diff --git a/include/common/standard.h b/include/common/standard.h
index cd422cd14..9ed06688f 100644
--- a/include/common/standard.h
+++ b/include/common/standard.h
@@ -237,6 +237,11 @@ struct sockaddr_storage *str2sa_range(const char *str, int *low, int *high, char
  */
 int str2mask(const char *str, struct in_addr *mask);
 
+/* convert <cidr> to struct in_addr <mask>. It returns 1 if the conversion
+ * succeeds otherwise non-zero.
+ */
+int cidr2dotted(int cidr, struct in_addr *mask);
+
 /*
  * converts <str> to two struct in_addr* which must be pre-allocated.
  * The format is "addr[/mask]", where "addr" cannot be empty, and mask
diff --git a/src/standard.c b/src/standard.c
index 81df8b194..89af08f72 100644
--- a/src/standard.c
+++ b/src/standard.c
@@ -791,6 +791,18 @@ int str2mask(const char *str, struct in_addr *mask)
 	return 1;
 }
 
+/* convert <cidr> to struct in_addr <mask>. It returns 1 if the conversion
+ * succeeds otherwise zero.
+ */
+int cidr2dotted(int cidr, struct in_addr *mask) {
+
+	if (cidr < 0 || cidr > 32)
+		return 0;
+
+	mask->s_addr = cidr ? htonl(~0UL << (32 - cidr)) : 0;
+	return 1;
+}
+
 /*
  * converts <str> to two struct in_addr* which must be pre-allocated.
  * The format is "addr[/mask]", where "addr" cannot be empty, and mask