diff --git a/lib/message-file.c b/lib/message-file.c
index 8ac96e8e..ee305202 100644
--- a/lib/message-file.c
+++ b/lib/message-file.c
@@ -37,27 +37,6 @@ struct _notmuch_message_file {
     GMimeMessage *message;
 };
 
-static int
-strcase_equal (const void *a, const void *b)
-{
-    return strcasecmp (a, b) == 0;
-}
-
-static unsigned int
-strcase_hash (const void *ptr)
-{
-    const char *s = ptr;
-
-    /* This is the djb2 hash. */
-    unsigned int hash = 5381;
-    while (s && *s) {
-	hash = ((hash << 5) + hash) + tolower (*s);
-	s++;
-    }
-
-    return hash;
-}
-
 static int
 _notmuch_message_file_destructor (notmuch_message_file_t *message)
 {
diff --git a/lib/notmuch-private.h b/lib/notmuch-private.h
index f52b4e47..5dd4770e 100644
--- a/lib/notmuch-private.h
+++ b/lib/notmuch-private.h
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ NOTMUCH_BEGIN_DECLS
 
 #include "xutil.h"
 #include "error_util.h"
+#include "string-util.h"
 
 #pragma GCC visibility push(hidden)
 
diff --git a/util/string-util.c b/util/string-util.c
index a90501ee..76c0b902 100644
--- a/util/string-util.c
+++ b/util/string-util.c
@@ -221,3 +221,24 @@ parse_boolean_term (void *ctx, const char *str,
     errno = err;
     return -1;
 }
+
+int
+strcase_equal (const void *a, const void *b)
+{
+    return strcasecmp (a, b) == 0;
+}
+
+unsigned int
+strcase_hash (const void *ptr)
+{
+    const char *s = ptr;
+
+    /* This is the djb2 hash. */
+    unsigned int hash = 5381;
+    while (s && *s) {
+	hash = ((hash << 5) + hash) + tolower (*s);
+	s++;
+    }
+
+    return hash;
+}
diff --git a/util/string-util.h b/util/string-util.h
index e409cb3d..80d24d1c 100644
--- a/util/string-util.h
+++ b/util/string-util.h
@@ -64,6 +64,12 @@ int
 parse_boolean_term (void *ctx, const char *str,
 		    char **prefix_out, char **term_out);
 
+/* GLib GEqualFunc compatible strcasecmp wrapper */
+int strcase_equal (const void *a, const void *b);
+
+/* GLib GHashFunc compatible case insensitive hash function */
+unsigned int strcase_hash (const void *ptr);
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif