diff --git a/src/libvirt_private.syms b/src/libvirt_private.syms
index 83f40cefe6..9db4ac7933 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_private.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_private.syms
@@ -2994,6 +2994,7 @@ virStorageFileReportBrokenChain;
 virStorageFileResize;
 virStorageFileStat;
 virStorageFileSupportsAccess;
+virStorageFileSupportsBackingChainTraversal;
 virStorageFileSupportsCreate;
 virStorageFileSupportsSecurityDriver;
 virStorageFileUnlink;
diff --git a/src/util/virstoragefile.c b/src/util/virstoragefile.c
index 88bfa8f160..d3596a29e8 100644
--- a/src/util/virstoragefile.c
+++ b/src/util/virstoragefile.c
@@ -4450,8 +4450,8 @@ virStorageFileGetBackendForSupportCheck(const virStorageSource *src,
 }
 
 
-static int
-virStorageFileSupportsBackingChainTraversal(virStorageSourcePtr src)
+int
+virStorageFileSupportsBackingChainTraversal(const virStorageSource *src)
 {
     virStorageFileBackendPtr backend;
     int rv;
diff --git a/src/util/virstoragefile.h b/src/util/virstoragefile.h
index 2882bacf3e..b65cd4c382 100644
--- a/src/util/virstoragefile.h
+++ b/src/util/virstoragefile.h
@@ -533,6 +533,7 @@ int virStorageFileChown(const virStorageSource *src, uid_t uid, gid_t gid);
 int virStorageFileSupportsSecurityDriver(const virStorageSource *src);
 int virStorageFileSupportsAccess(const virStorageSource *src);
 int virStorageFileSupportsCreate(const virStorageSource *src);
+int virStorageFileSupportsBackingChainTraversal(const virStorageSource *src);
 
 int virStorageFileGetMetadata(virStorageSourcePtr src,
                               uid_t uid, gid_t gid,