diff --git a/site_ansto/instrument/util/utility.tcl b/site_ansto/instrument/util/utility.tcl
index 594785e0..04032f36 100644
--- a/site_ansto/instrument/util/utility.tcl
+++ b/site_ansto/instrument/util/utility.tcl
@@ -917,6 +917,27 @@ proc handle_exception {status message args} {
   }
 }
 
+proc hupdateif {path new_value {cmp_format ""}} {
+  if { ${cmp_format} == "" } {
+    if { [hpropexists ${path} compare_format] } {
+      set compare_format [hgetpropval ${path} compare_format]
+    } else {
+      set compare_format ""
+    }
+  } else {
+    set compare_format ${cmp_format}
+  }
+  if { ${compare_format} == "" } {
+    if { [hval ${path}] != ${new_value} } {
+      hupdate ${path} ${new_value}
+    }
+  } else {
+    if { [format ${compare_format} [hval ${path}]] != [format ${compare_format} ${new_value}] } {
+      hupdate ${path} ${new_value}
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 namespace import ::utility::*;
 Publish getinfo spy
 Publish setpos user