diff --git a/SConstruct b/SConstruct
index 1cf837a..53004ab 100644
--- a/SConstruct
+++ b/SConstruct
@@ -213,6 +213,7 @@
                    omaha_response_handler_action.cc
                    postinstall_runner_action.cc
                    set_bootable_flag_action.cc
+                   simple_key_value_store.cc
                    split_file_writer.cc
                    subprocess.cc
                    tarjan.cc
@@ -245,6 +246,7 @@
                             omaha_response_handler_action_unittest.cc
                             postinstall_runner_action_unittest.cc
                             set_bootable_flag_action_unittest.cc
+                            simple_key_value_store_unittest.cc
                             split_file_writer_unittest.cc
                             subprocess_unittest.cc
                             tarjan_unittest.cc
diff --git a/omaha_request_prep_action.cc b/omaha_request_prep_action.cc
index 2b019b3..25772d0 100644
--- a/omaha_request_prep_action.cc
+++ b/omaha_request_prep_action.cc
@@ -5,10 +5,13 @@
 #include "update_engine/omaha_request_prep_action.h"
 #include <sys/utsname.h>
 #include <errno.h>
+#include <map>
 #include <string>
 #include "base/string_util.h"
+#include "update_engine/simple_key_value_store.h"
 #include "update_engine/utils.h"
 
+using std::map;
 using std::string;
 
 // This gathers local system information and prepares info used by the
@@ -102,19 +105,10 @@
     string file_data;
     if (!utils::ReadFileToString(root_ + files[i], &file_data))
       continue;
-    string::size_type pos = 0;
-    if (!utils::StringHasPrefix(file_data, key + "=")) {
-      pos = file_data.find(string("\n") + key + "=");
-      if (pos != string::npos)
-        pos++;  // advance past \n
-    }
-    if (pos == string::npos)
-      continue;
-    pos += key.size() + 1;  // advance past the key and the '='
-    string::size_type endpos = file_data.find('\n', pos);
-    string::size_type length =
-        (endpos == string::npos ? string::npos : endpos - pos);
-    return file_data.substr(pos, length);
+    
+    map<string, string> data = simple_key_value_store::ParseString(file_data);
+    if (utils::MapContainsKey(data, key))
+      return data[key];
   }
   // not found
   return default_value;
diff --git a/simple_key_value_store.cc b/simple_key_value_store.cc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0315045
--- /dev/null
+++ b/simple_key_value_store.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2010 The Chromium Authors. All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style license that can be
+// found in the LICENSE file.
+
+#include "update_engine/simple_key_value_store.h"
+#include <map>
+#include <string>
+#include <vector>
+#include "base/string_util.h"
+
+using std::map;
+using std::string;
+using std::vector;
+
+namespace chromeos_update_engine {
+namespace simple_key_value_store {
+
+// Parses a string. 
+map<std::string, std::string> ParseString(const string& str) {
+  // Split along '\n', then along '='
+  std::map<std::string, std::string> ret;
+  vector<string> lines;
+  SplitStringDontTrim(str, '\n', &lines);
+  for (vector<string>::const_iterator it = lines.begin();
+       it != lines.end(); ++it) {
+    string::size_type pos = it->find('=');
+    if (pos == string::npos)
+      continue;
+    ret[it->substr(0, pos)] = it->substr(pos + 1);
+  }
+  return ret;
+}
+
+string AssembleString(const std::map<string, string>& data) {
+  string ret;
+  for (std::map<string, string>::const_iterator it = data.begin();
+       it != data.end(); ++it) {
+    ret += it->first;
+    ret += "=";
+    ret += it->second;
+    ret += "\n";
+  }
+  return ret;
+}
+
+}  // namespace simple_key_value_store
+}  // namespace chromeos_update_engine
diff --git a/simple_key_value_store.h b/simple_key_value_store.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6453eee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/simple_key_value_store.h
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2010 The Chromium Authors. All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style license that can be
+// found in the LICENSE file.
+
+// These functions can parse a blob of data that's formatted as a simple
+// key value store. Each key/value pair is stored on its own line and
+// separated by the first '=' on the line.
+
+#ifndef CHROMEOS_PLATFORM_UPDATE_ENGINE_SIMPLE_KEY_VALUE_STORE_H__
+#define CHROMEOS_PLATFORM_UPDATE_ENGINE_SIMPLE_KEY_VALUE_STORE_H__
+
+#include <map>
+#include <string>
+
+namespace chromeos_update_engine {
+namespace simple_key_value_store {
+  
+// Parses a string. 
+std::map<std::string, std::string> ParseString(const std::string& str);
+
+std::string AssembleString(const std::map<std::string, std::string>& data);
+
+}  // namespace simple_key_value_store
+}  // namespace chromeos_update_engine
+
+#endif  // CHROMEOS_PLATFORM_UPDATE_ENGINE_SIMPLE_KEY_VALUE_STORE_H__
diff --git a/simple_key_value_store_unittest.cc b/simple_key_value_store_unittest.cc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b8ca384
--- /dev/null
+++ b/simple_key_value_store_unittest.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2010 The Chromium OS Authors. All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style license that can be
+// found in the LICENSE file.
+
+#include <map>
+#include <string>
+#include <gtest/gtest.h>
+#include "base/string_util.h"
+#include "update_engine/simple_key_value_store.h"
+
+using std::map;
+using std::string;
+
+namespace chromeos_update_engine {
+
+class SimpleKeyValueStoreTest : public ::testing::Test {};
+
+TEST(SimpleKeyValueStoreTest, SimpleTest) {
+  string blob = "A=B\nC=\n=\nFOO=BAR=BAZ\nBAR=BAX\nMISSING=NEWLINE";
+  map<string, string> parts = simple_key_value_store::ParseString(blob);
+  string combined = simple_key_value_store::AssembleString(parts);
+  map<string, string> combined_parts =
+      simple_key_value_store::ParseString(combined);
+  map<string, string>* maps[] = { &parts, &combined_parts };
+  for (size_t i = 0; i < arraysize(maps); i++) {
+    map<string, string>* test_map = maps[i];
+    EXPECT_EQ(6, test_map->size()) << "i = " << i;
+    EXPECT_EQ("B", (*test_map)["A"]) << "i = " << i;
+    EXPECT_EQ("", (*test_map)["C"]) << "i = " << i;
+    EXPECT_EQ("", (*test_map)[""]) << "i = " << i;
+    EXPECT_EQ("BAR=BAZ", (*test_map)["FOO"]) << "i = " << i;
+    EXPECT_EQ("BAX", (*test_map)["BAR"]) << "i = " << i;
+    EXPECT_EQ("NEWLINE", (*test_map)["MISSING"]) << "i = " << i;
+  }
+}
+
+TEST(SimpleKeyValueStoreTest, EmptyTest) {
+  map<string, string> empty_map = simple_key_value_store::ParseString("");
+  EXPECT_TRUE(empty_map.empty());
+  string str = simple_key_value_store::AssembleString(empty_map);
+  if (!str.empty())
+    EXPECT_EQ("\n", str);  // Optionally may end in newline
+}
+
+}  // namespace chromeos_update_engine