diff --git a/midx.c b/midx.c
index e6b1fbe37d..7d23338aa3 100644
--- a/midx.c
+++ b/midx.c
@@ -667,8 +667,8 @@ static int midx_pack_names_cmp(const void *a, const void *b, void *m_)
 		      m->pack_names[*(const size_t *)b]);
 }
 
-static int midx_contains_pack_1(struct multi_pack_index *m,
-				const char *idx_or_pack_name)
+int midx_layer_contains_pack(struct multi_pack_index *m,
+			     const char *idx_or_pack_name)
 {
 	uint32_t first = 0, last = m->num_packs;
 
@@ -709,7 +709,7 @@ static int midx_contains_pack_1(struct multi_pack_index *m,
 int midx_contains_pack(struct multi_pack_index *m, const char *idx_or_pack_name)
 {
 	for (; m; m = m->base_midx)
-		if (midx_contains_pack_1(m, idx_or_pack_name))
+		if (midx_layer_contains_pack(m, idx_or_pack_name))
 			return 1;
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/midx.h b/midx.h
index e4a75ff2be..f211a38b9e 100644
--- a/midx.h
+++ b/midx.h
@@ -119,6 +119,8 @@ struct object_id *nth_midxed_object_oid(struct object_id *oid,
 int fill_midx_entry(struct multi_pack_index *m, const struct object_id *oid, struct pack_entry *e);
 int midx_contains_pack(struct multi_pack_index *m,
 		       const char *idx_or_pack_name);
+int midx_layer_contains_pack(struct multi_pack_index *m,
+			     const char *idx_or_pack_name);
 int midx_preferred_pack(struct multi_pack_index *m, uint32_t *pack_int_id);
 int prepare_multi_pack_index_one(struct odb_source *source);