diff --git a/lib/SimpleSAML/Utilities.php b/lib/SimpleSAML/Utilities.php
index 601ff46caa7c2a4f1da6e7fd0e4242b0e30486ea..e0140a05687ca047426302c2f70e44d136f174dc 100644
--- a/lib/SimpleSAML/Utilities.php
+++ b/lib/SimpleSAML/Utilities.php
@@ -152,6 +152,29 @@ class SimpleSAML_Utilities {
 	}
 
 
+	/**
+	 * Retrieve the absolute base URL for the simpleSAMLphp installation.
+	 *
+	 * This function will return the absolute base URL for the simpleSAMLphp
+	 * installation. For example: https://idp.example.org/simplesaml/
+	 *
+	 * The URL will always end with a '/'.
+	 *
+	 * @return string  The absolute base URL for the simpleSAMLphp installation.
+	 */
+	public static function getBaseURL() {
+
+		$globalConfig = SimpleSAML_Configuration::getInstance();
+		$ret = SimpleSAML_Utilities::selfURLhost() . '/' . $globalConfig->getBaseURL();
+		if (substr($ret, -1) !== '/') {
+			throw new SimpleSAML_Error_Exception('Invalid value of \'baseurl\' in ' .
+				'config.php. It must end with a \'/\'.');
+		}
+
+		return $ret;
+	}
+
+
 	/**
 	 * Add one or more query parameters to the given URL.
 	 *