diff --git a/lib/isc/include/isc/file.h b/lib/isc/include/isc/file.h
index 7ccdcb6b76..d306cbbe80 100644
--- a/lib/isc/include/isc/file.h
+++ b/lib/isc/include/isc/file.h
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
  * WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.
  */
 
-/* $Id: file.h,v 1.11 2000/09/08 21:46:58 gson Exp $ */
+/* $Id: file.h,v 1.12 2000/10/03 05:45:38 marka Exp $ */
 
 #ifndef ISC_FILE_H
 #define ISC_FILE_H 1
@@ -171,6 +171,22 @@ isc_file_isabsolute(const char *filename);
  * Return ISC_TRUE iff the given file name is absolute.
  */
 
+isc_result_t
+isc_file_template(const char *path, const char *templat, char *buf,
+                        size_t buflen);
+/*
+ * Create a OS specific template using 'path' to define the directory
+ * 'templat' to describe the filename and store the result in 'buf'
+ * such that path can be renamed to buf atomically.
+ */
+
+isc_result_t
+isc_file_renameunique(const char *file, char *templet);
+
+/*
+ * Rename 'file' using 'templet' as template for the new file name.
+ */
+
 /*
  * XXX We should also have a isc_file_writeeopen() function
  * for safely open a file in a publicly writable directory
diff --git a/lib/isc/unix/file.c b/lib/isc/unix/file.c
index bec600406e..cde307250d 100644
--- a/lib/isc/unix/file.c
+++ b/lib/isc/unix/file.c
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
  * WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.
  */
 
-/* $Id: file.c,v 1.22 2000/09/08 21:46:59 gson Exp $ */
+/* $Id: file.c,v 1.23 2000/10/03 05:45:39 marka Exp $ */
 
 #include <config.h>
 
@@ -117,29 +117,59 @@ isc_file_settime(const char *file, isc_time_t *time) {
 
 isc_result_t
 isc_file_mktemplate(const char *path, char *buf, size_t buflen) {
+	return (isc_file_template(path, TEMPLATE, buf, buflen));
+}
+
+isc_result_t
+isc_file_template(const char *path, const char *templat, char *buf,
+			size_t buflen) {
 	char *s;
 
 	REQUIRE(buf != NULL);
 
+	s = strrchr(templat, '/');
+	if (s != NULL)
+		templat = s + 1;
+
 	s = strrchr(path, '/');
 
 	if (s != NULL) {
-		if ((s - path + 1 + sizeof(TEMPLATE)) > buflen)
+		if ((s - path + 1 + strlen(templat) + 1) > buflen)
 			return (ISC_R_NOSPACE);
 
 		strncpy(buf, path, s - path + 1);
 		buf[s - path + 1] = '\0';
-		strcat(buf, TEMPLATE);
+		strcat(buf, templat);
 	} else {
-		if (sizeof(TEMPLATE) > buflen)
+		if ((strlen(templat) + 1) > buflen)
 			return (ISC_R_NOSPACE);
 
-		strcpy(buf, TEMPLATE);
+		strcpy(buf, templat);
 	}
 
 	return (ISC_R_SUCCESS);
 }
 
+isc_result_t
+isc_file_renameunique(const char *file, char *templet) {
+	int fd = -1;
+	int res = 0;
+	isc_result_t result = ISC_R_SUCCESS;
+
+	fd = mkstemp(templet);
+	if (fd == -1) {
+		result = isc__errno2result(errno);
+	}
+	if (result == ISC_R_SUCCESS) {
+		res = rename(file, templet);
+		if (res != 0)
+			result = isc__errno2result(errno);
+	}
+	if (fd != -1)
+		close(fd);
+	return (result);
+}
+
 isc_result_t
 isc_file_openunique(char *templet, FILE **fp) {
 	int fd;