diff --git a/Xext/geext.c b/Xext/geext.c
index 3766ffdb3..a116e9d3c 100644
--- a/Xext/geext.c
+++ b/Xext/geext.c
@@ -210,3 +210,14 @@ GERegisterExtension(int extension,
     /* extension opcodes are > 128, might as well save some space here */
     GEExtensions[EXT_MASK(extension)].evswap = ev_swap;
 }
+
+/* Sets type and extension field for a generic event. This is just an
+ * auxiliary function, extensions could do it manually too.
+ */
+void
+GEInitEvent(xGenericEvent *ev, int extension)
+{
+    ev->type = GenericEvent;
+    ev->extension = extension;
+    ev->length = 0;
+}
diff --git a/Xext/geext.h b/Xext/geext.h
index 836a10103..79984e659 100644
--- a/Xext/geext.h
+++ b/Xext/geext.h
@@ -38,4 +38,6 @@ extern _X_EXPORT void GERegisterExtension(int extension,
                                                                xGenericEvent
                                                                *to));
 
+extern _X_EXPORT void GEInitEvent(xGenericEvent *ev, int extension);
+
 #endif                          /* _GEEXT_H_ */