diff --git a/cmd/containers-storage/create.go b/cmd/containers-storage/create.go
index acc73f60f0..14e80a453f 100644
--- a/cmd/containers-storage/create.go
+++ b/cmd/containers-storage/create.go
@@ -6,8 +6,6 @@ import (
 	"io"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
-	"strconv"
-	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/containers/storage"
 	"github.com/containers/storage/opts"
@@ -50,52 +48,6 @@ func paramIDMapping() (*storage.IDMappingOptions, error) {
 	if paramSubUIDMap == "" && paramSubGIDMap != "" {
 		paramSubUIDMap = paramSubGIDMap
 	}
-	nonDigitsToWhitespace := func(r rune) rune {
-		if strings.IndexRune("0123456789", r) == -1 {
-			return ' '
-		} else {
-			return r
-		}
-	}
-	parseTriple := func(spec []string) (container, host, size uint32, err error) {
-		cid, err := strconv.ParseUint(spec[0], 10, 32)
-		if err != nil {
-			return 0, 0, 0, fmt.Errorf("error parsing id map value %q: %v", spec[0], err)
-		}
-		hid, err := strconv.ParseUint(spec[1], 10, 32)
-		if err != nil {
-			return 0, 0, 0, fmt.Errorf("error parsing id map value %q: %v", spec[1], err)
-		}
-		sz, err := strconv.ParseUint(spec[2], 10, 32)
-		if err != nil {
-			return 0, 0, 0, fmt.Errorf("error parsing id map value %q: %v", spec[2], err)
-		}
-		return uint32(cid), uint32(hid), uint32(sz), nil
-	}
-	parseIDMap := func(idMapSpec, mapType string) (idmap []idtools.IDMap, err error) {
-		if len(idMapSpec) > 0 {
-			idSpec := strings.Fields(strings.Map(nonDigitsToWhitespace, idMapSpec))
-			if len(idSpec)%3 != 0 {
-				return nil, fmt.Errorf("%s map is malformed", mapType)
-			}
-			for i := range idSpec {
-				if i%3 != 0 {
-					continue
-				}
-				cid, hid, size, err := parseTriple(idSpec[i : i+3])
-				if err != nil {
-					return nil, fmt.Errorf("%s map is malformed", mapType)
-				}
-				mapping := idtools.IDMap{
-					ContainerID: int(cid),
-					HostID:      int(hid),
-					Size:        int(size),
-				}
-				idmap = append(idmap, mapping)
-			}
-		}
-		return idmap, nil
-	}
 	if paramSubUIDMap != "" && paramSubGIDMap != "" {
 		mappings, err := idtools.NewIDMappings(paramSubUIDMap, paramSubGIDMap)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -104,11 +56,11 @@ func paramIDMapping() (*storage.IDMappingOptions, error) {
 		options.UIDMap = mappings.UIDs()
 		options.GIDMap = mappings.GIDs()
 	}
-	parsedUIDMap, err := parseIDMap(paramUIDMap, "uid")
+	parsedUIDMap, err := idtools.ParseIDMap(paramUIDMap, "uid")
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	parsedGIDMap, err := parseIDMap(paramGIDMap, "gid")
+	parsedGIDMap, err := idtools.ParseIDMap(paramGIDMap, "gid")
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/idtools/parser.go b/pkg/idtools/parser.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9b76395c2e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/idtools/parser.go
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+package idtools
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"strconv"
+	"strings"
+)
+
+func nonDigitsToWhitespace(r rune) rune {
+	if !strings.ContainsRune("0123456789", r) {
+		return ' '
+	}
+	return r
+}
+
+func parseTriple(spec []string) (container, host, size uint32, err error) {
+	cid, err := strconv.ParseUint(spec[0], 10, 32)
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, 0, 0, fmt.Errorf("error parsing id map value %q: %v", spec[0], err)
+	}
+	hid, err := strconv.ParseUint(spec[1], 10, 32)
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, 0, 0, fmt.Errorf("error parsing id map value %q: %v", spec[1], err)
+	}
+	sz, err := strconv.ParseUint(spec[2], 10, 32)
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, 0, 0, fmt.Errorf("error parsing id map value %q: %v", spec[2], err)
+	}
+	return uint32(cid), uint32(hid), uint32(sz), nil
+}
+
+// ParseIDMap parses idmap triples from string.
