diff --git a/common/include/villas/list.hpp b/common/include/villas/list.hpp
index 7f56ad2d0..432098c4f 100644
--- a/common/include/villas/list.hpp
+++ b/common/include/villas/list.hpp
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <cstring>
 #include <string>
-#include <uuid/uuid.h>
 #include <pthread.h>
 
 #include <villas/common.hpp>
diff --git a/common/include/villas/uuid.hpp b/common/include/villas/uuid.hpp
index b15086855..fe8b08b66 100644
--- a/common/include/villas/uuid.hpp
+++ b/common/include/villas/uuid.hpp
@@ -13,9 +13,14 @@
 #include <jansson.h>
 #include <uuid/uuid.h>
 
+typedef char uuid_string_t[37];
+
 namespace villas {
 namespace uuid {
 
+// Convert a UUID to C++ string
+std::string toString(uuid_t in);
+
 // Generate an UUID by MD5 hashing the provided string
 int generateFromString(uuid_t out, const std::string &data, const std::string &ns = "");
 
diff --git a/common/lib/utils.cpp b/common/lib/utils.cpp
index 530dddd68..e4fc34931 100644
--- a/common/lib/utils.cpp
+++ b/common/lib/utils.cpp
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@
 #include <openssl/buffer.h>
 #include <openssl/evp.h>
 #include <jansson.h>
-#include <uuid/uuid.h>
 
 #include <villas/config.hpp>
 #include <villas/utils.hpp>
diff --git a/common/lib/uuid.cpp b/common/lib/uuid.cpp
index cb4c224bc..e8c57627b 100644
--- a/common/lib/uuid.cpp
+++ b/common/lib/uuid.cpp
@@ -11,6 +11,13 @@
 
 using namespace villas::uuid;
 
+std::string villas::uuid::toString(const uuid_t in)
+{
+	uuid_string_t str;
+	uuid_unparse_lower(in, str);
+	return str;
+}
+
 int villas::uuid::generateFromString(uuid_t out, const std::string &data, const std::string &ns)
 {
 	int ret;