diff --git a/ctdb/include/internal/includes.h b/ctdb/include/internal/includes.h
index d3227a2beea..396965f8866 100644
--- a/ctdb/include/internal/includes.h
+++ b/ctdb/include/internal/includes.h
@@ -66,7 +66,6 @@ double timeval_elapsed(struct timeval *tv);
 double timeval_delta(struct timeval *tv2, struct timeval *tv);
 char **file_lines_load(const char *fname, int *numlines, TALLOC_CTX *mem_ctx);
 char *hex_encode_talloc(TALLOC_CTX *mem_ctx, const unsigned char *buff_in, size_t len);
-uint8_t *hex_decode_talloc(TALLOC_CTX *mem_ctx, const char *hex_in, size_t *len);
 _PUBLIC_ int set_blocking(int fd, bool set);
 
 #include "lib/util/debug.h"
diff --git a/ctdb/lib/util/util_file.c b/ctdb/lib/util/util_file.c
index 3a90201cce7..21d64b20e3d 100644
--- a/ctdb/lib/util/util_file.c
+++ b/ctdb/lib/util/util_file.c
@@ -114,19 +114,3 @@ char *hex_encode_talloc(TALLOC_CTX *mem_ctx, const unsigned char *buff_in, size_
 
 	return hex_buffer;
 }
-
-uint8_t *hex_decode_talloc(TALLOC_CTX *mem_ctx, const char *hex_in, size_t *len)
-{
-	int i, num;
-	uint8_t *buffer;
-
-	*len = strlen(hex_in) / 2;
-	buffer = talloc_array(mem_ctx, unsigned char, *len);
-
-	for (i=0; i<*len; i++) {
-		sscanf(&hex_in[i*2], "%02X", &num);
-		buffer[i] = (uint8_t)num;
-	}
-
-	return buffer;
-}
diff --git a/ctdb/server/ctdb_lock_helper.c b/ctdb/server/ctdb_lock_helper.c
index d0a2a891ff5..9e7535983e2 100644
--- a/ctdb/server/ctdb_lock_helper.c
+++ b/ctdb/server/ctdb_lock_helper.c
@@ -42,6 +42,22 @@ static void usage(void)
 		progname);
 }
 
+static uint8_t *hex_decode_talloc(TALLOC_CTX *mem_ctx,
+				  const char *hex_in, size_t *len)
+{
+	int i, num;
+	uint8_t *buffer;
+
+	*len = strlen(hex_in) / 2;
+	buffer = talloc_array(mem_ctx, unsigned char, *len);
+
+	for (i=0; i<*len; i++) {
+		sscanf(&hex_in[i*2], "%02X", &num);
+		buffer[i] = (uint8_t)num;
+	}
+
+	return buffer;
+}
 
 static int lock_record(const char *dbpath, const char *dbkey)
 {