diff --git a/commit-graph.c b/commit-graph.c
index 63a56483cf..172e679db1 100644
--- a/commit-graph.c
+++ b/commit-graph.c
@@ -1604,6 +1604,35 @@ static void compute_generation_numbers(struct write_commit_graph_context *ctx)
 	stop_progress(&ctx->progress);
 }
 
+static void set_generation_in_graph_data(struct commit *c, timestamp_t t,
+					 void *data)
+{
+	commit_graph_data_at(c)->generation = t;
+}
+
+/*
+ * After this method, all commits reachable from those in the given
+ * list will have non-zero, non-infinite generation numbers.
+ */
+void ensure_generations_valid(struct repository *r,
+			      struct commit **commits, size_t nr)
+{
+	int generation_version = get_configured_generation_version(r);
+	struct packed_commit_list list = {
+		.list = commits,
+		.alloc = nr,
+		.nr = nr,
+	};
+	struct compute_generation_info info = {
+		.r = r,
+		.commits = &list,
+		.get_generation = get_generation_from_graph_data,
+		.set_generation = set_generation_in_graph_data,
+	};
+
+	compute_reachable_generation_numbers(&info, generation_version);
+}
+
 static void trace2_bloom_filter_write_statistics(struct write_commit_graph_context *ctx)
 {
 	trace2_data_intmax("commit-graph", ctx->r, "filter-computed",
diff --git a/commit-graph.h b/commit-graph.h
index 37faee6b66..73e182ab2d 100644
--- a/commit-graph.h
+++ b/commit-graph.h
@@ -190,4 +190,12 @@ struct commit_graph_data {
  */
 timestamp_t commit_graph_generation(const struct commit *);
 uint32_t commit_graph_position(const struct commit *);
+
+/*
+ * After this method, all commits reachable from those in the given
+ * list will have non-zero, non-infinite generation numbers.
+ */
+void ensure_generations_valid(struct repository *r,
+			      struct commit **commits, size_t nr);
+
 #endif