diff --git a/pkg/volume/flocker/util.go b/pkg/util/env.go
similarity index 52%
rename from pkg/volume/flocker/util.go
rename to pkg/util/env.go
index 25e54f7b1dc..6a479bd9499 100644
--- a/pkg/volume/flocker/util.go
+++ b/pkg/util/env.go
@@ -14,15 +14,38 @@ See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 limitations under the License.
 */
 
-package flocker
+package util
 
-import "os"
+import (
+	"os"
+	"strconv"
+)
 
-// getenvOrDefault returns the value of the enviroment variable if it's set,
-// otherwise it return the default value provided.
-func getenvOrFallback(key, defaultValue string) string {
+func GetEnvAsStringOrFallback(key, defaultValue string) string {
 	if v := os.Getenv(key); v != "" {
 		return v
 	}
 	return defaultValue
 }
+
+func GetEnvAsIntOrFallback(key string, defaultValue int) (int, error) {
+	if v := os.Getenv(key); v != "" {
+		value, err := strconv.Atoi(v)
+		if err != nil {
+			return defaultValue, err
+		}
+		return value, nil
+	}
+	return defaultValue, nil
+}
+
+func GetEnvAsFloat64OrFallback(key string, defaultValue float64) (float64, error) {
+	if v := os.Getenv(key); v != "" {
+		value, err := strconv.ParseFloat(v, 64)
+		if err != nil {
+			return defaultValue, err
+		}
+		return value, nil
+	}
+	return defaultValue, nil
+}
diff --git a/pkg/util/env_test.go b/pkg/util/env_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a640fbe2a73
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/util/env_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2015 The Kubernetes Authors All rights reserved.
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+package util
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"strconv"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+)
+
+func TestGetEnvAsStringOrFallback(t *testing.T) {
+	const expected = "foo"
+
+	assert := assert.New(t)
+
+	key := "FLOCKER_SET_VAR"
+	os.Setenv(key, expected)
+	assert.Equal(expected, GetEnvAsStringOrFallback(key, "~"+expected))
+
+	key = "FLOCKER_UNSET_VAR"
+	assert.Equal(expected, GetEnvAsStringOrFallback(key, expected))
+}
+
+func TestGetEnvAsIntOrFallback(t *testing.T) {
+	const expected = 1
+
+	assert := assert.New(t)
+
+	key := "FLOCKER_SET_VAR"
+	os.Setenv(key, strconv.Itoa(expected))
+	returnVal, _ := GetEnvAsIntOrFallback(key, 1)
+	assert.Equal(expected, returnVal)
+
+	key = "FLOCKER_UNSET_VAR"
+	returnVal, _ = GetEnvAsIntOrFallback(key, expected)
+	assert.Equal(expected, returnVal)
+}
+
+func TestGetEnvAsFloat64OrFallback(t *testing.T) {
+	const expected = 1.0
+
+	assert := assert.New(t)
+
+	key := "FLOCKER_SET_VAR"
+	os.Setenv(key, "1.0")
+	returnVal, _ := GetEnvAsFloat64OrFallback(key, 2.0)
+	assert.Equal(expected, returnVal)
+
+	key = "FLOCKER_UNSET_VAR"
+	returnVal, _ = GetEnvAsFloat64OrFallback(key, 1.0)
+	assert.Equal(expected, returnVal)
+}
diff --git a/pkg/volume/flocker/plugin.go b/pkg/volume/flocker/plugin.go
index a7c6a9c7af6..980744aeeb7 100644
--- a/pkg/volume/flocker/plugin.go
+++ b/pkg/volume/flocker/plugin.go
@@ -19,12 +19,12 @@ package flocker
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"path"
-	"strconv"
 	"time"
 
 	flockerclient "github.com/ClusterHQ/flocker-go"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/api"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/types"
+	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/util"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/util/exec"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/util/mount"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/util/strings"
@@ -134,15 +134,15 @@ func (b flockerBuilder) SetUp() error {
 // newFlockerClient uses environment variables and pod attributes to return a
 // flocker client capable of talking with the Flocker control service.
 func (b flockerBuilder) newFlockerClient() (*flockerclient.Client, error) {
-	host := getenvOrFallback("FLOCKER_CONTROL_SERVICE_HOST", defaultHost)
-	portConfig := getenvOrFallback("FLOCKER_CONTROL_SERVICE_PORT", strconv.Itoa(defaultPort))
-	port, err := strconv.Atoi(portConfig)
+	host := util.GetEnvAsStringOrFallback("FLOCKER_CONTROL_SERVICE_HOST", defaultHost)
+	port, err := util.GetEnvAsIntOrFallback("FLOCKER_CONTROL_SERVICE_PORT", defaultPort)
+
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	caCertPath := getenvOrFallback("FLOCKER_CONTROL_SERVICE_CA_FILE", defaultCACertFile)
-	keyPath := getenvOrFallback("FLOCKER_CONTROL_SERVICE_CLIENT_KEY_FILE", defaultClientKeyFile)
-	certPath := getenvOrFallback("FLOCKER_CONTROL_SERVICE_CLIENT_CERT_FILE", defaultClientCertFile)
+	caCertPath := util.GetEnvAsStringOrFallback("FLOCKER_CONTROL_SERVICE_CA_FILE", defaultCACertFile)
+	keyPath := util.GetEnvAsStringOrFallback("FLOCKER_CONTROL_SERVICE_CLIENT_KEY_FILE", defaultClientKeyFile)
+	certPath := util.GetEnvAsStringOrFallback("FLOCKER_CONTROL_SERVICE_CLIENT_CERT_FILE", defaultClientCertFile)
 
 	c, err := flockerclient.NewClient(host, port, b.flocker.pod.Status.HostIP, caCertPath, keyPath, certPath)
 	return c, err
diff --git a/pkg/volume/flocker/util_test.go b/pkg/volume/flocker/util_test.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 72812f2b06b..00000000000
--- a/pkg/volume/flocker/util_test.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,37 +0,0 @@
-/*
-Copyright 2015 The Kubernetes Authors All rights reserved.
-
-Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
-you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
-You may obtain a copy of the License at
-
-    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
-
-Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
-distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
-WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
-See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
-limitations under the License.
-*/
-
-package flocker
-
-import (
-	"os"
-	"testing"
-
-	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
-)
-
-func TestGetenvOrFallback(t *testing.T) {
-	const expected = "foo"
-
-	assert := assert.New(t)
-
-	key := "FLOCKER_SET_VAR"
-	os.Setenv(key, expected)
-	assert.Equal(expected, getenvOrFallback(key, "~"+expected))
-
-	key = "FLOCKER_UNSET_VAR"
-	assert.Equal(expected, getenvOrFallback(key, expected))
-}