diff --git a/lib/utils.py b/lib/utils.py
index 13c49766aab940db13320ca6bf5d92078e081453..8f7c031d1f899a35c5cd1a42caf47e74cbcca373 100644
--- a/lib/utils.py
+++ b/lib/utils.py
@@ -82,6 +82,9 @@ X509_SIGNATURE = re.compile(r"^%s:\s*(?P<salt>%s+)/(?P<sign>%s+)$" %
 
 _VALID_SERVICE_NAME_RE = re.compile("^[-_.a-zA-Z0-9]{1,128}$")
 
+UUID_RE = re.compile('^[a-f0-9]{8}-[a-f0-9]{4}-[a-f0-9]{4}-'
+                     '[a-f0-9]{4}-[a-f0-9]{12}$')
+
 # Certificate verification results
 (CERT_WARNING,
  CERT_ERROR) = range(1, 3)
diff --git a/test/ganeti.utils_unittest.py b/test/ganeti.utils_unittest.py
index df5ef2026a6bfb4422037270b1b7c7cb946e3348..1a88db9ead77d79d473508b57ec633b7c70b5b74 100755
--- a/test/ganeti.utils_unittest.py
+++ b/test/ganeti.utils_unittest.py
@@ -1244,11 +1244,8 @@ class TestListVisibleFiles(unittest.TestCase):
 class TestNewUUID(unittest.TestCase):
   """Test case for NewUUID"""
 
-  _re_uuid = re.compile('^[a-f0-9]{8}-[a-f0-9]{4}-[a-f0-9]{4}-'
-                        '[a-f0-9]{4}-[a-f0-9]{12}$')
-
   def runTest(self):
-    self.failUnless(self._re_uuid.match(utils.NewUUID()))
+    self.failUnless(utils.UUID_RE.match(utils.NewUUID()))
 
 
 class TestUniqueSequence(unittest.TestCase):