+func ParseIDMap(idMapSpec, mapSetting string) (idmap []IDMap, err error) {
+	if len(idMapSpec) > 0 {
+		idSpec := strings.Fields(strings.Map(nonDigitsToWhitespace, idMapSpec))
+		if len(idSpec)%3 != 0 {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("error initializing ID mappings: %s setting is malformed", mapSetting)
+		}
+		for i := range idSpec {
+			if i%3 != 0 {
+				continue
+			}
+			cid, hid, size, err := parseTriple(idSpec[i : i+3])
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, fmt.Errorf("error initializing ID mappings: %s setting is malformed", mapSetting)
+			}
+			mapping := IDMap{
+				ContainerID: int(cid),
+				HostID:      int(hid),
+				Size:        int(size),
+			}
+			idmap = append(idmap, mapping)
+		}
+	}
+	return idmap, nil
+}
diff --git a/store.go b/store.go
index 7eaa829108..9e438e7175 100644
--- a/store.go
+++ b/store.go
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"reflect"
-	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
@@ -3203,56 +3202,19 @@ func ReloadConfigurationFile(configFile string, storeOptions *StoreOptions) {
 		storeOptions.UIDMap = mappings.UIDs()
 		storeOptions.GIDMap = mappings.GIDs()
 	}
-	nonDigitsToWhitespace := func(r rune) rune {
-		if strings.IndexRune("0123456789", r) == -1 {
-			return ' '
-		} else {
-			return r
-		}
-	}
-	parseTriple := func(spec []string) (container, host, size uint32, err error) {
-		cid, err := strconv.ParseUint(spec[0], 10, 32)
-		if err != nil {
-			return 0, 0, 0, fmt.Errorf("error parsing id map value %q: %v", spec[0], err)
-		}
-		hid, err := strconv.ParseUint(spec[1], 10, 32)
-		if err != nil {
-			return 0, 0, 0, fmt.Errorf("error parsing id map value %q: %v", spec[1], err)
-		}
-		sz, err := strconv.ParseUint(spec[2], 10, 32)
-		if err != nil {
-			return 0, 0, 0, fmt.Errorf("error parsing id map value %q: %v", spec[2], err)
-		}
-		return uint32(cid), uint32(hid), uint32(sz), nil
+
+	uidmap, err := idtools.ParseIDMap(config.Storage.Options.RemapUIDs, "remap-uids")
+	if err != nil {
+		fmt.Print(err)
+	} else {
+		storeOptions.UIDMap = append(storeOptions.UIDMap, uidmap...)
 	}
-	parseIDMap := func(idMapSpec, mapSetting string) (idmap []idtools.IDMap) {
-		if len(idMapSpec) > 0 {
-			idSpec := strings.Fields(strings.Map(nonDigitsToWhitespace, idMapSpec))
-			if len(idSpec)%3 != 0 {
-				fmt.Printf("Error initializing ID mappings: %s setting is malformed.\n", mapSetting)
-				return nil
-			}
-			for i := range idSpec {
-				if i%3 != 0 {
-					continue
-				}
-				cid, hid, size, err := parseTriple(idSpec[i : i+3])
-				if err != nil {
-					fmt.Printf("Error initializing ID mappings: %s setting is malformed.\n", mapSetting)
-					return nil
-				}
-				mapping := idtools.IDMap{
-					ContainerID: int(cid),
-					HostID:      int(hid),
-					Size:        int(size),
-				}
-				idmap = append(idmap, mapping)
-			}
-		}
-		return idmap
+	gidmap, err := idtools.ParseIDMap(config.Storage.Options.RemapGIDs, "remap-gids")
+	if err != nil {
+		fmt.Print(err)
+	} else {
+		storeOptions.GIDMap = append(storeOptions.GIDMap, gidmap...)
 	}
-	storeOptions.UIDMap = append(storeOptions.UIDMap, parseIDMap(config.Storage.Options.RemapUIDs, "remap-uids")...)
-	storeOptions.GIDMap = append(storeOptions.GIDMap, parseIDMap(config.Storage.Options.RemapGIDs, "remap-gids")...)
 	if os.Getenv("STORAGE_DRIVER") != "" {
 		storeOptions.GraphDriverName = os.Getenv("STORAGE_DRIVER")
 	}