diff --git a/src/config/network/helper.rs b/src/config/network/helper.rs
index 569594d8..e32d3e20 100644
--- a/src/config/network/helper.rs
+++ b/src/config/network/helper.rs
@@ -149,23 +149,8 @@ pub fn compute_file_diff(filename: &str, shadow: &str) -> Result<String, Error>
         .output()
         .map_err(|err| format_err!("failed to execute diff - {}", err))?;
 
-    if !output.status.success() {
-        match output.status.code() {
-            Some(code) => {
-                if code == 0 { return Ok(String::new()); }
-                if code != 1 {
-                    let msg = String::from_utf8(output.stderr)
-                        .map(|m| if m.is_empty() { String::from("no error message") } else { m })
-                        .unwrap_or_else(|_| String::from("non utf8 error message (suppressed)"));
-
-                   bail!("diff failed with status code: {} - {}", code, msg);
-                }
-            }
-            None => bail!("diff terminated by signal"),
-        }
-    }
-
-    let diff = String::from_utf8(output.stdout)?;
+    let diff = crate::tools::command_output(output)
+        .map_err(|err| format_err!("diff failed: {}", err))?;
 
     Ok(diff)
 }
diff --git a/src/tools.rs b/src/tools.rs
index bbee59bd..06682480 100644
--- a/src/tools.rs
+++ b/src/tools.rs
@@ -474,6 +474,31 @@ pub fn normalize_uri_path(path: &str) -> Result<(String, Vec<&str>), Error> {
     Ok((path, components))
 }
 
+/// Helper to check result from std::process::Command output
+pub fn command_output(output: std::process::Output) -> Result<String, Error> {
+
+    if !output.status.success() {
+        match output.status.code() {
+            Some(code) => {
+                if code == 0 { return Ok(String::new()); }
+                if code != 1 {
+                    let msg = String::from_utf8(output.stderr)
+                        .map(|m| if m.is_empty() { String::from("no error message") } else { m })
+                        .unwrap_or_else(|_| String::from("non utf8 error message (suppressed)"));
+
+                    bail!("status code: {} - {}", code, msg);
+                }
+            }
+            None => bail!("terminated by signal"),
+        }
+    }
+
+    let output = String::from_utf8(output.stdout)?;
+
+    Ok(output)
+}
+
+
 pub fn fd_change_cloexec(fd: RawFd, on: bool) -> Result<(), Error> {
     use nix::fcntl::{fcntl, FdFlag, F_GETFD, F_SETFD};
     let mut flags = FdFlag::from_bits(fcntl(fd, F_GETFD)?)