diff --git a/gio/gdbusauth.c b/gio/gdbusauth.c
index 16df096a5..1f8ea8057 100644
--- a/gio/gdbusauth.c
+++ b/gio/gdbusauth.c
@@ -365,12 +365,6 @@ _my_g_input_stream_read_line_safe (GInputStream  *i,
 
 /* ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
-static void
-append_nibble (GString *s, gint val)
-{
-  g_string_append_c (s, val >= 10 ? ('a' + val - 10) : ('0' + val));
-}
-
 static gchar *
 hexdecode (const gchar  *str,
            gsize        *out_len,
@@ -417,31 +411,6 @@ hexdecode (const gchar  *str,
    return ret;
 }
 
-static gchar *
-hexencode (const gchar *str,
-           gsize        str_len)
-{
-  guint n;
-  GString *s;
-
-  s = g_string_new (NULL);
-  for (n = 0; n < str_len; n++)
-    {
-      gint val;
-      gint upper_nibble;
-      gint lower_nibble;
-
-      val = ((const guchar *) str)[n];
-      upper_nibble = val >> 4;
-      lower_nibble = val & 0x0f;
-
-      append_nibble (s, upper_nibble);
-      append_nibble (s, lower_nibble);
-    }
-
-  return g_string_free (s, FALSE);
-}
-
 /* ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
 static GDBusAuthMechanism *
@@ -548,7 +517,7 @@ client_choose_mech_and_send_initial_response (GDBusAuth           *auth,
   if (initial_response != NULL)
     {
       //g_printerr ("initial_response = '%s'\n", initial_response);
-      encoded = hexencode (initial_response, initial_response_len);
+      encoded = _g_dbus_hexencode (initial_response, initial_response_len);
       s = g_strdup_printf ("AUTH %s %s\r\n",
                            _g_dbus_auth_mechanism_get_name (auth_mech_to_use_gtype),
                            encoded);
@@ -840,7 +809,7 @@ _g_dbus_auth_run_client (GDBusAuth     *auth,
                   gsize data_len;
                   gchar *encoded_data;
                   data = _g_dbus_auth_mechanism_client_data_send (mech, &data_len);
-                  encoded_data = hexencode (data, data_len);
+                  encoded_data = _g_dbus_hexencode (data, data_len);
                   s = g_strdup_printf ("DATA %s\r\n", encoded_data);
                   g_free (encoded_data);
                   g_free (data);
@@ -1215,7 +1184,7 @@ _g_dbus_auth_run_server (GDBusAuth              *auth,
                           {
                             gchar *encoded_data;
 
-                            encoded_data = hexencode (data, data_len);
+                            encoded_data = _g_dbus_hexencode (data, data_len);
                             s = g_strdup_printf ("DATA %s\r\n", encoded_data);
                             g_free (encoded_data);
                             g_free (data);
diff --git a/gio/gdbusauthmechanismsha1.c b/gio/gdbusauthmechanismsha1.c
index 5387659e6..f6525c07d 100644
--- a/gio/gdbusauthmechanismsha1.c
+++ b/gio/gdbusauthmechanismsha1.c
@@ -307,42 +307,6 @@ out:
 
 /* ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
-static void
-append_nibble (GString *s, gint val)
-{
-  g_string_append_c (s, val >= 10 ? ('a' + val - 10) : ('0' + val));
-}
-
-static gchar *
-hexencode (const gchar *str,
-           gssize       len)
-{
-  guint n;
-  GString *s;
-
-  if (len == -1)
-    len = strlen (str);
-
-  s = g_string_new (NULL);
-  for (n = 0; n < len; n++)
-    {
-      gint val;
-      gint upper_nibble;
-      gint lower_nibble;
-
-      val = ((const guchar *) str)[n];
-      upper_nibble = val >> 4;
-      lower_nibble = val & 0x0f;
-
-      append_nibble (s, upper_nibble);
-      append_nibble (s, lower_nibble);
-    }
-
-  return g_string_free (s, FALSE);
-}
-
-/* ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
-
 /* looks up an entry in the keyring */
 static gchar *
 keyring_lookup_entry (const gchar  *cookie_context,
@@ -836,7 +800,7 @@ keyring_generate_entry (const gchar  *cookie_context,
       gchar *raw_cookie;
       *out_id = max_line_id + 1;
       raw_cookie = random_blob (32);
-      *out_cookie = hexencode (raw_cookie, 32);
+      *out_cookie = _g_dbus_hexencode (raw_cookie, 32);
       g_free (raw_cookie);
 
       g_string_append_printf (new_contents,
diff --git a/gio/gdbusprivate.c b/gio/gdbusprivate.c
index 288c31f40..648220f7a 100644
--- a/gio/gdbusprivate.c
+++ b/gio/gdbusprivate.c
@@ -2232,3 +2232,38 @@ _g_signal_accumulator_false_handled (GSignalInvocationHint *ihint,
 
   return continue_emission;
 }
+
+/* ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
+
+static void
+append_nibble (GString *s, gint val)
+{
+  g_string_append_c (s, val >= 10 ? ('a' + val - 10) : ('0' + val));
+}
+
+/* ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
+
+gchar *
+_g_dbus_hexencode (const gchar *str,
+                   gsize        str_len)
+{
+  gsize n;
+  GString *s;
+
+  s = g_string_new (NULL);
+  for (n = 0; n < str_len; n++)
+    {
+      gint val;
+      gint upper_nibble;
+      gint lower_nibble;
+
+      val = ((const guchar *) str)[n];
+      upper_nibble = val >> 4;
+      lower_nibble = val & 0x0f;
+
+      append_nibble (s, upper_nibble);
+      append_nibble (s, lower_nibble);
+    }
+
+  return g_string_free (s, FALSE);
+}
diff --git a/gio/gdbusprivate.h b/gio/gdbusprivate.h
index 6a6a08014..21f2d5e5c 100644
--- a/gio/gdbusprivate.h
+++ b/gio/gdbusprivate.h
@@ -141,6 +141,9 @@ void _g_dbus_object_proxy_add_interface (GDBusObjectProxy *proxy,
 void _g_dbus_object_proxy_remove_interface (GDBusObjectProxy *proxy,
                                             const gchar      *interface_name);
 
+gchar *_g_dbus_hexencode (const gchar *str,
+                          gsize        str_len);
+
 /* Implemented in gdbusconnection.c */
 GDBusConnection *_g_bus_get_singleton_if_exists (GBusType bus_type);