diff --git a/src/libvirt_private.syms b/src/libvirt_private.syms
index fdf21866ff64a70235075df52c41b0a63b4ea8d0..ef8047d75ddcc68308a84e380a44792b1946d6d5 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_private.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_private.syms
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ virBufferAddChar;
 virBufferAdjustIndent;
 virBufferAsprintf;
 virBufferContentAndReset;
+virBufferCurrentContent;
 virBufferError;
 virBufferEscape;
 virBufferEscapeSexpr;
diff --git a/src/util/buf.c b/src/util/buf.c
index 630e4c9c2fd7bd5d9b607ba915b945d47c0dd62e..6c7c50103c3c95b9855ab8612343c45f10e85a43 100644
--- a/src/util/buf.c
+++ b/src/util/buf.c
@@ -174,13 +174,33 @@ virBufferAddChar(virBufferPtr buf, char c)
     virBufferAdd(buf, &c, 1);
 }
 
+/**
+ * virBufferCurrentContent:
+ * @buf: Buffer
+ *
+ * Get the current content from the buffer.  The content is only valid
+ * until the next operation on @buf, and an empty string is returned if
+ * no content is present yet.
+ *
+ * Returns the buffer content or NULL in case of error.
+ */
+const char *
+virBufferCurrentContent(virBufferPtr buf)
+{
+    if (!buf || buf->error)
+        return NULL;
+    return buf->use ? buf->content : "";
+}
+
 /**
  * virBufferContentAndReset:
  * @buf: Buffer
  *
  * Get the content from the buffer and free (only) the buffer structure.
  * The caller owns the returned string & should free it when no longer
- * required. The buffer object is reset to its initial state.
+ * required. The buffer object is reset to its initial state.  This
+ * interface intentionally returns NULL instead of an empty string if
+ * there is no content.
  *
  * Returns the buffer content or NULL in case of error.
  */
diff --git a/src/util/buf.h b/src/util/buf.h
index a8e2eb5fcc6b9542daae732706eb262c3f2a81fe..2750b17c1d4059c90a3bda8a471daa88dd78c15e 100644
--- a/src/util/buf.h
+++ b/src/util/buf.h
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ struct _virBuffer {
 };
 # endif
 
+const char *virBufferCurrentContent(virBufferPtr buf);
 char *virBufferContentAndReset(virBufferPtr buf);
 void virBufferFreeAndReset(virBufferPtr buf);
 int virBufferError(const virBufferPtr buf);
diff --git a/tests/virbuftest.c b/tests/virbuftest.c
index cd02db12f3281d9c2e04c0c21f8ed4c48bff43a7..35ba9978744b2f8366ffe96fc2f3f5b1078e93ca 100644
--- a/tests/virbuftest.c
+++ b/tests/virbuftest.c
@@ -73,6 +73,10 @@ static int testBufAutoIndent(const void *data ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
         ret = -1;
     }
     virBufferAdjustIndent(buf, 3);
+    if (STRNEQ(virBufferCurrentContent(buf), "")) {
+        TEST_ERROR("Wrong content");
+        ret = -1;
+    }
     if (virBufferGetIndent(buf, false) != 3 ||
         virBufferGetIndent(buf, true) != 3 ||
         virBufferError(buf)) {
@@ -102,6 +106,10 @@ static int testBufAutoIndent(const void *data ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
     }
     virBufferAdjustIndent(buf, 2);
     virBufferAddLit(buf, "1");
+    if (STRNEQ(virBufferCurrentContent(buf), "  1")) {
+        TEST_ERROR("Wrong content");
+        ret = -1;
+    }
     if (virBufferGetIndent(buf, false) != 2 ||
         virBufferGetIndent(buf, true) != 0) {
         TEST_ERROR("Wrong indentation");