diff --git a/src/tools/common/data_format.py b/src/tools/common/data_format.py
index 3e0a5e27..331e6051 100644
--- a/src/tools/common/data_format.py
+++ b/src/tools/common/data_format.py
@@ -18,10 +18,10 @@
 # along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
 """ tools common to backend and frontends """
+# FIXME: json may be more appropriate than manual serialising like done here
 
 from sat.core import exceptions
 
-
 def dict2iter(name, dict_, pop=False):
     """iterate into a list serialised in a dict
 
@@ -54,6 +54,24 @@ def dict2iter(name, dict_, pop=False):
             else:
                 idx += 1
 
+def dict2iterdict(name, dict_, extra_keys, pop=False):
+    """like dict2iter but yield dictionaries
+
+    params are like in [dict2iter], extra_keys is used for extra dict keys.
+    e.g. dict2iterdict(comments, mb_data, ('node', 'service')) will yield dicts like:
+        {u'comments': u'value1', u'node': u'value2', u'service': u'value3'}
+    """
+    # FIXME: this format seem overcomplicated, it may be more appropriate to use json here
+    if pop:
+        get=lambda d,k: d.pop(k)
+    else:
+        get=lambda d,k: d[k]
+    for idx, main_value in enumerate(dict2iter(name, dict_, pop=pop)):
+        ret = {name: main_value}
+        for k in extra_keys:
+            ret[k] = get(dict_, u'{}{}_{}'.format(name, (u'#' + unicode(idx)) if idx else u'', k))
+        yield ret
+
 def iter2dict(name, iter_, dict_=None, check_conflict=True):
     """Fill a dict with values from an iterable