diff --git a/common/serialization_utils.py b/common/serialization_utils.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dc13a5c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/serialization_utils.py
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+"""
+Copyright 2020 The Magma Authors.
+
+This source code is licensed under the BSD-style license found in the
+LICENSE file in the root directory of this source tree.
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+"""
+
+import codecs
+import os
+
+
+def write_to_file_atomically(filename, value, temp_filename=None):
+    """
+    Atomically write to a file by first writing the value to a temp file, then
+    moving that temp file to the specified file location.
+
+    This function will create all directories necessary for the file as well.
+
+    Args:
+        filename: full path to the file to write to
+        value: value to write to the file
+        temp_filename: requested path of the intermediate temp file
+        mode: mode to open the file
+    """
+    os.makedirs(os.path.dirname(filename), exist_ok=True)
+    temp_filename = temp_filename or '{}.tmp'.format(filename)
+    with codecs.open(temp_filename, 'w', encoding='utf8') as f:
+        f.write(value)
+        f.flush()
+        os.fsync(f.fileno())
+    os.replace(temp_filename, filename)