diff --git a/src/libvirt_private.syms b/src/libvirt_private.syms
index 044510f091..c1e9471c58 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_private.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_private.syms
@@ -2593,6 +2593,7 @@ virStorageFileParseChainIndex;
 virStorageFileProbeFormat;
 virStorageFileResize;
 virStorageIsFile;
+virStorageIsRelative;
 virStorageNetHostDefClear;
 virStorageNetHostDefCopy;
 virStorageNetHostDefFree;
diff --git a/src/util/virstoragefile.c b/src/util/virstoragefile.c
index 3cbbb6c8fc..8047d977f7 100644
--- a/src/util/virstoragefile.c
+++ b/src/util/virstoragefile.c
@@ -801,7 +801,7 @@ virStorageIsFile(const char *backing)
 }
 
 
-static bool
+bool
 virStorageIsRelative(const char *backing)
 {
     if (backing[0] == '/')
diff --git a/src/util/virstoragefile.h b/src/util/virstoragefile.h
index 9ebfc11081..ce54a19cee 100644
--- a/src/util/virstoragefile.h
+++ b/src/util/virstoragefile.h
@@ -332,6 +332,7 @@ int virStorageFileResize(const char *path,
 
 int virStorageFileIsClusterFS(const char *path);
 bool virStorageIsFile(const char *path);
+bool virStorageIsRelative(const char *backing);
 
 int virStorageFileGetLVMKey(const char *path,
                             char **key);