diff --git a/OpenSim/Framework/Util.cs b/OpenSim/Framework/Util.cs
index 97c958a0f3..6f2e7c3e24 100644
--- a/OpenSim/Framework/Util.cs
+++ b/OpenSim/Framework/Util.cs
@@ -1191,6 +1191,63 @@ namespace OpenSim.Framework
             return settingsClass;
         }
 
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Reads a configuration file, configFile, merging it with the main configuration, config.
+        /// If the file doesn't exist, it copies a given exampleConfigFile onto configFile, and then
+        /// merges it.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="config">The main configuration data</param>
+        /// <param name="configFileName">The name of a configuration file in ConfigDirectory variable, no path</param>
+        /// <param name="exampleConfigFile">Full path to an example configuration file</param>
+        /// <param name="configFilePath">Full path ConfigDirectory/configFileName</param>
+        /// <param name="created">True if the file was created in ConfigDirectory, false if it existed</param>
+        /// <returns>True if success</returns>
+        public static bool MergeConfigurationFile(IConfigSource config, string configFileName, string exampleConfigFile, out string configFilePath, out bool created)
+        {
+            created = false;
+            configFilePath = string.Empty;
+
+            IConfig cnf = config.Configs["Startup"];
+            if (cnf == null)
+            {
+                m_log.WarnFormat("[UTILS]: Startup section doesn't exist");
+                return false;
+            }
+
+            string configDirectory = cnf.GetString("ConfigDirectory", ".");
+            string configFile = Path.Combine(configDirectory, configFileName);
+
+            if (!File.Exists(configFile) && !string.IsNullOrEmpty(exampleConfigFile))
+            {
+                // We need to copy the example onto it
+
+                if (!Directory.Exists(configDirectory))
+                    Directory.CreateDirectory(configDirectory);
+
+                try
+                {
+                    File.Copy(exampleConfigFile, configFile);
+                    created = true;
+                }
+                catch (Exception e)
+                {
+                    m_log.WarnFormat("[UTILS]: Exception copying configuration file {0} to {1}: {2}", configFile, exampleConfigFile, e.Message);
+                    return false;
+                }
+            }
+
+            if (File.Exists(configFile))
+            {
+                // Merge 
+                config.Merge(new IniConfigSource(configFile));
+                config.ExpandKeyValues();
+                configFilePath = configFile;
+                return true;
+            }
+            else
+                return false;
+        }
+
         #endregion
 
         public static float Clip(float x, float min, float max)