diff --git a/src/files.c b/src/files.c
index a9b3003c..5f0c1464 100644
--- a/src/files.c
+++ b/src/files.c
@@ -2684,14 +2684,3 @@ char *input_tab(char *buf, bool allow_files, size_t *place,
     return buf;
 }
 #endif /* ENABLE_TABCOMP */
-
-/* Return the filename part of the given path. */
-const char *tail(const char *path)
-{
-    const char *slash = strrchr(path, '/');
-
-    if (slash == NULL)
-	return path;
-    else
-	return ++slash;
-}
diff --git a/src/proto.h b/src/proto.h
index bad1de9f..5843cf53 100644
--- a/src/proto.h
+++ b/src/proto.h
@@ -321,7 +321,6 @@ void free_chararray(char **array, size_t len);
 char *input_tab(char *buf, bool allow_files, size_t *place,
 	bool *lastwastab, void (*refresh_func)(void), bool *listed);
 #endif
-const char *tail(const char *path);
 
 /* Some functions in global.c. */
 size_t length_of_list(int menu);
@@ -581,6 +580,7 @@ void complete_a_word(void);
 
 /* All functions in utils.c. */
 void get_homedir(void);
+const char *tail(const char *path);
 char *concatenate(const char *path, const char *name);
 #ifdef ENABLE_LINENUMBERS
 int digits(ssize_t n);
diff --git a/src/utils.c b/src/utils.c
index b4fe3b3c..769a9912 100644
--- a/src/utils.c
+++ b/src/utils.c
@@ -53,6 +53,17 @@ void get_homedir(void)
     }
 }
 
+/* Return the filename part of the given path. */
+const char *tail(const char *path)
+{
+    const char *slash = strrchr(path, '/');
+
+    if (slash == NULL)
+	return path;
+    else
+	return ++slash;
+}
+
 /* Return a copy of the two given strings, welded together. */
 char *concatenate(const char *path, const char *name)
 {