diff --git a/src/pulsecore/packet.c b/src/pulsecore/packet.c
index eacff9dd6..9dc886817 100644
--- a/src/pulsecore/packet.c
+++ b/src/pulsecore/packet.c
@@ -60,6 +60,17 @@ pa_packet* pa_packet_new(size_t length) {
     return p;
 }
 
+pa_packet* pa_packet_new_data(const void* data, size_t length) {
+    pa_packet *p = pa_packet_new(length);
+
+    pa_assert(data);
+    pa_assert(length > 0);
+
+    memcpy(p->data, data, length);
+
+    return p;
+}
+
 pa_packet* pa_packet_new_dynamic(void* data, size_t length) {
     pa_packet *p;
 
diff --git a/src/pulsecore/packet.h b/src/pulsecore/packet.h
index 6d61e02e4..20609871c 100644
--- a/src/pulsecore/packet.h
+++ b/src/pulsecore/packet.h
@@ -29,6 +29,10 @@ typedef struct pa_packet pa_packet;
  * on length) */
 pa_packet* pa_packet_new(size_t length);
 
+/* create packet (either of type appended or dynamic depending on length)
+ * and copy data */
+pa_packet* pa_packet_new_data(const void* data, size_t length);
+
 /* data must have been malloc()ed; the packet takes ownership of the memory,
  * i.e. memory is free()d with the packet */
 pa_packet* pa_packet_new_dynamic(void* data, size_t length);
diff --git a/src/pulsecore/pstream-util.c b/src/pulsecore/pstream-util.c
index d8b9808bb..e87450337 100644
--- a/src/pulsecore/pstream-util.c
+++ b/src/pulsecore/pstream-util.c
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ static void pa_pstream_send_tagstruct_with_ancil_data(pa_pstream *p, pa_tagstruc
     pa_assert(t);
 
     pa_assert_se(data = pa_tagstruct_data(t, &length));
-    pa_assert_se(packet = pa_packet_new_dynamic(pa_xmemdup(data, length), length));
+    pa_assert_se(packet = pa_packet_new_data(data, length));
     pa_tagstruct_free(t);
 
     pa_pstream_send_packet(p, packet, ancil_data);