diff --git a/src/util.cpp b/src/util.cpp
index 0a5f3a044a8628460b7d0777ea01cd22541f899d..7053ea06925328afc4d7311a8b994a969cc68b70 100644
--- a/src/util.cpp
+++ b/src/util.cpp
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 #include <iterator>
 #include <algorithm>
 #include <boost/filesystem.hpp>
+#include <boost/algorithm/string.hpp>
 
 using namespace boost::filesystem;
 
@@ -103,6 +104,30 @@ std::string decryptPassword(std::string &encrypted, const std::string &key) {
 	return password;
 }
 
+std::string serializeGroups(const std::vector<std::string> &groups) {
+	std::string ret;
+	BOOST_FOREACH(const std::string &group, groups) {
+		ret += group + "\n";
+	}
+	if (!ret.empty()) {
+		ret.erase(ret.end() - 1);
+	}
+	return ret;
+}
+
+std::vector<std::string> deserializeGroups(std::string &groups) {
+	std::vector<std::string> ret;
+	if (groups.empty()) {
+		return ret;
+	}
+
+	boost::split(ret, groups, boost::is_any_of("\n"));
+	if (ret.back().empty()) {
+		ret.erase(ret.end() - 1);
+	}
+	return ret;
+}
+
 }
 
 }