diff --git a/src/3rd_party_repos.c b/src/3rd_party_repos.c
index 88855d8d..a89234a6 100644
--- a/src/3rd_party_repos.c
+++ b/src/3rd_party_repos.c
@@ -227,4 +227,29 @@ exit:
 	list_free_list_and_data(repos, repo_free_data);
 	return ret;
 }
+
+int third_party_set_repo(const char *state_dir, const char *path_prefix, struct repo *repo)
+{
+	char *repo_state_dir;
+	char *repo_path_prefix;
+
+	set_content_url(repo->url);
+
+	string_or_die(&repo_path_prefix, "%s/opt/3rd_party/%s", path_prefix, repo->name);
+	set_path_prefix(repo_path_prefix);
+	free_string(&repo_path_prefix);
+
+	/* make sure there are state directories for the 3rd-party
+	 * repo if not there already */
+	string_or_die(&repo_state_dir, "%s/3rd_party/%s", state_dir, repo->name);
+	if (create_state_dirs(repo_state_dir)) {
+		free_string(&repo_state_dir);
+		return -1;
+	}
+	set_state_dir(repo_state_dir);
+	free_string(&repo_state_dir);
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 #endif
diff --git a/src/3rd_party_repos.h b/src/3rd_party_repos.h
index 0a63f9b8..702cf80a 100644
--- a/src/3rd_party_repos.h
+++ b/src/3rd_party_repos.h
@@ -63,6 +63,16 @@ int third_party_add_repo(const char *repo_name, const char *repo_url);
  */
 int third_party_remove_repo(char *repo_name);
 
+/**
+ * @brief This function sets up swupd to use a specific 3rd-party repo.
+ *
+ * @param state_dir the original state directory of the system
+ * @param path_prefix the original path prefix of the system
+ *
+ * @returns 0 on success, -1 on any failure
+ */
+int third_party_set_repo(const char *state_dir, const char *path_prefix, struct repo *repo);
+
 #endif
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
diff --git a/src/globals.c b/src/globals.c
index 31c5011d..9beb77e8 100644
--- a/src/globals.c
+++ b/src/globals.c
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ static void set_json_format(bool on)
 }
 
 /* Sets the content_url global variable */
-static void set_content_url(char *url)
+void set_content_url(char *url)
 {
 	if (globals.content_url) {
 		free_string(&globals.content_url);
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ static bool is_valid_integer_format(char *str)
  * NULL, state_dir will be set to its value. Otherwise, the value is the
  * build-time default (STATE_DIR).
  */
-static bool set_state_dir(char *path)
+bool set_state_dir(char *path)
 {
 	if (!path) {
 		error("Statedir shouldn't be NULL\n");
diff --git a/src/globals.h b/src/globals.h
index 730ba5d1..be404322 100644
--- a/src/globals.h
+++ b/src/globals.h
@@ -81,6 +81,8 @@ bool set_path_prefix(char *path);
 bool set_default_urls(void);
 bool set_state_dir_cache(char *path);
 void set_default_path_prefix(void);
+void set_content_url(char *url);
+bool set_state_dir(char *path);
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
diff --git a/src/helpers.c b/src/helpers.c
index 10708050..ab573120 100644
--- a/src/helpers.c
+++ b/src/helpers.c
@@ -188,12 +188,20 @@ static bool validate_tracking_dir(const char *state_dir)
 	 * user installed themselves just copy the entire system tracking directory
 	 * into the state tracking directory. */
 	if (!is_populated_dir(tracking_dir)) {
+		src = sys_path_join(globals.path_prefix, "/usr/share/clear/bundles");
+
+		if (!sys_file_exists(src)) {
+			/* there is no bundles directory to copy from */
+			free_string(&src);
+			free_string(&tracking_dir);
+			return false;
+		}
+
 		ret = rm_rf(tracking_dir);
 		if (ret) {
 			goto out;
 		}
 
-		src = sys_path_join(globals.path_prefix, "/usr/share/clear/bundles");
 		/* at the point this function is called <bundle_name> is already
 		 * installed on the system and therefore has a tracking file under
 		 * /usr/share/clear/bundles. A simple cp -a of that directory will
@@ -233,7 +241,7 @@ int create_state_dirs(const char *state_dir_path)
 
 	// check for existence
 	if (ensure_root_owned_dir(state_dir_path)) {
-		//state dir doesn't exist
+		// state dir doesn't exist
 		if (mkdir_p(state_dir_path) != 0 || chmod(state_dir_path, S_IRWXU) != 0) {
 			error("failed to create %s\n", state_dir_path);
 			return -1;
@@ -247,6 +255,7 @@ int create_state_dirs(const char *state_dir_path)
 			ret = mkdir(dir, S_IRWXU);
 			if (ret) {
 				error("failed to create %s\n", dir);
+				free_string(&dir);
 				return -1;
 			}
 		}