diff --git a/python/common/utils/grpc_utils.py b/python/common/utils/grpc_utils.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8df630e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/common/utils/grpc_utils.py
@@ -0,0 +1,109 @@
+#
+# Copyright 2017 the original author or authors.
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# 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.
+#
+
+"""
+Utilities to handle gRPC server and client side code in a Twisted environment
+"""
+import structlog
+from concurrent.futures import Future
+from twisted.internet import reactor
+from twisted.internet.defer import Deferred
+from twisted.python.threadable import isInIOThread
+
+
+log = structlog.get_logger()
+
+
+def twisted_async(func):
+    """
+    This decorator can be used to implement a gRPC method on the twisted
+    thread, allowing asynchronous programming in Twisted while serving
+    a gRPC call.
+
+    gRPC methods normally are called on the futures.ThreadPool threads,
+    so these methods cannot directly use Twisted protocol constructs.
+    If the implementation of the methods needs to touch Twisted, it is
+    safer (or mandatory) to wrap the method with this decorator, which will
+    call the inner method from the external thread and ensure that the
+    result is passed back to the foreign thread.
+
+    Example usage:
+
+    When implementing a gRPC server, typical pattern is:
+
+    class SpamService(SpamServicer):
+
+        def GetBadSpam(self, request, context):
+            '''this is called from a ThreadPoolExecutor thread'''
+            # generally unsafe to make Twisted calls
+
+        @twisted_async
+        def GetSpamSafely(self, request, context):
+            '''this method now is executed on the Twisted main thread
+            # safe to call any Twisted protocol functions
+
+        @twisted_async
+        @inlineCallbacks
+        def GetAsyncSpam(self, request, context):
+            '''this generator can use inlineCallbacks Twisted style'''
+            result = yield some_async_twisted_call(request)
+            returnValue(result)
+
+    """
+    def in_thread_wrapper(*args, **kw):
+
+        if isInIOThread():
+
+            return func(*args, **kw)
+
+        f = Future()
+
+        def twisted_wrapper():
+            try:
+                d = func(*args, **kw)
+                if isinstance(d, Deferred):
+
+                    def _done(result):
+                        f.set_result(result)
+                        f.done()
+
+                    def _error(e):
+                        f.set_exception(e)
+                        f.done()
+
+                    d.addCallback(_done)
+                    d.addErrback(_error)
+
+                else:
+                    f.set_result(d)
+                    f.done()
+
+            except Exception, e:
+                f.set_exception(e)
+                f.done()
+
+        reactor.callFromThread(twisted_wrapper)
+        try:
+            result = f.result()
+        except Exception, e:
+            log.exception(e=e, func=func, args=args, kw=kw)
+            raise
+
+        return result
+
+    return in_thread_wrapper
+
+