diff --git a/lib/prototypes.h b/lib/prototypes.h
index 53d991fe..ac9ad274 100644
--- a/lib/prototypes.h
+++ b/lib/prototypes.h
@@ -448,6 +448,7 @@ extern bool valid (const char *, const struct passwd *);
 extern /*@maynotreturn@*/ /*@only@*//*@out@*//*@notnull@*/char *xmalloc (size_t size)
   /*@ensures MaxSet(result) == (size - 1); @*/;
 extern /*@maynotreturn@*/ /*@only@*//*@notnull@*/char *xstrdup (const char *);
+extern void xfree(void *ap);
 
 /* xgetpwnam.c */
 extern /*@null@*/ /*@only@*/struct passwd *xgetpwnam (const char *);
diff --git a/libmisc/xmalloc.c b/libmisc/xmalloc.c
index 41a3343c..0c55d5b4 100644
--- a/libmisc/xmalloc.c
+++ b/libmisc/xmalloc.c
@@ -66,3 +66,10 @@
 {
 	return strcpy (xmalloc (strlen (str) + 1), str);
 }
+
+void xfree(void *ap)
+{
+	if (ap) {
+		free(ap);
+	}
+}
diff --git a/src/gpasswd.c b/src/gpasswd.c
index a25bf3e5..9331d30c 100644
--- a/src/gpasswd.c
+++ b/src/gpasswd.c
@@ -123,12 +123,6 @@ static void log_gpasswd_success (const char *suffix);
 static void log_gpasswd_success_system (/*@null@*/unused void *arg);
 static void log_gpasswd_success_group (/*@null@*/unused void *arg);
 
-static void xfree(void* p) {
-	if (p) {
-		free(p);
-	}
-}
-
 /*
  * usage - display usage message
  */