diff --git a/lib/database.cc b/lib/database.cc
index 650359f4..f96ba7c0 100644
--- a/lib/database.cc
+++ b/lib/database.cc
@@ -453,109 +453,6 @@ notmuch_database_find_message (notmuch_database_t *notmuch,
     }
 }
 
-notmuch_status_t
-notmuch_database_create (const char *path, notmuch_database_t **database)
-{
-    char *status_string = NULL;
-    notmuch_status_t status;
-
-    status = notmuch_database_create_verbose (path, database,
-					      &status_string);
-
-    if (status_string) {
-	fputs (status_string, stderr);
-	free (status_string);
-    }
-
-    return status;
-}
-
-notmuch_status_t
-notmuch_database_create_verbose (const char *path,
-				 notmuch_database_t **database,
-				 char **status_string)
-{
-    notmuch_status_t status = NOTMUCH_STATUS_SUCCESS;
-    notmuch_database_t *notmuch = NULL;
-    char *notmuch_path = NULL;
-    char *message = NULL;
-    struct stat st;
-    int err;
-
-    if (path == NULL) {
-	message = strdup ("Error: Cannot create a database for a NULL path.\n");
-	status = NOTMUCH_STATUS_NULL_POINTER;
-	goto DONE;
-    }
-
-    if (path[0] != '/') {
-	message = strdup ("Error: Database path must be absolute.\n");
-	status = NOTMUCH_STATUS_PATH_ERROR;
-	goto DONE;
-    }
-
-    err = stat (path, &st);
-    if (err) {
-	IGNORE_RESULT (asprintf (&message, "Error: Cannot create database at %s: %s.\n",
-				 path, strerror (errno)));
-	status = NOTMUCH_STATUS_FILE_ERROR;
-	goto DONE;
-    }
-
-    if (! S_ISDIR (st.st_mode)) {
-	IGNORE_RESULT (asprintf (&message, "Error: Cannot create database at %s: "
-				 "Not a directory.\n",
-				 path));
-	status = NOTMUCH_STATUS_FILE_ERROR;
-	goto DONE;
-    }
-
-    notmuch_path = talloc_asprintf (NULL, "%s/%s", path, ".notmuch");
-
-    err = mkdir (notmuch_path, 0755);
-
-    if (err) {
-	IGNORE_RESULT (asprintf (&message, "Error: Cannot create directory %s: %s.\n",
-				 notmuch_path, strerror (errno)));
-	status = NOTMUCH_STATUS_FILE_ERROR;
-	goto DONE;
-    }
-
-    status = notmuch_database_open_verbose (path,
-					    NOTMUCH_DATABASE_MODE_READ_WRITE,
-					    &notmuch, &message);
-    if (status)
-	goto DONE;
-
-    /* Upgrade doesn't add these feature to existing databases, but
-     * new databases have them. */
-    notmuch->features |= NOTMUCH_FEATURE_FROM_SUBJECT_ID_VALUES;
-    notmuch->features |= NOTMUCH_FEATURE_INDEXED_MIMETYPES;
-    notmuch->features |= NOTMUCH_FEATURE_UNPREFIX_BODY_ONLY;
-
-    status = notmuch_database_upgrade (notmuch, NULL, NULL);
-    if (status) {
-	notmuch_database_close (notmuch);
-	notmuch = NULL;
-    }
-
-  DONE:
-    if (notmuch_path)
-	talloc_free (notmuch_path);
-
-    if (message) {
-	if (status_string)
-	    *status_string = message;
-	else
-	    free (message);
-    }
-    if (database)
-	*database = notmuch;
-    else
-	talloc_free (notmuch);
-    return status;
-}
-
 notmuch_status_t
 _notmuch_database_ensure_writable (notmuch_database_t *notmuch)
 {
diff --git a/lib/open.cc b/lib/open.cc
index 06d079e4..6046868a 100644
--- a/lib/open.cc
+++ b/lib/open.cc
@@ -341,3 +341,106 @@ notmuch_database_open_with_config (const char *database_path,
 
     return status;
 }
+
+notmuch_status_t
+notmuch_database_create (const char *path, notmuch_database_t **database)
+{
+    char *status_string = NULL;
+    notmuch_status_t status;
+
+    status = notmuch_database_create_verbose (path, database,
+					      &status_string);
+
+    if (status_string) {
+	fputs (status_string, stderr);
+	free (status_string);
+    }
+
+    return status;
+}
+
+notmuch_status_t
+notmuch_database_create_verbose (const char *path,
+				 notmuch_database_t **database,
+				 char **status_string)
+{
+    notmuch_status_t status = NOTMUCH_STATUS_SUCCESS;
+    notmuch_database_t *notmuch = NULL;
+    char *notmuch_path = NULL;
+    char *message = NULL;
+    struct stat st;
+    int err;
+
+    if (path == NULL) {
+	message = strdup ("Error: Cannot create a database for a NULL path.\n");
+	status = NOTMUCH_STATUS_NULL_POINTER;
+	goto DONE;
+    }
+
+    if (path[0] != '/') {
+	message = strdup ("Error: Database path must be absolute.\n");
+	status = NOTMUCH_STATUS_PATH_ERROR;
+	goto DONE;
+    }
+
+    err = stat (path, &st);
+    if (err) {
+	IGNORE_RESULT (asprintf (&message, "Error: Cannot create database at %s: %s.\n",
+				 path, strerror (errno)));
+	status = NOTMUCH_STATUS_FILE_ERROR;
+	goto DONE;
+    }
+
+    if (! S_ISDIR (st.st_mode)) {
+	IGNORE_RESULT (asprintf (&message, "Error: Cannot create database at %s: "
+				 "Not a directory.\n",
+				 path));
+	status = NOTMUCH_STATUS_FILE_ERROR;
+	goto DONE;
+    }
+
+    notmuch_path = talloc_asprintf (NULL, "%s/%s", path, ".notmuch");
+
+    err = mkdir (notmuch_path, 0755);
+
+    if (err) {
+	IGNORE_RESULT (asprintf (&message, "Error: Cannot create directory %s: %s.\n",
+				 notmuch_path, strerror (errno)));
+	status = NOTMUCH_STATUS_FILE_ERROR;
+	goto DONE;
+    }
+
+    status = notmuch_database_open_verbose (path,
+					    NOTMUCH_DATABASE_MODE_READ_WRITE,
+					    &notmuch, &message);
+    if (status)
+	goto DONE;
+
+    /* Upgrade doesn't add these feature to existing databases, but
+     * new databases have them. */
+    notmuch->features |= NOTMUCH_FEATURE_FROM_SUBJECT_ID_VALUES;
+    notmuch->features |= NOTMUCH_FEATURE_INDEXED_MIMETYPES;
+    notmuch->features |= NOTMUCH_FEATURE_UNPREFIX_BODY_ONLY;
+
+    status = notmuch_database_upgrade (notmuch, NULL, NULL);
+    if (status) {
+	notmuch_database_close (notmuch);
+	notmuch = NULL;
+    }
+
+  DONE:
+    if (notmuch_path)
+	talloc_free (notmuch_path);
+
+    if (message) {
+	if (status_string)
+	    *status_string = message;
+	else
+	    free (message);
+    }
+    if (database)
+	*database = notmuch;
+    else
+	talloc_free (notmuch);
+    return status;
+}