diff --git a/run-command.c b/run-command.c
index 02c7bfba8f..dccac37c4b 100644
--- a/run-command.c
+++ b/run-command.c
@@ -39,6 +39,48 @@ static inline void set_cloexec(int fd)
 }
 #endif
 
+static int wait_or_whine(pid_t pid, const char *argv0, int silent_exec_failure)
+{
+	int status, code = -1;
+	pid_t waiting;
+	int failed_errno = 0;
+
+	while ((waiting = waitpid(pid, &status, 0)) < 0 && errno == EINTR)
+		;	/* nothing */
+
+	if (waiting < 0) {
+		failed_errno = errno;
+		error("waitpid for %s failed: %s", argv0, strerror(errno));
+	} else if (waiting != pid) {
+		error("waitpid is confused (%s)", argv0);
+	} else if (WIFSIGNALED(status)) {
+		code = WTERMSIG(status);
+		error("%s died of signal %d", argv0, code);
+		/*
+		 * This return value is chosen so that code & 0xff
+		 * mimics the exit code that a POSIX shell would report for
+		 * a program that died from this signal.
+		 */
+		code -= 128;
+	} else if (WIFEXITED(status)) {
+		code = WEXITSTATUS(status);
+		/*
+		 * Convert special exit code when execvp failed.
+		 */
+		if (code == 127) {
+			code = -1;
+			failed_errno = ENOENT;
+			if (!silent_exec_failure)
+				error("cannot run %s: %s", argv0,
+					strerror(ENOENT));
+		}
+	} else {
+		error("waitpid is confused (%s)", argv0);
+	}
+	errno = failed_errno;
+	return code;
+}
+
 int start_command(struct child_process *cmd)
 {
 	int need_in, need_out, need_err;
@@ -272,48 +314,6 @@ fail_pipe:
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int wait_or_whine(pid_t pid, const char *argv0, int silent_exec_failure)
-{
-	int status, code = -1;
-	pid_t waiting;
-	int failed_errno = 0;
-
-	while ((waiting = waitpid(pid, &status, 0)) < 0 && errno == EINTR)
-		;	/* nothing */
-
-	if (waiting < 0) {
-		failed_errno = errno;
-		error("waitpid for %s failed: %s", argv0, strerror(errno));
-	} else if (waiting != pid) {
-		error("waitpid is confused (%s)", argv0);
-	} else if (WIFSIGNALED(status)) {
-		code = WTERMSIG(status);
-		error("%s died of signal %d", argv0, code);
-		/*
-		 * This return value is chosen so that code & 0xff
-		 * mimics the exit code that a POSIX shell would report for
-		 * a program that died from this signal.
-		 */
-		code -= 128;
-	} else if (WIFEXITED(status)) {
-		code = WEXITSTATUS(status);
-		/*
-		 * Convert special exit code when execvp failed.
-		 */
-		if (code == 127) {
-			code = -1;
-			failed_errno = ENOENT;
-			if (!silent_exec_failure)
-				error("cannot run %s: %s", argv0,
-					strerror(ENOENT));
-		}
-	} else {
-		error("waitpid is confused (%s)", argv0);
-	}
-	errno = failed_errno;
-	return code;
-}
-
 int finish_command(struct child_process *cmd)
 {
 	return wait_or_whine(cmd->pid, cmd->argv[0], cmd->silent_exec_failure);