diff --git a/src/libstrongswan/utils/identification.c b/src/libstrongswan/utils/identification.c
index f12399115..abdae6e07 100644
--- a/src/libstrongswan/utils/identification.c
+++ b/src/libstrongswan/utils/identification.c
@@ -1005,6 +1005,18 @@ identification_t *identification_create_from_string(char *string)
 	}
 }
 
+/*
+ * Described in header.
+ */
+identification_t * identification_create_from_data(chunk_t data)
+{
+	char buf[data.len + 1];
+
+	/* use string constructor */
+	snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%.*s", data.len, data.ptr);
+	return identification_create_from_string(buf);
+}
+
 /*
  * Described in header.
  */
diff --git a/src/libstrongswan/utils/identification.h b/src/libstrongswan/utils/identification.h
index f619d0c44..fe5c7d0fd 100644
--- a/src/libstrongswan/utils/identification.h
+++ b/src/libstrongswan/utils/identification.h
@@ -314,6 +314,14 @@ struct identification_t {
  */
 identification_t * identification_create_from_string(char *string);
 
+/**
+ * Creates an identification from a chunk of data, guessing its type.
+ *
+ * @param data		identification data
+ * @return			identification_t
+ */
+identification_t * identification_create_from_data(chunk_t data);
+
 /**
  * Creates an identification_t object from an encoded chunk.
  *