diff --git a/quote.c b/quote.c
index 890885a736..fe884d2452 100644
--- a/quote.c
+++ b/quote.c
@@ -4,6 +4,11 @@
 
 int quote_path_fully = 1;
 
+static inline int need_bs_quote(char c)
+{
+	return (c == '\'' || c == '!');
+}
+
 /* Help to copy the thing properly quoted for the shell safety.
  * any single quote is replaced with '\'', any exclamation point
  * is replaced with '\!', and the whole thing is enclosed in a
@@ -16,11 +21,6 @@ int quote_path_fully = 1;
  *  a'b      ==> a'\''b    ==> 'a'\''b'
  *  a!b      ==> a'\!'b    ==> 'a'\!'b'
  */
-static inline int need_bs_quote(char c)
-{
-	return (c == '\'' || c == '!');
-}
-
 void sq_quote_buf(struct strbuf *dst, const char *src)
 {
 	char *to_free = NULL;