diff --git a/src/header/common/connection.rs b/src/header/common/connection.rs
index f04b5bef..63af0541 100644
--- a/src/header/common/connection.rs
+++ b/src/header/common/connection.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 use header::Header;
 use std::fmt::{mod, Show};
-use super::from_one_raw_str;
+use super::util::from_one_raw_str;
 use std::from_str::FromStr;
 
 /// The `Connection` header.
diff --git a/src/header/common/content_length.rs b/src/header/common/content_length.rs
index 36b8a030..f0a072fe 100644
--- a/src/header/common/content_length.rs
+++ b/src/header/common/content_length.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 use std::fmt::{mod, Show};
 
 use header::Header;
-use super::from_one_raw_str;
+use super::util::from_one_raw_str;
 
 /// The `Content-Length` header.
 ///
diff --git a/src/header/common/content_type.rs b/src/header/common/content_type.rs
index 24c364a7..5562a0b7 100644
--- a/src/header/common/content_type.rs
+++ b/src/header/common/content_type.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 use header::Header;
 use std::fmt::{mod, Show};
-use super::from_one_raw_str;
+use super::util::from_one_raw_str;
 use mime::Mime;
 
 /// The `Content-Type` header.
diff --git a/src/header/common/date.rs b/src/header/common/date.rs
index 1aa6e4ef..4e8ad878 100644
--- a/src/header/common/date.rs
+++ b/src/header/common/date.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 use header::Header;
 use std::fmt::{mod, Show};
-use super::from_one_raw_str;
+use super::util::from_one_raw_str;
 use std::from_str::FromStr;
 use time::{Tm, strptime};
 
diff --git a/src/header/common/host.rs b/src/header/common/host.rs
index 03776d72..64a0d4e2 100644
--- a/src/header/common/host.rs
+++ b/src/header/common/host.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 use header::Header;
 use std::fmt::{mod, Show};
-use super::from_one_raw_str;
+use super::util::from_one_raw_str;
 
 /// The `Host` header.
 ///
diff --git a/src/header/common/location.rs b/src/header/common/location.rs
index 6f185a44..d6d48772 100644
--- a/src/header/common/location.rs
+++ b/src/header/common/location.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 use header::Header;
 use std::fmt::{mod, Show};
-use super::from_one_raw_str;
+use super::util::from_one_raw_str;
 
 /// The `Location` header.
 ///
diff --git a/src/header/common/mod.rs b/src/header/common/mod.rs
index 46dfd5db..ecb9a3fa 100644
--- a/src/header/common/mod.rs
+++ b/src/header/common/mod.rs
@@ -17,9 +17,6 @@ pub use self::server::Server;
 pub use self::date::Date;
 pub use self::location::Location;
 
-use std::from_str::FromStr;
-use std::str::from_utf8;
-
 /// Exposes the Host header.
 pub mod host;
 
@@ -50,14 +47,6 @@ pub mod date;
 /// Exposes the Location header.
 pub mod location;
 
-fn from_one_raw_str<T: FromStr>(raw: &[Vec<u8>]) -> Option<T> {
-    if raw.len() != 1 {
-        return None;
-    }
-    // we JUST checked that raw.len() == 1, so raw[0] WILL exist.
-    match from_utf8(unsafe { raw.as_slice().unsafe_get(0).as_slice() }) {
-        Some(s) => FromStr::from_str(s),
-        None => None
-    }
-}
+pub mod util;
+
 
diff --git a/src/header/common/server.rs b/src/header/common/server.rs
index b9404e24..e0084d69 100644
--- a/src/header/common/server.rs
+++ b/src/header/common/server.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 use header::Header;
 use std::fmt::{mod, Show};
-use super::from_one_raw_str;
+use super::util::from_one_raw_str;
 
 /// The `Server` header field.
 ///
diff --git a/src/header/common/user_agent.rs b/src/header/common/user_agent.rs
index 40123bec..c46d2920 100644
--- a/src/header/common/user_agent.rs
+++ b/src/header/common/user_agent.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 use header::Header;
 use std::fmt::{mod, Show};
-use super::from_one_raw_str;
+use super::util::from_one_raw_str;
 
 /// The `User-Agent` header field.
 ///
diff --git a/src/header/common/util.rs b/src/header/common/util.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..943578fa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/header/common/util.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+//! Utility functions for Header implementations.
+
+use std::from_str::FromStr;
+use std::str::from_utf8;
+
+/// Utility function that reads a single raw string when parsing a header
+pub fn from_one_raw_str<T: FromStr>(raw: &[Vec<u8>]) -> Option<T> {
+    if raw.len() != 1 {
+        return None;
+    }
+    // we JUST checked that raw.len() == 1, so raw[0] WILL exist.
+    match from_utf8(unsafe { raw.as_slice().unsafe_get(0).as_slice() }) {
+        Some(s) => FromStr::from_str(s),
+        None => None
+    }
+}