diff --git a/headers/private/app/MessageUtils.h b/headers/private/app/MessageUtils.h
index 6607dbc1e6..d11e915fd9 100644
--- a/headers/private/app/MessageUtils.h
+++ b/headers/private/app/MessageUtils.h
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@ status_t entry_ref_flatten(char* buffer, size_t* size, const entry_ref* ref);
 status_t entry_ref_unflatten(entry_ref* ref, const char* buffer, size_t size);
 status_t entry_ref_swap(char* buffer, size_t size);
 
+size_t calc_padding(size_t size, size_t boundary);
+
 }	// namespace BPrivate
 
 //------------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/src/kits/app/MessageUtils.cpp b/src/kits/app/MessageUtils.cpp
index 70be2794d4..93cc6cd2a9 100644
--- a/src/kits/app/MessageUtils.cpp
+++ b/src/kits/app/MessageUtils.cpp
@@ -138,6 +138,16 @@ status_t entry_ref_swap(char* buffer, size_t size)
 	return B_OK;
 }
 //------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+size_t calc_padding(size_t size, size_t boundary)
+{
+	size_t pad = size % boundary;
+	if (pad)
+	{
+		pad = boundary - pad;
+	}
+	return pad;
+}
+//------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 }	// namespace BPrivate