diff --git a/cdist/exec/local.py b/cdist/exec/local.py
index 4531bd7a..b46e8a52 100644
--- a/cdist/exec/local.py
+++ b/cdist/exec/local.py
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ import datetime
 import cdist
 import cdist.message
 from cdist import core
-import cdist.exec.util as exec_util
+import cdist.exec.util as util
 
 CONF_SUBDIRS_LINKED = ["explorer", "files", "manifest", "type", ]
 
@@ -203,16 +203,6 @@ class Local(object):
         self.log.trace("Local mkdir: %s", path)
         os.makedirs(path, exist_ok=True)
 
-    def _get_std_fd(self, which):
-        if which == 'stdout':
-            base = self.stdout_base_path
-        else:
-            base = self.stderr_base_path
-
-        path = os.path.join(base, 'remote')
-        stdfd = open(path, 'ba+')
-        return stdfd
-
     def _log_std_fd(self, stdfd, which, quiet, save_output):
         if not quiet and save_output and stdfd is not None:
             stdfd.seek(0, 0)
@@ -233,10 +223,10 @@ class Local(object):
         close_stdout = False
         close_stderr = False
         if not quiet and save_output and not return_output and stdout is None:
-            stdout = self._get_std_fd('stdout')
+            stdout = util._get_std_fd(self, 'stdout')
             close_stdout = True
         if not quiet and save_output and stderr is None:
-            stderr = self._get_std_fd('stderr')
+            stderr = util._get_std_fd(self, 'stderr')
             close_stderr = True
 
         if env is None:
@@ -271,7 +261,7 @@ class Local(object):
                 self._log_std_fd(stderr, 'stderr', quiet, save_output)
                 self._log_std_fd(stdout, 'stdout', quiet, save_output)
         except subprocess.CalledProcessError as e:
-            exec_util.handle_called_process_error(e, command)
+            util.handle_called_process_error(e, command)
         except OSError as error:
             raise cdist.Error(" ".join(command) + ": " + error.args[1])
         finally:
diff --git a/cdist/exec/remote.py b/cdist/exec/remote.py
index 475f4294..e6047af8 100644
--- a/cdist/exec/remote.py
+++ b/cdist/exec/remote.py
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ import logging
 import multiprocessing
 
 import cdist
-import cdist.exec.util as exec_util
+import cdist.exec.util as util
 import cdist.util.ipaddr as ipaddr
 from cdist.mputil import mp_pool_run
 
@@ -295,16 +295,6 @@ class Remote(object):
         return self._run_command(cmd, env=env, return_output=return_output,
                                  stdout=stdout, stderr=stderr)
 
-    def _get_std_fd(self, which):
-        if which == 'stdout':
-            base = self.stdout_base_path
-        else:
-            base = self.stderr_base_path
-
-        path = os.path.join(base, 'remote')
-        stdfd = open(path, 'ba+')
-        return stdfd
-
     def _log_std_fd(self, stdfd, which):
         if stdfd is not None and stdfd != subprocess.DEVNULL:
             stdfd.seek(0, 0)
@@ -326,10 +316,10 @@ class Remote(object):
         close_stdout = False
         close_stderr = False
         if not return_output and stdout is None:
-            stdout = self._get_std_fd('stdout')
+            stdout = util._get_std_fd(self, 'stdout')
             close_stdout = True
         if stderr is None:
-            stderr = self._get_std_fd('stderr')
+            stderr = util._get_std_fd(self, 'stderr')
             close_stderr = True
 
         # export target_host, target_hostname, target_fqdn
@@ -354,7 +344,7 @@ class Remote(object):
                 self._log_std_fd(stderr, 'stderr')
                 self._log_std_fd(stdout, 'stdout')
         except subprocess.CalledProcessError as e:
-            exec_util.handle_called_process_error(e, command)
+            util.handle_called_process_error(e, command)
         except OSError as error:
             raise cdist.Error(" ".join(command) + ": " + error.args[1])
         except UnicodeDecodeError:
diff --git a/cdist/exec/util.py b/cdist/exec/util.py
index e3c090cc..561b13aa 100644
--- a/cdist/exec/util.py
+++ b/cdist/exec/util.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
 #
-# 2016 Darko Poljak (darko.poljak at gmail.com)
+# 2016-2017 Darko Poljak (darko.poljak at gmail.com)
 #
 # This file is part of cdist.
 #
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 #
 
 import subprocess
+import os
 from tempfile import TemporaryFile
 
 import cdist
@@ -115,6 +116,7 @@ import cdist
 #     return (result.stdout, result.stderr)
 
 
+# Currently not used.
 def call_get_output(command, env=None, stderr=None):
     """Run the given command with the given environment.
     Return the tuple of stdout and stderr output as a byte strings.
@@ -145,6 +147,7 @@ def handle_called_process_error(err, command):
                           " ".join(command), err.returncode, output))
 
 
+# Currently not used.
 def _call_get_stdout(command, env=None, stderr=None):
     """Run the given command with the given environment.
     Return the stdout output as a byte string, stderr is ignored.
@@ -158,3 +161,14 @@ def _call_get_stdout(command, env=None, stderr=None):
         output = fout.read()
 
     return output
+
+
+def _get_std_fd(obj, which):
+    if which == 'stdout':
+        base = obj.stdout_base_path
+    else:
+        base = obj.stderr_base_path
+
+    path = os.path.join(base, 'remote')
+    stdfd = open(path, 'ba+')
+    return stdfd