diff --git a/mininet/moduledeps.py b/mininet/moduledeps.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..862c1f6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mininet/moduledeps.py
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+"Module dependency utility functions for Mininet."
+
+from mininet.util import quietRun
+from mininet.log import info, error, debug
+from os import environ
+
+def lsmod():
+    "Return output of lsmod."
+    return quietRun( 'lsmod' )
+
+def rmmod( mod ):
+    """Return output of lsmod.
+       mod: module string"""
+    return quietRun( [ 'rmmod', mod ] )
+
+def modprobe( mod ):
+    """Return output of modprobe
+       mod: module string"""
+    return quietRun( [ 'modprobe', mod ] )
+
+OF_KMOD = 'ofdatapath'
+OVS_KMOD = 'openvswitch_mod'  # Renamed 'openvswitch' in OVS 1.7+/Linux 3.5+
+TUN = 'tun'
+
+def moduleDeps( subtract=None, add=None ):
+    """Handle module dependencies.
+       subtract: string or list of module names to remove, if already loaded
+       add: string or list of module names to add, if not already loaded"""
+    subtract = subtract if subtract is not None else []
+    add = add if add is not None else []
+    if type( subtract ) is str:
+        subtract = [ subtract ]
+    if type( add ) is str:
+        add = [ add ]
+    for mod in subtract:
+        if mod in lsmod():
+            info( '*** Removing ' + mod + '\n' )
+            rmmodOutput = rmmod( mod )
+            if rmmodOutput:
+                error( 'Error removing ' + mod + ': "%s">\n' % rmmodOutput )
+                exit( 1 )
+            if mod in lsmod():
+                error( 'Failed to remove ' + mod + '; still there!\n' )
+                exit( 1 )
+    for mod in add:
+        if mod not in lsmod():
+            info( '*** Loading ' + mod + '\n' )
+            modprobeOutput = modprobe( mod )
+            if modprobeOutput:
+                error( 'Error inserting ' + mod +
+                       ' - is it installed and available via modprobe?\n' +
+                       'Error was: "%s"\n' % modprobeOutput )
+            if mod not in lsmod():
+                error( 'Failed to insert ' + mod + ' - quitting.\n' )
+                exit( 1 )
+        else:
+            debug( '*** ' + mod + ' already loaded\n' )
+
+
+def pathCheck( *args, **kwargs ):
+    "Make sure each program in *args can be found in $PATH."
+    moduleName = kwargs.get( 'moduleName', 'it' )
+    for arg in args:
+        if not quietRun( 'which ' + arg ):
+            error( 'Cannot find required executable %s.\n' % arg +
+                   'Please make sure that %s is installed ' % moduleName +
+                   'and available in your $PATH:\n(%s)\n' % environ[ 'PATH' ] )
+            exit( 1 )