diff --git a/src/libpriv/rpmostree-rpm-util.c b/src/libpriv/rpmostree-rpm-util.c
index 58cd93b5..31bb57d8 100644
--- a/src/libpriv/rpmostree-rpm-util.c
+++ b/src/libpriv/rpmostree-rpm-util.c
@@ -320,14 +320,17 @@ rpmhdrs_new (RpmOstreeRefTs *refts, const GPtrArray *patterns)
   return ret;
 }
 
-static void
-rpmhdrs_free (struct RpmHeaders *l1)
+void
+rpmhdrs_free (struct RpmHeaders *hdrs)
 {
-  g_ptr_array_free (l1->hs, TRUE);
-  l1->hs = NULL;
-  rpmostree_refts_unref (l1->refts);
+  if (!hdrs)
+    return;
 
-  g_free (l1);
+  g_ptr_array_free (hdrs->hs, TRUE);
+  hdrs->hs = NULL;
+  rpmostree_refts_unref (hdrs->refts);
+
+  g_free (hdrs);
 }
 
 static struct RpmHeadersDiff *
diff --git a/src/libpriv/rpmostree-rpm-util.h b/src/libpriv/rpmostree-rpm-util.h
index 74dcac78..45a7e9ee 100644
--- a/src/libpriv/rpmostree-rpm-util.h
+++ b/src/libpriv/rpmostree-rpm-util.h
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ struct RpmHeaders
   GPtrArray *hs; /* list of rpm header objects from <rpm.h> = Header */
 };
 
+typedef struct RpmHeaders RpmHeaders;
+
 struct RpmHeadersDiff
 {
   GPtrArray *hs_add; /* list of rpm header objects from <rpm.h> = Header */
@@ -91,6 +93,9 @@ const char *rpmrev_get_commit (struct RpmRevisionData *self);
 void rpmrev_free (struct RpmRevisionData *ptr);
 G_DEFINE_AUTOPTR_CLEANUP_FUNC(RpmRevisionData, rpmrev_free);
 
+void rpmhdrs_free (RpmHeaders *hdrs);
+G_DEFINE_AUTOPTR_CLEANUP_FUNC(RpmHeaders, rpmhdrs_free);
+
 RpmOstreeRefSack *
 rpmostree_get_refsack_for_commit (OstreeRepo                *repo,
                                   const char                *ref,