diff --git a/lib/get_dbnode b/lib/get_dbnode
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f1820395
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/get_dbnode
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+[%
+  # Returns the dbnode of a given host
+  #
+  # @param argv.host	The hostname to get the dbnode for.
+  # @return out		The dbnode.
+-%]
+[% IF !hosts.${argv.host}.defined -%]
+[% argv.host = 'self' -%]
+[% END -%]
+[% out = hosts.${argv.host}.dbnode -%]