diff --git a/pkg/runtime/helper.go b/pkg/runtime/helper.go
index b6e944d98c7..840a9fddcca 100644
--- a/pkg/runtime/helper.go
+++ b/pkg/runtime/helper.go
@@ -243,3 +243,28 @@ func (metaInsertion) Interpret(in interface{}) (version, kind string) {
 	m := in.(*metaInsertion)
 	return m.JSONBase.APIVersion, m.JSONBase.Kind
 }
+
+// Extract list returns obj's Items element as an array of runtime.Objects.
+// Returns an error if obj is not a List type (does not have an Items member).
+func ExtractList(obj Object) ([]Object, error) {
+	v := reflect.ValueOf(obj)
+	if !v.IsValid() {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("nil object")
+	}
+	items := v.Elem().FieldByName("Items")
+	if !items.IsValid() {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("no Items field")
+	}
+	if items.Kind() != reflect.Slice {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Items field is not a slice")
+	}
+	list := make([]Object, items.Len())
+	for i := range list {
+		item, ok := items.Index(i).Addr().Interface().(Object)
+		if !ok {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("item in index %v isn't an object", i)
+		}
+		list[i] = item
+	}
+	return list, nil
+}
diff --git a/pkg/runtime/helper_test.go b/pkg/runtime/helper_test.go
index 86e368fc58d..b68178a3227 100644
--- a/pkg/runtime/helper_test.go
+++ b/pkg/runtime/helper_test.go
@@ -57,3 +57,25 @@ func TestBadJSONRejection(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("Kind is set but doesn't match the object type: %s", badJSONKindMismatch)
 	}*/
 }
+
+func TestExtractList(t *testing.T) {
+	pl := &api.PodList{
+		Items: []api.Pod{
+			{JSONBase: api.JSONBase{ID: "1"}},
+			{JSONBase: api.JSONBase{ID: "2"}},
+			{JSONBase: api.JSONBase{ID: "3"}},
+		},
+	}
+	list, err := runtime.ExtractList(pl)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Unexpected error %v", err)
+	}
+	if e, a := len(list), len(pl.Items); e != a {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected %v, got %v", e, a)
+	}
+	for i := range list {
+		if e, a := list[i].(*api.Pod).ID, pl.Items[i].ID; e != a {
+			t.Fatalf("Expected %v, got %v", e, a)
+		}
+	}
+}