diff --git a/skimage/_shared/tests/test_utils.py b/skimage/_shared/tests/test_utils.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..92d0adac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/skimage/_shared/tests/test_utils.py
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+from skimage._shared.utils import copy_func
+import numpy.testing as npt
+
+
+def test_copyfunc():
+    def foo(a):
+        return a
+
+    bar = copy_func(foo, name='bar')
+    other = copy_func(foo)
+
+    npt.assert_equal(bar.__name__, 'bar')
+    npt.assert_equal(other.__name__, 'foo')
+
+    other.__name__ = 'other'
+
+    npt.assert_equal(foo.__name__, 'foo')
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    npt.run_module_suite()
diff --git a/skimage/_shared/utils.py b/skimage/_shared/utils.py
index 6b0607e9..cc688fd7 100644
--- a/skimage/_shared/utils.py
+++ b/skimage/_shared/utils.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import warnings
 import functools
 import sys
 import numpy as np
+import types
 
 import six
 
@@ -174,3 +175,19 @@ def _mode_deprecations(mode):
             "removed in a future release."))
         mode = 'edge'
     return mode
+
+
+def copy_func(f, name=None):
+    """Create a copy of a function.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    f : function
+        Function to copy.
+    name : str, optional
+        Name of new function.
+
+    """
+    return types.FunctionType(six.get_function_code(f),
+                              six.get_function_globals(f), name or f.__name__,
+                              six.get_function_defaults(f), six.get_function_closure(f))