diff --git a/jetty-websocket/websocket-core/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/websocket/util/CloseUtil.java b/jetty-websocket/websocket-core/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/websocket/util/CloseUtil.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..33bde8a8f79
--- /dev/null
+++ b/jetty-websocket/websocket-core/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/websocket/util/CloseUtil.java
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+package org.eclipse.jetty.websocket.util;
+
+import java.nio.ByteBuffer;
+
+import org.eclipse.jetty.util.StringUtil;
+
+public class CloseUtil
+{
+    public static String getReason(byte[] payload)
+    {
+        if (payload.length <= 2)
+        {
+            return null;
+        }
+        ByteBuffer bb = ByteBuffer.wrap(payload);
+        int len = payload.length - 2;
+        byte utf[] = new byte[len];
+        for (int i = 0; i < len; i++)
+        {
+            utf[i] = bb.get(i + 2);
+        }
+        return StringUtil.toUTF8String(utf,0,utf.length);
+    }
+
+    public static String getReason(ByteBuffer payload)
+    {
+        if (payload.remaining() <= 2)
+        {
+            return null;
+        }
+        int len = payload.remaining() - 2;
+        byte utf[] = new byte[len];
+        for (int i = 0; i < len; i++)
+        {
+            utf[i] = payload.get(i + 2);
+        }
+        return StringUtil.toUTF8String(utf,0,utf.length);
+    }
+
+    public static int getStatusCode(byte[] payload)
+    {
+        if (payload.length < 2)
+        {
+            return 0; // no status code
+        }
+
+        int statusCode = 0;
+        ByteBuffer bb = ByteBuffer.wrap(payload);
+        statusCode |= (bb.get(0) & 0xFF) << 8;
+        statusCode |= (bb.get(1) & 0xFF);
+        return statusCode;
+    }
+
+    public static int getStatusCode(ByteBuffer payload)
+    {
+        if (payload.remaining() < 2)
+        {
+            return 0; // no status code
+        }
+
+        int statusCode = 0;
+        statusCode |= (payload.get(0) & 0xFF) << 8;
+        statusCode |= (payload.get(1) & 0xFF);
+        return statusCode;
+    }
+}