
+#undef S_SHIFT
+}
diff --git a/utils/src/mode_types.h b/utils/src/mode_types.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e69cf45b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utils/src/mode_types.h
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+#ifndef _MODE_TYPES_H_
+#define _MODE_TYPES_H_
+
+unsigned int mode_to_type(mode_t mode);
+
+#endif