diff --git a/libs/pbd/file_utils.cc b/libs/pbd/file_utils.cc
index 5a0ffa928f..804f825b94 100644
--- a/libs/pbd/file_utils.cc
+++ b/libs/pbd/file_utils.cc
@@ -484,4 +484,17 @@ tmp_writable_directory (const char* domain, const string& prefix)
 	return new_test_dir;
 }
 
+int
+toggle_file_existence (string const & path)
+{
+	if (Glib::file_test (path, Glib::FILE_TEST_IS_REGULAR)) {
+		return g_unlink (path.c_str());
+	} 
+
+	int fd = g_open (path.c_str(), O_CREAT|O_TRUNC|O_RDWR, 0666);
+	GError* err;
+	g_close (fd, &err);
+	return !(fd >= 0);
+}
+
 } // namespace PBD
diff --git a/libs/pbd/pbd/file_utils.h b/libs/pbd/pbd/file_utils.h
index bd22f341d8..761d8d407f 100644
--- a/libs/pbd/pbd/file_utils.h
+++ b/libs/pbd/pbd/file_utils.h
@@ -249,6 +249,13 @@ LIBPBD_API void remove_directory (const std::string& dir);
  */
 LIBPBD_API std::string tmp_writable_directory (const char* domain, const std::string& prefix);
 
+/** If @param path exists, unlink it. If it doesn't exist, create it.
+ *
+ * @return zero if required action was successful, non-zero otherwise.
+ */
+
+LIBPBD_API int toggle_file_existence (std::string const &);
+
 } // namespace PBD
 
 #endif