diff --git a/cache.h b/cache.h
index 502e4c0b11a..591c67b0595 100644
--- a/cache.h
+++ b/cache.h
@@ -557,11 +557,6 @@ extern int verify_ce_order;
 #define DATA_CHANGED    0x0020
 #define TYPE_CHANGED    0x0040
 
-int base_name_compare(const char *name1, size_t len1, int mode1,
-		      const char *name2, size_t len2, int mode2);
-int df_name_compare(const char *name1, size_t len1, int mode1,
-		    const char *name2, size_t len2, int mode2);
-int name_compare(const char *name1, size_t len1, const char *name2, size_t len2);
 int cmp_cache_name_compare(const void *a_, const void *b_);
 
 /* add */
diff --git a/read-cache.c b/read-cache.c
index 8f00da4bf7a..b3e2917ddc9 100644
--- a/read-cache.c
+++ b/read-cache.c
@@ -499,74 +499,6 @@ int ie_modified(struct index_state *istate,
 	return 0;
 }
 
-int base_name_compare(const char *name1, size_t len1, int mode1,
-		      const char *name2, size_t len2, int mode2)
-{
-	unsigned char c1, c2;
-	size_t len = len1 < len2 ? len1 : len2;
-	int cmp;
-
-	cmp = memcmp(name1, name2, len);
-	if (cmp)
-		return cmp;
-	c1 = name1[len];
-	c2 = name2[len];
-	if (!c1 && S_ISDIR(mode1))
-		c1 = '/';
-	if (!c2 && S_ISDIR(mode2))
-		c2 = '/';
-	return (c1 < c2) ? -1 : (c1 > c2) ? 1 : 0;
-}
-
-/*
- * df_name_compare() is identical to base_name_compare(), except it
- * compares conflicting directory/file entries as equal. Note that
- * while a directory name compares as equal to a regular file, they
- * then individually compare _differently_ to a filename that has
- * a dot after the basename (because '\0' < '.' < '/').
- *
- * This is used by routines that want to traverse the git namespace
- * but then handle conflicting entries together when possible.
- */
-int df_name_compare(const char *name1, size_t len1, int mode1,
-		    const char *name2, size_t len2, int mode2)
-{
-	unsigned char c1, c2;
-	size_t len = len1 < len2 ? len1 : len2;
-	int cmp;
-
-	cmp = memcmp(name1, name2, len);
-	if (cmp)
-		return cmp;
-	/* Directories and files compare equal (same length, same name) */
-	if (len1 == len2)
-		return 0;
-	c1 = name1[len];
-	if (!c1 && S_ISDIR(mode1))
-		c1 = '/';
-	c2 = name2[len];
-	if (!c2 && S_ISDIR(mode2))
-		c2 = '/';
-	if (c1 == '/' && !c2)
-		return 0;
-	if (c2 == '/' && !c1)
-		return 0;
-	return c1 - c2;
-}
-
-int name_compare(const char *name1, size_t len1, const char *name2, size_t len2)
-{
-	size_t min_len = (len1 < len2) ? len1 : len2;
-	int cmp = memcmp(name1, name2, min_len);
-	if (cmp)
-		return cmp;
-	if (len1 < len2)
-		return -1;
-	if (len1 > len2)
-		return 1;
-	return 0;
-}
-
 static int cache_name_stage_compare(const char *name1, int len1, int stage1,
 				    const char *name2, int len2, int stage2)
 {
diff --git a/tree.c b/tree.c
index 896b7f4776b..f242a7ab691 100644
--- a/tree.c
+++ b/tree.c
@@ -94,6 +94,74 @@ int read_tree(struct repository *r,
 	return ret;
 }
 
+int base_name_compare(const char *name1, size_t len1, int mode1,
+		      const char *name2, size_t len2, int mode2)
+{
+	unsigned char c1, c2;
+	size_t len = len1 < len2 ? len1 : len2;
+	int cmp;
+
+	cmp = memcmp(name1, name2, len);
+	if (cmp)
+		return cmp;
+	c1 = name1[len];
+	c2 = name2[len];
+	if (!c1 && S_ISDIR(mode1))
+		c1 = '/';
+	if (!c2 && S_ISDIR(mode2))
+		c2 = '/';
+	return (c1 < c2) ? -1 : (c1 > c2) ? 1 : 0;
+}
+
+/*
+ * df_name_compare() is identical to base_name_compare(), except it
+ * compares conflicting directory/file entries as equal. Note that
+ * while a directory name compares as equal to a regular file, they
+ * then individually compare _differently_ to a filename that has
+ * a dot after the basename (because '\0' < '.' < '/').
+ *
+ * This is used by routines that want to traverse the git namespace
+ * but then handle conflicting entries together when possible.
+ */
+int df_name_compare(const char *name1, size_t len1, int mode1,
+		    const char *name2, size_t len2, int mode2)
+{
+	unsigned char c1, c2;
+	size_t len = len1 < len2 ? len1 : len2;
+	int cmp;
+
+	cmp = memcmp(name1, name2, len);
+	if (cmp)
+		return cmp;
+	/* Directories and files compare equal (same length, same name) */
+	if (len1 == len2)
+		return 0;
+	c1 = name1[len];
+	if (!c1 && S_ISDIR(mode1))
+		c1 = '/';
+	c2 = name2[len];
+	if (!c2 && S_ISDIR(mode2))
+		c2 = '/';
+	if (c1 == '/' && !c2)
+		return 0;
+	if (c2 == '/' && !c1)
+		return 0;
+	return c1 - c2;
+}
+
+int name_compare(const char *name1, size_t len1, const char *name2, size_t len2)
+{
+	size_t min_len = (len1 < len2) ? len1 : len2;
+	int cmp = memcmp(name1, name2, min_len);
+	if (cmp)
+		return cmp;
+	if (len1 < len2)
+		return -1;
+	if (len1 > len2)
+		return 1;
+	return 0;
+}
+
 struct tree *lookup_tree(struct repository *r, const struct object_id *oid)
 {
 	struct object *obj = lookup_object(r, oid);
diff --git a/tree.h b/tree.h
index 8e3c6d441cc..1b5ecbda6b3 100644
--- a/tree.h
+++ b/tree.h
@@ -29,6 +29,15 @@ void free_tree_buffer(struct tree *tree);
 /* Parses and returns the tree in the given ent, chasing tags and commits. */
 struct tree *parse_tree_indirect(const struct object_id *oid);
 
+/*
+ * Functions for comparing pathnames
+ */
+int base_name_compare(const char *name1, size_t len1, int mode1,
+		      const char *name2, size_t len2, int mode2);
+int df_name_compare(const char *name1, size_t len1, int mode1,
+		    const char *name2, size_t len2, int mode2);
+int name_compare(const char *name1, size_t len1,
+		 const char *name2, size_t len2);
 
 #define READ_TREE_RECURSIVE 1
 typedef int (*read_tree_fn_t)(const struct object_id *, struct strbuf *, const char *, unsigned int, void *);
