diff --git a/include/proto/backend.h b/include/proto/backend.h
index d70c68faf..fc717179b 100644
--- a/include/proto/backend.h
+++ b/include/proto/backend.h
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@ int connect_server(struct session *s);
 int srv_count_retry_down(struct session *t, int conn_err);
 int srv_retryable_connect(struct session *t);
 int srv_redispatch_connect(struct session *t);
+int backend_parse_balance(const char **args, char *err,
+			  int errlen, struct proxy *curproxy);
 
 void recount_servers(struct proxy *px);
 void recalc_server_map(struct proxy *px);
diff --git a/src/backend.c b/src/backend.c
index 758b42967..0cb76f0be 100644
--- a/src/backend.c
+++ b/src/backend.c
@@ -728,13 +728,47 @@ int srv_redispatch_connect(struct session *t)
 }
 
 int be_downtime(struct proxy *px) {
-
 	if ((px->srv_act || px->srv_bck) && px->last_change < now.tv_sec)		// ignore negative time
 		return px->down_time;
 
 	return now.tv_sec - px->last_change + px->down_time;
 }
 
+/* This function parses a "balance" statement in a backend section describing
+ * <curproxy>. It returns -1 if there is any error, otherwise zero. If it
+ * returns -1, it may write an error message into ther <err> buffer, for at
+ * most <errlen> bytes, trailing zero included. The trailing '\n' will not be
+ * written. The function must be called with <args> pointing to the first word
+ * after "balance".
+ */
+int backend_parse_balance(const char **args, char *err, int errlen, struct proxy *curproxy)
+{
+	if (!*(args[0])) {
+		/* if no option is set, use round-robin by default */
+		curproxy->options &= ~PR_O_BALANCE;
+		curproxy->options |= PR_O_BALANCE_RR;
+		return 0;
+	}
+
+	if (!strcmp(args[0], "roundrobin")) {
+		curproxy->options &= ~PR_O_BALANCE;
+		curproxy->options |= PR_O_BALANCE_RR;
+	}
+	else if (!strcmp(args[0], "source")) {
+		curproxy->options &= ~PR_O_BALANCE;
+		curproxy->options |= PR_O_BALANCE_SH;
+	}
+	else if (!strcmp(args[0], "uri")) {
+		curproxy->options &= ~PR_O_BALANCE;
+		curproxy->options |= PR_O_BALANCE_UH;
+	}
+	else {
+		snprintf(err, errlen, "'balance' only supports 'roundrobin', 'source' and 'uri' options.");
+		return -1;
+	}
+	return 0;
+}
+
 /*
  * Local variables:
  *  c-indent-level: 8
diff --git a/src/cfgparse.c b/src/cfgparse.c
index 8e390d563..b98089e9d 100644
--- a/src/cfgparse.c
+++ b/src/cfgparse.c
@@ -1326,27 +1326,10 @@ int cfg_parse_listen(const char *file, int linenum, char **args)
 		if (warnifnotcap(curproxy, PR_CAP_BE, file, linenum, args[0], NULL))
 			return 0;
 
-		if (*(args[1])) {
-			if (!strcmp(args[1], "roundrobin")) {
-				curproxy->options &= ~PR_O_BALANCE;
-				curproxy->options |= PR_O_BALANCE_RR;
-			}
-			else if (!strcmp(args[1], "source")) {
-				curproxy->options &= ~PR_O_BALANCE;
-				curproxy->options |= PR_O_BALANCE_SH;
-			}
-			else if (!strcmp(args[1], "uri")) {
-				curproxy->options &= ~PR_O_BALANCE;
-				curproxy->options |= PR_O_BALANCE_UH;
-			}
-			else {
-				Alert("parsing [%s:%d] : '%s' only supports 'roundrobin', 'source' and 'uri' options.\n", file, linenum, args[0]);
-				return -1;
-			}
-		}
-		else {/* if no option is set, use round-robin by default */
-			curproxy->options &= ~PR_O_BALANCE;
-			curproxy->options |= PR_O_BALANCE_RR;
+		memcpy(trash, "error near 'balance'", 19);
+		if (backend_parse_balance((const char **)args + 1, trash, sizeof(trash), curproxy) < 0) {
+			Alert("parsing [%s:%d] : %s\n", file, linenum, trash);
+			return -1;
 		}
 	}
 	else if (!strcmp(args[0], "server")) {  /* server address */