diff --git a/mercurial/cmdutil.py b/mercurial/cmdutil.py
--- a/mercurial/cmdutil.py
+++ b/mercurial/cmdutil.py
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ from __future__ import absolute_import
 import errno
 import os
 import re
-import sys
 import tempfile
 
 from .i18n import _
@@ -821,93 +820,6 @@ def copy(ui, repo, pats, opts, rename=Fa
 
     return errors != 0
 
-def service(opts, parentfn=None, initfn=None, runfn=None, logfile=None,
-    runargs=None, appendpid=False):
-    '''Run a command as a service.'''
-
-    def writepid(pid):
-        if opts['pid_file']:
-            if appendpid:
-                mode = 'a'
-            else:
-                mode = 'w'
-            fp = open(opts['pid_file'], mode)
-            fp.write(str(pid) + '\n')
-            fp.close()
-
-    if opts['daemon'] and not opts['daemon_postexec']:
-        # Signal child process startup with file removal
-        lockfd, lockpath = tempfile.mkstemp(prefix='hg-service-')
-        os.close(lockfd)
-        try:
-            if not runargs:
-                runargs = util.hgcmd() + sys.argv[1:]
-            runargs.append('--daemon-postexec=unlink:%s' % lockpath)
-            # Don't pass --cwd to the child process, because we've already
-            # changed directory.
-            for i in xrange(1, len(runargs)):
-                if runargs[i].startswith('--cwd='):
-                    del runargs[i]
-                    break
-                elif runargs[i].startswith('--cwd'):
-                    del runargs[i:i + 2]
-                    break
-            def condfn():
-                return not os.path.exists(lockpath)
-            pid = util.rundetached(runargs, condfn)
-            if pid < 0:
-                raise error.Abort(_('child process failed to start'))
-            writepid(pid)
-        finally:
-            try:
-                os.unlink(lockpath)
-            except OSError as e:
-                if e.errno != errno.ENOENT:
-                    raise
-        if parentfn:
-            return parentfn(pid)
-        else:
-            return
-
-    if initfn:
-        initfn()
-
-    if not opts['daemon']:
-        writepid(util.getpid())
-
-    if opts['daemon_postexec']:
-        try:
-            os.setsid()
-        except AttributeError:
-            pass
-        for inst in opts['daemon_postexec']:
-            if inst.startswith('unlink:'):
-                lockpath = inst[7:]
-                os.unlink(lockpath)
-            elif inst.startswith('chdir:'):
-                os.chdir(inst[6:])
-            elif inst != 'none':
-                raise error.Abort(_('invalid value for --daemon-postexec: %s')
-                                  % inst)
-        util.hidewindow()
-        util.stdout.flush()
-        util.stderr.flush()
-
-        nullfd = os.open(os.devnull, os.O_RDWR)
-        logfilefd = nullfd
-        if logfile:
-            logfilefd = os.open(logfile, os.O_RDWR | os.O_CREAT | os.O_APPEND)
-        os.dup2(nullfd, 0)
-        os.dup2(logfilefd, 1)
-        os.dup2(logfilefd, 2)
-        if nullfd not in (0, 1, 2):
-            os.close(nullfd)
-        if logfile and logfilefd not in (0, 1, 2):
-            os.close(logfilefd)
-
-    if runfn:
-        return runfn()
-
 ## facility to let extension process additional data into an import patch
 # list of identifier to be executed in order
 extrapreimport = []  # run before commit
diff --git a/mercurial/commands.py b/mercurial/commands.py
--- a/mercurial/commands.py
+++ b/mercurial/commands.py
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ from . import (
     revlog,
     revset,
     scmutil,
+    server,
     setdiscovery,
     sshserver,
     sslutil,
@@ -6301,7 +6302,7 @@ def serve(ui, repo, **opts):
         service = commandserver.createservice(ui, repo, opts)
     else:
         service = hgweb.createservice(ui, repo, opts)
-    return cmdutil.service(opts, initfn=service.init, runfn=service.run)
+    return server.runservice(opts, initfn=service.init, runfn=service.run)
 
