diff --git a/cache.h b/cache.h
index 493983cbae..8246500166 100644
--- a/cache.h
+++ b/cache.h
@@ -264,6 +264,7 @@ extern struct cache_entry *refresh_cache_entry(struct cache_entry *ce, int reall
 extern int remove_index_entry_at(struct index_state *, int pos);
 extern int remove_file_from_index(struct index_state *, const char *path);
 extern int add_file_to_index(struct index_state *, const char *path, int verbose);
+extern struct cache_entry *make_cache_entry(unsigned int mode, const unsigned char *sha1, const char *path, int stage, int refresh);
 extern int ce_same_name(struct cache_entry *a, struct cache_entry *b);
 extern int ie_match_stat(struct index_state *, struct cache_entry *, struct stat *, int);
 extern int ie_modified(struct index_state *, struct cache_entry *, struct stat *, int);
diff --git a/merge-recursive.c b/merge-recursive.c
index 16f6a0f98b..19d5f3b287 100644
--- a/merge-recursive.c
+++ b/merge-recursive.c
@@ -171,30 +171,6 @@ static void output_commit_title(struct commit *commit)
 	}
 }
 
-static struct cache_entry *make_cache_entry(unsigned int mode,
-		const unsigned char *sha1, const char *path, int stage, int refresh)
-{
-	int size, len;
-	struct cache_entry *ce;
-
-	if (!verify_path(path))
-		return NULL;
-
-	len = strlen(path);
-	size = cache_entry_size(len);
-	ce = xcalloc(1, size);
-
-	hashcpy(ce->sha1, sha1);
-	memcpy(ce->name, path, len);
-	ce->ce_flags = create_ce_flags(len, stage);
-	ce->ce_mode = create_ce_mode(mode);
-
-	if (refresh)
-		return refresh_cache_entry(ce, 0);
-
-	return ce;
-}
-
 static int add_cacheinfo(unsigned int mode, const unsigned char *sha1,
 		const char *path, int stage, int refresh, int options)
 {
diff --git a/read-cache.c b/read-cache.c
index 8b1c94e0e3..536f4d0875 100644
--- a/read-cache.c
+++ b/read-cache.c
@@ -434,6 +434,31 @@ int add_file_to_index(struct index_state *istate, const char *path, int verbose)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+struct cache_entry *make_cache_entry(unsigned int mode,
+		const unsigned char *sha1, const char *path, int stage,
+		int refresh)
+{
+	int size, len;
+	struct cache_entry *ce;
+
+	if (!verify_path(path))
+		return NULL;
+
+	len = strlen(path);
+	size = cache_entry_size(len);
+	ce = xcalloc(1, size);
+
+	hashcpy(ce->sha1, sha1);
+	memcpy(ce->name, path, len);
+	ce->ce_flags = create_ce_flags(len, stage);
+	ce->ce_mode = create_ce_mode(mode);
+
+	if (refresh)
+		return refresh_cache_entry(ce, 0);
+
+	return ce;
+}
+
 int ce_same_name(struct cache_entry *a, struct cache_entry *b)
 {
 	int len = ce_namelen(a);