diff --git a/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-file.c b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-file.c
index b1064a69820..c4971a807c7 100644
--- a/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-file.c
+++ b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-file.c
@@ -3193,56 +3193,6 @@ void journal_file_save_location(JournalFile *f, Object *o, uint64_t offset) {
         f->current_xor_hash = le64toh(o->entry.xor_hash);
 }
 
-int journal_file_compare_locations(JournalFile *af, JournalFile *bf) {
-        int r;
-
-        assert(af);
-        assert(af->header);
-        assert(bf);
-        assert(bf->header);
-        assert(af->location_type == LOCATION_SEEK);
-        assert(bf->location_type == LOCATION_SEEK);
-
-        /* If contents, timestamps and seqnum match, these entries are
-         * identical. */
-        if (sd_id128_equal(af->current_boot_id, bf->current_boot_id) &&
-            af->current_monotonic == bf->current_monotonic &&
-            af->current_realtime == bf->current_realtime &&
-            af->current_xor_hash == bf->current_xor_hash &&
-            sd_id128_equal(af->header->seqnum_id, bf->header->seqnum_id) &&
-            af->current_seqnum == bf->current_seqnum)
-                return 0;
-
-        if (sd_id128_equal(af->header->seqnum_id, bf->header->seqnum_id)) {
-
-                /* If this is from the same seqnum source, compare
-                 * seqnums */
-                r = CMP(af->current_seqnum, bf->current_seqnum);
-                if (r != 0)
-                        return r;
-
-                /* Wow! This is weird, different data but the same
-                 * seqnums? Something is borked, but let's make the
-                 * best of it and compare by time. */
-        }
-
-        if (sd_id128_equal(af->current_boot_id, bf->current_boot_id)) {
-
-                /* If the boot id matches, compare monotonic time */
-                r = CMP(af->current_monotonic, bf->current_monotonic);
-                if (r != 0)
-                        return r;
-        }
-
-        /* Otherwise, compare UTC time */
-        r = CMP(af->current_realtime, bf->current_realtime);
-        if (r != 0)
-                return r;
-
-        /* Finally, compare by contents */
-        return CMP(af->current_xor_hash, bf->current_xor_hash);
-}
-
 static bool check_properly_ordered(uint64_t new_offset, uint64_t old_offset, direction_t direction) {
 
         /* Consider it an error if any of the two offsets is uninitialized */
diff --git a/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-file.h b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-file.h
index c1f1ab4e4fc..2a0691ae194 100644
--- a/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-file.h
+++ b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-file.h
@@ -275,7 +275,6 @@ int journal_file_find_field_object_with_hash(JournalFile *f, const void *field,
 
 void journal_file_reset_location(JournalFile *f);
 void journal_file_save_location(JournalFile *f, Object *o, uint64_t offset);
-int journal_file_compare_locations(JournalFile *af, JournalFile *bf);
 int journal_file_next_entry(JournalFile *f, uint64_t p, direction_t direction, Object **ret_object, uint64_t *ret_offset);
 
 int journal_file_next_entry_for_data(JournalFile *f, Object *d, direction_t direction, Object **ret_object, uint64_t *ret_offset);
diff --git a/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/sd-journal.c b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/sd-journal.c
index afbf2552663..053149d6750 100644
--- a/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/sd-journal.c
+++ b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/sd-journal.c
@@ -801,6 +801,51 @@ static int next_beyond_location(sd_journal *j, JournalFile *f, direction_t direc
         }
 }
 
+static int compare_locations(JournalFile *af, JournalFile *bf) {
+        int r;
+
+        assert(af);
+        assert(af->header);
+        assert(bf);
+        assert(bf->header);
+        assert(af->location_type == LOCATION_SEEK);
+        assert(bf->location_type == LOCATION_SEEK);
+
+        /* If contents, timestamps and seqnum match, these entries are identical. */
+        if (sd_id128_equal(af->current_boot_id, bf->current_boot_id) &&
+            af->current_monotonic == bf->current_monotonic &&
+            af->current_realtime == bf->current_realtime &&
+            af->current_xor_hash == bf->current_xor_hash &&
+            sd_id128_equal(af->header->seqnum_id, bf->header->seqnum_id) &&
+            af->current_seqnum == bf->current_seqnum)
+                return 0;
+
+        if (sd_id128_equal(af->header->seqnum_id, bf->header->seqnum_id)) {
+                /* If this is from the same seqnum source, compare seqnums */
+                r = CMP(af->current_seqnum, bf->current_seqnum);
+                if (r != 0)
+                        return r;
+
+                /* Wow! This is weird, different data but the same seqnums? Something is borked, but let's
+                 * make the best of it and compare by time. */
+        }
+
+        if (sd_id128_equal(af->current_boot_id, bf->current_boot_id)) {
+                /* If the boot id matches, compare monotonic time */
+                r = CMP(af->current_monotonic, bf->current_monotonic);
+                if (r != 0)
+                        return r;
+        }
+
+        /* Otherwise, compare UTC time */
+        r = CMP(af->current_realtime, bf->current_realtime);
+        if (r != 0)
+                return r;
+
+        /* Finally, compare by contents */
+        return CMP(af->current_xor_hash, bf->current_xor_hash);
+}
+
 static int real_journal_next(sd_journal *j, direction_t direction) {
         JournalFile *new_file = NULL;
         unsigned n_files;
@@ -834,7 +879,7 @@ static int real_journal_next(sd_journal *j, direction_t direction) {
                 else {
                         int k;
 
-                        k = journal_file_compare_locations(f, new_file);
+                        k = compare_locations(f, new_file);
 
                         found = direction == DIRECTION_DOWN ? k < 0 : k > 0;
                 }