diff --git a/module_build_service/glib.py b/module_build_service/glib.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ca19aaa9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/module_build_service/glib.py
@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+# Copyright (c) 2016  Red Hat, Inc.
+#
+# Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
+# of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
+# in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
+# to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
+# copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
+# furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+#
+# The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
+# copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+#
+# THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+# IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+# FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
+# AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+# LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
+# OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
+# SOFTWARE.
+#
+"""
+GLib Related helper functions
+Originally written by Nils Philippsen in https://pagure.io/modulemd/pull-request/63
+"""
+from gi.repository import GLib
+
+
+def from_variant_dict(d):
+    """ Converts a variant dictionary to a Python dictionary
+    """
+    rv = {}
+    for key, value in d.items():
+        rv[key] = value.unpack()
+    return rv
+
+
+def variant_str(s):
+    """ Converts a string to a GLib.Variant
+    """
+    if not isinstance(s, str):
+        raise TypeError('Only strings are supported for scalars')
+
+    return GLib.Variant('s', s)
+
+
+def variant_list(l):
+    """ Converts a list to a GLib.Variant
+    """
+    l_variant = list()
+    for item in l:
+        if item is None:
+            item = ''
+        if type(item) == str:
+            l_variant.append(variant_str(item))
+        elif type(item) == unicode:
+            l_variant.append(variant_str(item.encode('utf-8')))
+        elif type(item) == list:
+            l_variant.append(variant_list(item))
+        elif type(item) == dict:
+            l_variant.append(variant_dict(item))
+        else:
+            raise TypeError('Cannot convert unknown type')
+    return GLib.Variant('av', l_variant)
+
+
+def dict_values(d):
+    """ Converts each dictionary value to a GLib.Variant
+    """
+    if not isinstance(d, dict):
+        raise TypeError('Only dictionaries are supported for mappings')
+
+    d_variant = dict()
+    for k, v in d.items():
+        if v is None:
+            v = ''
+        if type(v) == str:
+            d_variant[k] = variant_str(v)
+        elif type(v) == unicode:
+            d_variant[k] = variant_str(v.encode('utf-8'))
+        elif type(v) == list:
+            d_variant[k] = variant_list(v)
+        elif type(v) == dict:
+            d_variant[k] = variant_dict(v)
+        else:
+            raise TypeError('Cannot convert unknown type')
+    return d_variant
+
+
+def variant_dict(d):
+    """ Converts a dictionary to a dictionary of GLib.Variant
+    """
+    if not isinstance(d, dict):
+        raise TypeError('Only dictionaries are supported for mappings')
+
+    d_variant = dict_values(d)
+    return GLib.Variant('a{sv}', d_variant)