diff --git a/subprojects/extensions-tool/src/command-prefs.c b/subprojects/extensions-tool/src/command-prefs.c
index 25d1626c4..50e4b80ba 100644
--- a/subprojects/extensions-tool/src/command-prefs.c
+++ b/subprojects/extensions-tool/src/command-prefs.c
@@ -29,9 +29,7 @@ static gboolean
 launch_extension_prefs (const char *uuid)
 {
   g_autoptr (GDBusProxy) proxy = NULL;
-  g_autoptr (GVariant) response = NULL;
-  g_autoptr (GVariant) asv = NULL;
-  g_autoptr (GVariantDict) info = NULL;
+  g_autoptr (GVariant) info = NULL;
   g_autoptr (GError) error = NULL;
   gboolean has_prefs;
 
@@ -39,29 +37,11 @@ launch_extension_prefs (const char *uuid)
   if (proxy == NULL)
     return FALSE;
 
-  response = g_dbus_proxy_call_sync (proxy,
-                                     "GetExtensionInfo",
-                                     g_variant_new ("(s)", uuid),
-                                     0,
-                                     -1,
-                                     NULL,
-                                     &error);
-  if (response == NULL)
-    {
-      g_printerr (_("Failed to connect to GNOME Shell"));
-      return FALSE;
-    }
+  info = get_extension_property (proxy, uuid, "hasPrefs");
+  if (info == NULL)
+    return FALSE;
 
-  asv = g_variant_get_child_value (response, 0);
-  info = g_variant_dict_new (asv);
-
-  if (!g_variant_dict_contains (info, "uuid"))
-    {
-      g_printerr (_("Extension “%s” doesn't exist\n"), uuid);
-      return FALSE;
-    }
-
-  g_variant_dict_lookup (info, "hasPrefs", "b", &has_prefs);
+  has_prefs = g_variant_get_boolean (info);
   if (!has_prefs)
     {
       g_printerr (_("Extension “%s” doesn't have preferences\n"), uuid);
diff --git a/subprojects/extensions-tool/src/common.h b/subprojects/extensions-tool/src/common.h
index fb23b6580..2b0448495 100644
--- a/subprojects/extensions-tool/src/common.h
+++ b/subprojects/extensions-tool/src/common.h
@@ -54,6 +54,10 @@ void print_extension_info (GVariantDict  *info,
                            DisplayFormat  format);
 
 GDBusProxy *get_shell_proxy (GError **error);
+GVariant   *get_extension_property (GDBusProxy *proxy,
+                                    const char *uuid,
+                                    const char *property);
+
 GSettings  *get_shell_settings (void);
 
 gboolean settings_list_add (GSettings  *settings,
diff --git a/subprojects/extensions-tool/src/main.c b/subprojects/extensions-tool/src/main.c
index cc7cd80cd..c33058dc6 100644
--- a/subprojects/extensions-tool/src/main.c
+++ b/subprojects/extensions-tool/src/main.c
@@ -124,6 +124,41 @@ get_shell_settings (void)
   return g_settings_new_full (schema, NULL, NULL);
 }
 
+GVariant *
+get_extension_property (GDBusProxy *proxy,
+                        const char *uuid,
+                        const char *property)
+{
+  g_autoptr (GVariant) response = NULL;
+  g_autoptr (GVariant) asv = NULL;
+  g_autoptr (GVariantDict) info = NULL;
+  g_autoptr (GError) error = NULL;
+
+  response = g_dbus_proxy_call_sync (proxy,
+                                     "GetExtensionInfo",
+                                     g_variant_new ("(s)", uuid),
+                                     0,
+                                     -1,
+                                     NULL,
+                                     &error);
+  if (response == NULL)
+    {
+      g_printerr (_("Failed to connect to GNOME Shell"));
+      return NULL;
+    }
+
+  asv = g_variant_get_child_value (response, 0);
+  info = g_variant_dict_new (asv);
+
+  if (!g_variant_dict_contains (info, "uuid"))
+    {
+      g_printerr (_("Extension “%s” doesn't exist\n"), uuid);
+      return NULL;
+    }
+
+  return g_variant_dict_lookup_value (info, property, NULL);
+}
+
 gboolean
 settings_list_add (GSettings  *settings,
                    const char *key,