diff --git a/refs.c b/refs.c
index e40989431f..081ea6eada 100644
--- a/refs.c
+++ b/refs.c
@@ -2736,7 +2736,14 @@ int pack_refs(unsigned int flags)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-int repack_without_refs(struct string_list *refnames, struct strbuf *err)
+/*
+ * Rewrite the packed-refs file, omitting any refs listed in
+ * 'refnames'. On error, leave packed-refs unchanged, write an error
+ * message to 'err', and return a nonzero value.
+ *
+ * The refs in 'refnames' needn't be sorted. `err` must not be NULL.
+ */
+static int repack_without_refs(struct string_list *refnames, struct strbuf *err)
 {
 	struct ref_dir *packed;
 	struct string_list_item *refname;
diff --git a/refs.h b/refs.h
index 1a5d44a974..5f3bea7a42 100644
--- a/refs.h
+++ b/refs.h
@@ -154,17 +154,6 @@ extern void rollback_packed_refs(void);
  */
 int pack_refs(unsigned int flags);
 
-/*
- * Rewrite the packed-refs file, omitting any refs listed in
- * 'refnames'. On error, packed-refs will be unchanged, the return
- * value is nonzero, and a message about the error is written to the
- * 'err' strbuf.
- *
- * The refs in 'refnames' needn't be sorted. `err` must not be NULL.
- */
-extern int repack_without_refs(struct string_list *refnames,
-			       struct strbuf *err);
-
 extern int ref_exists(const char *);
 
 extern int is_branch(const char *refname);