 @command('^status|st',
     [('A', 'all', None, _('show status of all files')),
diff --git a/mercurial/server.py b/mercurial/server.py
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mercurial/server.py
@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
+# server.py - utility and factory of server
+#
+# Copyright 2005-2007 Matt Mackall <mpm@selenic.com>
+#
+# This software may be used and distributed according to the terms of the
+# GNU General Public License version 2 or any later version.
+
+from __future__ import absolute_import
+
+import errno
+import os
+import sys
+import tempfile
+
+from .i18n import _
+
+from . import (
+    error,
+    util,
+)
+
+def runservice(opts, parentfn=None, initfn=None, runfn=None, logfile=None,
+               runargs=None, appendpid=False):
+    '''Run a command as a service.'''
+
+    def writepid(pid):
+        if opts['pid_file']:
+            if appendpid:
+                mode = 'a'
+            else:
+                mode = 'w'
+            fp = open(opts['pid_file'], mode)
+            fp.write(str(pid) + '\n')
+            fp.close()
+
+    if opts['daemon'] and not opts['daemon_postexec']:
+        # Signal child process startup with file removal
+        lockfd, lockpath = tempfile.mkstemp(prefix='hg-service-')
+        os.close(lockfd)
+        try:
+            if not runargs:
+                runargs = util.hgcmd() + sys.argv[1:]
+            runargs.append('--daemon-postexec=unlink:%s' % lockpath)
+            # Don't pass --cwd to the child process, because we've already
+            # changed directory.
+            for i in xrange(1, len(runargs)):
+                if runargs[i].startswith('--cwd='):
+                    del runargs[i]
+                    break
+                elif runargs[i].startswith('--cwd'):
+                    del runargs[i:i + 2]
+                    break
+            def condfn():
+                return not os.path.exists(lockpath)
+            pid = util.rundetached(runargs, condfn)
+            if pid < 0:
+                raise error.Abort(_('child process failed to start'))
+            writepid(pid)
+        finally:
+            try:
+                os.unlink(lockpath)
+            except OSError as e:
+                if e.errno != errno.ENOENT:
+                    raise
+        if parentfn:
+            return parentfn(pid)
+        else:
+            return
+
+    if initfn:
+        initfn()
+
+    if not opts['daemon']:
+        writepid(util.getpid())
+
+    if opts['daemon_postexec']:
+        try:
+            os.setsid()
+        except AttributeError:
+            pass
+        for inst in opts['daemon_postexec']:
+            if inst.startswith('unlink:'):
+                lockpath = inst[7:]
+                os.unlink(lockpath)
+            elif inst.startswith('chdir:'):
+                os.chdir(inst[6:])
+            elif inst != 'none':
+                raise error.Abort(_('invalid value for --daemon-postexec: %s')
+                                  % inst)
+        util.hidewindow()
+        util.stdout.flush()
+        util.stderr.flush()
+
+        nullfd = os.open(os.devnull, os.O_RDWR)
+        logfilefd = nullfd
+        if logfile:
+            logfilefd = os.open(logfile, os.O_RDWR | os.O_CREAT | os.O_APPEND)
+        os.dup2(nullfd, 0)
+        os.dup2(logfilefd, 1)
+        os.dup2(logfilefd, 2)
+        if nullfd not in (0, 1, 2):
+            os.close(nullfd)
+        if logfile and logfilefd not in (0, 1, 2):
+            os.close(logfilefd)
+
+    if runfn:
+        return runfn()
diff --git a/tests/dumbhttp.py b/tests/dumbhttp.py
--- a/tests/dumbhttp.py
+++ b/tests/dumbhttp.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import signal
 import sys
 
 from mercurial import (
-    cmdutil,
+    server,
     util,
 )
 
@@ -51,5 +51,5 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
             'daemon': not options.foreground,
             'daemon_postexec': options.daemon_postexec}
     service = simplehttpservice(options.host, options.port)
-    cmdutil.service(opts, initfn=service.init, runfn=service.run,
-                    runargs=[sys.executable, __file__] + sys.argv[1:])
+    server.runservice(opts, initfn=service.init, runfn=service.run,
+                      runargs=[sys.executable, __file__] + sys.argv[1:])
diff --git a/tests/dummysmtpd.py b/tests/dummysmtpd.py
--- a/tests/dummysmtpd.py
+++ b/tests/dummysmtpd.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import ssl
 import sys
 
 from mercurial import (
-    cmdutil,
+    server,
     sslutil,
     ui as uimod,
 )
@@ -75,8 +75,8 @@ def main():
             dummysmtpsecureserver(addr, opts.certificate)
         log('listening at %s:%d\n' % addr)
 
-    cmdutil.service(vars(opts), initfn=init, runfn=run,
-                    runargs=[sys.executable, __file__] + sys.argv[1:])
+    server.runservice(vars(opts), initfn=init, runfn=run,
+                      runargs=[sys.executable, __file__] + sys.argv[1:])
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     main()