diff --git a/mlir/include/mlir/Pass/PassRegistry.h b/mlir/include/mlir/Pass/PassRegistry.h
--- a/mlir/include/mlir/Pass/PassRegistry.h
+++ b/mlir/include/mlir/Pass/PassRegistry.h
@@ -197,13 +197,21 @@
   }
 };
 
-/// This function parses the textual representation of a pass pipeline, and adds
-/// the result to 'pm' on success. This function returns failure if the given
-/// pipeline was invalid. 'errorStream' is the output stream used to emit errors
-/// found during parsing.
+/// Parse the textual representation of a pass pipeline, adding the result to
+/// 'pm' on success. Returns failure if the given pipeline was invalid.
+/// 'errorStream' is the output stream used to emit errors found during parsing.
 LogicalResult parsePassPipeline(StringRef pipeline, OpPassManager &pm,
                                 raw_ostream &errorStream = llvm::errs());
 
+/// Parse the given textual representation of a pass pipeline, and return the
+/// parsed pipeline on success. The given pipeline string should be wrapped with
+/// the desired type of operation to root the created operation, i.e.
+/// `builtin.module(cse)` over `cse`. Returns failure if the given pipeline was
+/// invalid. 'errorStream' is the output stream used to emit errors found during
+/// parsing.
+FailureOr<OpPassManager>
+parsePassPipeline(StringRef pipeline, raw_ostream &errorStream = llvm::errs());
+
 //===----------------------------------------------------------------------===//
 // PassPipelineCLParser
 //===----------------------------------------------------------------------===//
diff --git a/mlir/lib/Pass/PassRegistry.cpp b/mlir/lib/Pass/PassRegistry.cpp
--- a/mlir/lib/Pass/PassRegistry.cpp
+++ b/mlir/lib/Pass/PassRegistry.cpp
@@ -482,10 +482,6 @@
   return success();
 }
 
-/// This function parses the textual representation of a pass pipeline, and adds
-/// the result to 'pm' on success. This function returns failure if the given
-/// pipeline was invalid. 'errorStream' is an optional parameter that, if
-/// non-null, will be used to emit errors found during parsing.
 LogicalResult mlir::parsePassPipeline(StringRef pipeline, OpPassManager &pm,
                                       raw_ostream &errorStream) {
   TextualPipeline pipelineParser;
@@ -500,6 +496,23 @@
   return success();
 }
 
+FailureOr<OpPassManager> mlir::parsePassPipeline(StringRef pipeline,
+                                                 raw_ostream &errorStream) {
+  // Pipelines are expected to be of the form `<op-name>(<pipeline>)`.
+  size_t pipelineStart = pipeline.find_first_of('(');
+  if (pipelineStart == StringRef::npos || !pipeline.consume_back(")")) {
+    errorStream << "expected pass pipeline to be wrapped with the anchor "
+                   "operation type, e.g. `builtin.module(...)";
+    return failure();
+  }
+
+  StringRef opName = pipeline.take_front(pipelineStart);
+  OpPassManager pm(opName);
+  if (failed(parsePassPipeline(pipeline.drop_front(1 + pipelineStart), pm)))
+    return failure();
+  return pm;
+}
+
 //===----------------------------------------------------------------------===//
 // PassNameParser
 //===----------------------------------------------------------------------===//
diff --git a/mlir/lib/Transforms/Inliner.cpp b/mlir/lib/Transforms/Inliner.cpp
--- a/mlir/lib/Transforms/Inliner.cpp
+++ b/mlir/lib/Transforms/Inliner.cpp
@@ -752,16 +752,10 @@
     // Skip empty pipelines.
     if (pipeline.empty())
       continue;
-
-    // Pipelines are expected to be of the form `<op-name>(<pipeline>)`.
-    size_t pipelineStart = pipeline.find_first_of('(');
-    if (pipelineStart == StringRef::npos || !pipeline.consume_back(")"))
-      return failure();
-    StringRef opName = pipeline.take_front(pipelineStart);
-    OpPassManager pm(opName);
-    if (failed(parsePassPipeline(pipeline.drop_front(1 + pipelineStart), pm)))
+    FailureOr<OpPassManager> pm = parsePassPipeline(pipeline);
+    if (failed(pm))
       return failure();
-    pipelines.try_emplace(opName, std::move(pm));
+    pipelines.try_emplace(pm->getOpName(), std::move(*pm));
   }
   opPipelines.assign({std::move(pipelines)});