diff --git a/osbuild/util/toml.py b/osbuild/util/toml.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e2433274
--- /dev/null
+++ b/osbuild/util/toml.py
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+"""
+Utility functions for reading and writing toml files.
+
+Handles module imports for all supported versions (in a build root or on a host).
+"""
+import importlib
+
+# Different modules require different file mode (text vs binary)
+toml_modules = {
+    "tomllib": "rb",  # stdlib since 3.11 (read-only)
+    "tomli": "rb",  # EL9+
+    "toml": "r",  # older unmaintained lib, needed for backwards compatibility with existing EL9 and Fedora manifests
+    "pytoml": "r",  # deprecated, needed for backwards compatibility (EL8 manifests)
+}
+
+
+toml = None
+rmode: str = None
+for module, mode in toml_modules.items():
+    try:
+        toml = importlib.import_module(module)
+        rmode = mode
+        break
+    except ModuleNotFoundError:
+        pass
+else:
+    raise ModuleNotFoundError("No toml module found: " + ", ".join(toml_modules))
+
+# Different modules require different file mode (text vs binary)
+tomlw_modules = {
+    "tomli_w": "wb",  # EL9+
+    "toml": "w",  # older unmaintained lib, needed for backwards compatibility with existing EL9 and Fedora manifests
+    "pytoml": "w",  # deprecated, needed for backwards compatibility (EL8 manifests)
+}
+
+
+tomlw = None
+wmode: str = None
+for module, mode in tomlw_modules.items():
+    try:
+        tomlw = importlib.import_module(module)
+        wmode = mode
+        break
+    except ModuleNotFoundError:
+        # allow importing without write support
+        pass
+
+
+def load_from_file(path):
+    with open(path, rmode) as tomlfile:
+        return toml.load(tomlfile)
+
+
+def dump_to_file(data, path, pre=None):
+    if tomlw is None:
+        raise RuntimeError("no toml module available with write support")
+
+    with open(path, wmode) as tomlfile:
+        if pre:
+            tomlfile.write(pre)
+
+        tomlw.dump(data, tomlfile)