diff --git a/src/task.c b/src/task.c
index 2176a91..9a55a60 100644
--- a/src/task.c
+++ b/src/task.c
@@ -447,6 +447,51 @@
 		activity[tid].long_rq++;
 }
 
+/* create a work list array for <nbthread> threads, using tasks made of
+ * function <fct>. The context passed to the function will be the pointer to
+ * the thread's work list, which will contain a copy of argument <arg>. The
+ * wake up reason will be TASK_WOKEN_OTHER. The pointer to the work_list array
+ * is returned on success, otherwise NULL on failure.
+ */
+struct work_list *work_list_create(int nbthread,
+                                   struct task *(*fct)(struct task *, void *, unsigned short),
+                                   void *arg)
+{
+	struct work_list *wl;
+	int i;
+
+	wl = calloc(nbthread, sizeof(*wl));
+	if (!wl)
+		goto fail;
+
+	for (i = 0; i < nbthread; i++) {
+		LIST_INIT(&wl[i].head);
+		wl[i].task = task_new(1UL << i);
+		if (!wl[i].task)
+			goto fail;
+		wl[i].task->process = fct;
+		wl[i].task->context = &wl[i];
+		wl[i].arg = arg;
+	}
+	return wl;
+
+ fail:
+	work_list_destroy(wl, nbthread);
+	return NULL;
+}
+
+/* destroy work list <work> */
+void work_list_destroy(struct work_list *work, int nbthread)
+{
+	int t;
+
+	if (!work)
+		return;
+	for (t = 0; t < nbthread; t++)
+		task_destroy(work[t].task);
+	free(work);
+}
+
 /*
  * Delete every tasks before running the master polling loop
  */