diff --git a/src/Makefile_Ector.am b/src/Makefile_Ector.am
index 11ed70cdf3..fd0810f29f 100644
--- a/src/Makefile_Ector.am
+++ b/src/Makefile_Ector.am
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ lib_LTLIBRARIES += lib/ector/libector.la
 installed_ectormainheadersdir = $(includedir)/ector-@VMAJ@
 dist_installed_ectormainheaders_DATA = \
 lib/ector/Ector.h \
+lib/ector/ector_util.h \
 lib/ector/cairo/Ector_Cairo.h \
 lib/ector/software/Ector_Software.h
 
diff --git a/src/lib/ector/Ector.h b/src/lib/ector/Ector.h
index fe8d13c62e..0a53facc20 100644
--- a/src/lib/ector/Ector.h
+++ b/src/lib/ector/Ector.h
@@ -174,6 +174,7 @@ EAPI int ector_shutdown(void);
 
 #include "ector_surface.h"
 #include "ector_renderer.h"
+#include "ector_util.h"
 
 #endif
 
diff --git a/src/lib/ector/ector_util.h b/src/lib/ector/ector_util.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..664fdb2b6d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/ector/ector_util.h
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+#ifndef ECTOR_UTIL_H
+# define ECTOR_UTIL_H
+
+static inline unsigned int
+ector_color_multiply(unsigned int c1, unsigned int c2)
+{
+   return ( ((((((c1) >> 16) & 0xff00) * (((c2) >> 16) & 0xff00)) + 0xff0000) & 0xff000000) +
+            ((((((c1) >> 8) & 0xff00) * (((c2) >> 16) & 0xff)) + 0xff00) & 0xff0000) +
+            ((((((c1) & 0xff00) * ((c2) & 0xff00)) + 0xff00) >> 16) & 0xff00) +
+            (((((c1) & 0xff) * ((c2) & 0xff)) + 0xff) >> 8) );
+}
+
+#endif