diff --git a/astlpc.c b/astlpc.c
index 8d316e3..4e9e349 100644
--- a/astlpc.c
+++ b/astlpc.c
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <fcntl.h>
+#include <poll.h>
 #include <sys/ioctl.h>
 #include <sys/mman.h>
 #include <linux/aspeed-lpc-ctrl.h>
@@ -1311,6 +1312,15 @@
 	return astlpc->kcs_fd;
 }
 
+int mctp_astlpc_init_pollfd(struct mctp_binding_astlpc *astlpc,
+			    struct pollfd *pollfd)
+{
+	pollfd->fd = astlpc->kcs_fd;
+	pollfd->events = POLLIN;
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 struct mctp_binding_astlpc *mctp_astlpc_init_fileio(void)
 {
 	struct mctp_binding_astlpc *astlpc;
@@ -1359,4 +1369,11 @@
 	mctp_prlog(MCTP_LOG_ERR, "%s: Missing support for file IO", __func__);
 	return -1;
 }
+
+int mctp_astlpc_init_pollfd(struct mctp_binding_astlpc *astlpc __unused,
+			    struct pollfd *pollfd __unused)
+{
+	mctp_prlog(MCTP_LOG_ERR, "%s: Missing support for file IO", __func__);
+	return -1;
+}
 #endif
diff --git a/libmctp-astlpc.h b/libmctp-astlpc.h
index f324b90..243ddd7 100644
--- a/libmctp-astlpc.h
+++ b/libmctp-astlpc.h
@@ -47,6 +47,10 @@
 struct mctp_binding_astlpc *mctp_astlpc_init_fileio(void);
 int mctp_astlpc_get_fd(struct mctp_binding_astlpc *astlpc);
 
+struct pollfd;
+int mctp_astlpc_init_pollfd(struct mctp_binding_astlpc *astlpc,
+			    struct pollfd *pollfd);
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/libmctp-serial.h b/libmctp-serial.h
index 8a70101..7d3d6cb 100644
--- a/libmctp-serial.h
+++ b/libmctp-serial.h
@@ -18,6 +18,11 @@
 
 /* file-based IO */
 int mctp_serial_get_fd(struct mctp_binding_serial *serial);
+
+struct pollfd;
+int mctp_serial_init_pollfd(struct mctp_binding_serial *serial,
+			    struct pollfd *pollfd);
+
 int mctp_serial_read(struct mctp_binding_serial *serial);
 int mctp_serial_open_path(struct mctp_binding_serial *serial,
 		const char *path);
diff --git a/serial.c b/serial.c
index ac91eb4..b12fcfb 100644
--- a/serial.c
+++ b/serial.c
@@ -10,8 +10,9 @@
 #endif
 
 #ifdef MCTP_HAVE_FILEIO
-#include <unistd.h>
 #include <fcntl.h>
+#include <poll.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
 #else
 static const size_t write(int fd, void *buf, size_t len)
 {
@@ -41,9 +42,9 @@
 #include "container_of.h"
 
 struct mctp_binding_serial {
-	struct mctp_binding	binding;
-	int			fd;
-	unsigned long		bus_id;
+	struct mctp_binding binding;
+	int fd;
+	unsigned long bus_id;
 
 	mctp_serial_tx_fn	tx_fn;
 	void			*tx_fn_data;
@@ -291,6 +292,15 @@
 	return serial->fd;
 }
 
+int mctp_serial_init_pollfd(struct mctp_binding_serial *serial,
+			    struct pollfd *pollfd)
+{
+	pollfd->fd = serial->fd;
+	pollfd->events = POLLIN;
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 int mctp_serial_open_path(struct mctp_binding_serial *serial,
 		const char *device)
 {