diff --git a/builtin/init-db.c b/builtin/init-db.c
index f59f40768e9..07229d60f1f 100644
--- a/builtin/init-db.c
+++ b/builtin/init-db.c
@@ -24,18 +24,6 @@ static int init_shared_repository = -1;
 static const char *init_db_template_dir;
 static const char *git_link;
 
-static void safe_create_dir(const char *dir, int share)
-{
-	if (mkdir(dir, 0777) < 0) {
-		if (errno != EEXIST) {
-			perror(dir);
-			exit(1);
-		}
-	}
-	else if (share && adjust_shared_perm(dir))
-		die(_("Could not make %s writable by group"), dir);
-}
-
 static void copy_templates_1(struct strbuf *path, struct strbuf *template,
 			     DIR *dir)
 {
diff --git a/cache.h b/cache.h
index 3ba0b8f3d7a..4e13ddb1931 100644
--- a/cache.h
+++ b/cache.h
@@ -1747,4 +1747,12 @@ void stat_validity_update(struct stat_validity *sv, int fd);
 int versioncmp(const char *s1, const char *s2);
 void sleep_millisec(int millisec);
 
+/*
+ * Create a directory and (if share is nonzero) adjust its permissions
+ * according to the shared_repository setting. Only use this for
+ * directories under $GIT_DIR.  Don't use it for working tree
+ * directories.
+ */
+void safe_create_dir(const char *dir, int share);
+
 #endif /* CACHE_H */
diff --git a/path.c b/path.c
index c740c4ff940..9d1ab1f69e2 100644
--- a/path.c
+++ b/path.c
@@ -740,6 +740,18 @@ int adjust_shared_perm(const char *path)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+void safe_create_dir(const char *dir, int share)
+{
+	if (mkdir(dir, 0777) < 0) {
+		if (errno != EEXIST) {
+			perror(dir);
+			exit(1);
+		}
+	}
+	else if (share && adjust_shared_perm(dir))
+		die(_("Could not make %s writable by group"), dir);
+}
+
 static int have_same_root(const char *path1, const char *path2)
 {
 	int is_abs1, is_abs2;