diff --git a/include/re_sdp.h b/include/re_sdp.h
index a3410db..269157a 100644
--- a/include/re_sdp.h
+++ b/include/re_sdp.h
@@ -166,3 +166,17 @@ extern const char sdp_media_text[];
 
 extern const char sdp_proto_rtpavp[];
 extern const char sdp_proto_rtpsavp[];
+
+
+/* utility functions */
+
+/** RTP Header Extensions, as defined in RFC 5285 */
+struct sdp_extmap {
+	struct pl name;
+	struct pl attrs;
+	enum sdp_dir dir;
+	bool dir_set;
+	uint32_t id;
+};
+
+int sdp_extmap_decode(struct sdp_extmap *ext, const char *val);
diff --git a/src/sdp/mod.mk b/src/sdp/mod.mk
index 8ad4316..6c50025 100644
--- a/src/sdp/mod.mk
+++ b/src/sdp/mod.mk
@@ -10,3 +10,4 @@ SRCS	+= sdp/media.c
 SRCS	+= sdp/msg.c
 SRCS	+= sdp/session.c
 SRCS	+= sdp/str.c
+SRCS	+= sdp/util.c
diff --git a/src/sdp/util.c b/src/sdp/util.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..754f5b8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/sdp/util.c
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+/**
+ * @file sdp/util.c  SDP utility functions
+ *
+ * Copyright (C) 2010 Creytiv.com
+ */
+#include <string.h>
+#include <re_types.h>
+#include <re_fmt.h>
+#include <re_list.h>
+#include <re_sa.h>
+#include <re_sdp.h>
+
+
+/**
+ * Decode RTP Header Extension SDP attribute value
+ *
+ * @param ext Extension-map object
+ * @param val SDP attribute value
+ *
+ * @return 0 for success, otherwise errorcode
+ */
+int sdp_extmap_decode(struct sdp_extmap *ext, const char *val)
+{
+	struct pl id, dir;
+
+	if (!ext || !val)
+		return EINVAL;
+
+	if (re_regex(val, strlen(val), "[0-9]+[/]*[a-z]* [^ ]+[ ]*[^ ]*",
+		     &id, NULL, &dir, &ext->name, NULL, &ext->attrs))
+		return EBADMSG;
+
+	ext->dir_set = false;
+	ext->dir = SDP_SENDRECV;
+
+	if (pl_isset(&dir)) {
+
+		ext->dir_set = true;
+
+		if      (!pl_strcmp(&dir, "sendonly")) ext->dir = SDP_SENDONLY;
+		else if (!pl_strcmp(&dir, "sendrecv")) ext->dir = SDP_SENDRECV;
+		else if (!pl_strcmp(&dir, "recvonly")) ext->dir = SDP_RECVONLY;
+		else if (!pl_strcmp(&dir, "inactive")) ext->dir = SDP_INACTIVE;
+		else ext->dir_set = false;
+	}
+
+	ext->id = pl_u32(&id);
+
+	return 0;
+}