diff --git a/pyopencl/tools.py b/pyopencl/tools.py
index f4a9bdfc4f76670a00e06b4fbbba5b27219dde01..952302f3e715d1737cfa1af70a480497f7872f6a 100644
--- a/pyopencl/tools.py
+++ b/pyopencl/tools.py
@@ -293,4 +293,23 @@ def get_gl_sharing_context_properties():
 
 
 
+
+def dtype_to_c_struct(dtype):
+    dtype = np.dtype(dtype)
+
+    fields = sorted(dtype.fields.iteritems(),
+            key=lambda (name, (dtype, offset)): offset)
+
+    # FIXME check that this matches C alignment fulres
+    c_fields = []
+    for name, (field_dtype, offset) in fields:
+        c_fields.append("  %s %s;" % (dtype_to_ctype(field_dtype), name))
+
+    return "typedef struct {\n%s\n} %s;" % (
+            "\n".join(c_fields),
+            dtype_to_ctype(dtype))
+
+
+
+
 # vim: foldmethod=marker
diff --git a/test/test_array.py b/test/test_array.py
index 4dea140af8b2deed70d6bf836eba263c43df8cab..7198ff3809be2853e500d16789f893e4bd0cbebf 100644
--- a/test/test_array.py
+++ b/test/test_array.py
@@ -704,16 +704,8 @@ def test_struct_reduce(ctx_factory):
     context = ctx_factory()
     queue = cl.CommandQueue(context)
 
-    preamble = r"""//CL//
-    struct minmax_collector
-    {
-        int cur_min;
-        int cur_max;
-        // Workaround for OS X Lion GPU CL. Mystifying.
-        int pad;
-    };
-
-    typedef struct minmax_collector minmax_collector;
+    from pyopencl.tools import dtype_to_c_struct
+    preamble = dtype_to_c_struct(mmc_dtype) + r"""//CL//
 
     minmax_collector mmc_neutral()
     {