diff --git a/subprojects/gstreamer/gst/gst_private.h b/subprojects/gstreamer/gst/gst_private.h
index 0ed3d07ee9..1471fb0e30 100644
--- a/subprojects/gstreamer/gst/gst_private.h
+++ b/subprojects/gstreamer/gst/gst_private.h
@@ -520,6 +520,7 @@ struct _GstClockEntryImpl
 };
 
 char * priv_gst_get_relocated_libgstreamer (void);
+gint   priv_gst_count_directories (const char *filepath);
 
 G_END_DECLS
 #endif /* __GST_PRIVATE_H__ */
diff --git a/subprojects/gstreamer/gst/gstpluginloader-win32.c b/subprojects/gstreamer/gst/gstpluginloader-win32.c
index d6af200892..20644e16b6 100644
--- a/subprojects/gstreamer/gst/gstpluginloader-win32.c
+++ b/subprojects/gstreamer/gst/gstpluginloader-win32.c
@@ -451,74 +451,6 @@ error:
   return FALSE;
 }
 
-static int
-count_directories (const char *filepath)
-{
-  int i = 0;
-  char *tmp;
-  gsize len;
-
-  g_return_val_if_fail (!g_path_is_absolute (filepath), 0);
-
-  tmp = g_strdup (filepath);
-  len = strlen (tmp);
-
-  /* ignore UNC share paths entirely */
-  if (len >= 3 && G_IS_DIR_SEPARATOR (tmp[0]) && G_IS_DIR_SEPARATOR (tmp[1])
-      && !G_IS_DIR_SEPARATOR (tmp[2])) {
-    GST_WARNING ("found a UNC share path, ignoring");
-    return 0;
-  }
-
-  /* remove trailing slashes if they exist */
-  while (
-      /* don't remove the trailing slash for C:\.
-       * UNC paths are at least \\s\s */
-      len > 3 && G_IS_DIR_SEPARATOR (tmp[len - 1])) {
-    tmp[len - 1] = '\0';
-    len--;
-  }
-
-  while (tmp) {
-    char *dirname, *basename;
-    len = strlen (tmp);
-
-    if (g_strcmp0 (tmp, ".") == 0)
-      break;
-    if (g_strcmp0 (tmp, "/") == 0)
-      break;
-
-    /* g_path_get_dirname() may return something of the form 'C:.', where C is
-     * a drive letter */
-    if (len == 3 && g_ascii_isalpha (tmp[0]) && tmp[1] == ':' && tmp[2] == '.')
-      break;
-
-    basename = g_path_get_basename (tmp);
-    dirname = g_path_get_dirname (tmp);
-
-    if (g_strcmp0 (basename, "..") == 0) {
-      i--;
-    } else if (g_strcmp0 (basename, ".") == 0) {
-      /* nothing to do */
-    } else {
-      i++;
-    }
-
-    g_clear_pointer (&basename, g_free);
-    g_clear_pointer (&tmp, g_free);
-    tmp = dirname;
-  }
-
-  g_clear_pointer (&tmp, g_free);
-
-  if (i < 0) {
-    g_critical ("path counting resulted in a negative directory count!");
-    return 0;
-  }
-
-  return i;
-}
-
 static gboolean
 gst_plugin_loader_spawn (GstPluginLoader * loader)
 {
@@ -550,7 +482,7 @@ gst_plugin_loader_spawn (GstPluginLoader * loader)
 
     relocated_libgstreamer = priv_gst_get_relocated_libgstreamer ();
     if (relocated_libgstreamer) {
-      int plugin_subdir_depth = count_directories (GST_PLUGIN_SUBDIR);
+      int plugin_subdir_depth = priv_gst_count_directories (GST_PLUGIN_SUBDIR);
 
       GST_DEBUG ("found libgstreamer-" GST_API_VERSION " library "
           "at %s", relocated_libgstreamer);
diff --git a/subprojects/gstreamer/gst/gstpluginloader.c b/subprojects/gstreamer/gst/gstpluginloader.c
index af9b2121b7..fdc6fbe398 100644
--- a/subprojects/gstreamer/gst/gstpluginloader.c
+++ b/subprojects/gstreamer/gst/gstpluginloader.c
@@ -460,83 +460,6 @@ gst_plugin_loader_try_helper (GstPluginLoader * loader, gchar * location)
   return TRUE;
 }
 
-static int
-count_directories (const char *filepath)
-{
-  int i = 0;
-  char *tmp;
-  gsize len;
-
-  g_return_val_if_fail (!g_path_is_absolute (filepath), 0);
-
-  tmp = g_strdup (filepath);
-  len = strlen (tmp);
-
-#if defined(G_OS_WIN32)
-  /* ignore UNC share paths entirely */
-  if (len >= 3 && G_IS_DIR_SEPARATOR (tmp[0]) && G_IS_DIR_SEPARATOR (tmp[1])
-      && !G_IS_DIR_SEPARATOR (tmp[2])) {
-    GST_WARNING ("found a UNC share path, ignoring");
-    return 0;
-  }
-#endif
-
-  /* remove trailing slashes if they exist */
-  while (
-#if defined(G_OS_WIN32)
-      /* don't remove the trailing slash for C:\.
-       * UNC paths are at least \\s\s */
-      len > 3
-#else
-      /* don't remove the trailing slash for / */
-      len > 1
-#endif
-      && G_IS_DIR_SEPARATOR (tmp[len - 1])) {
-    tmp[len - 1] = '\0';
-    len--;
-  }
-
-  while (tmp) {
-    char *dirname, *basename;
-    len = strlen (tmp);
-
-    if (g_strcmp0 (tmp, ".") == 0)
-      break;
-    if (g_strcmp0 (tmp, "/") == 0)
-      break;
-#if defined(G_OS_WIN32)
-    /* g_path_get_dirname() may return something of the form 'C:.', where C is
-     * a drive letter */
-    if (len == 3 && g_ascii_isalpha (tmp[0]) && tmp[1] == ':' && tmp[2] == '.')
-      break;
-#endif
-
-    basename = g_path_get_basename (tmp);
-    dirname = g_path_get_dirname (tmp);
-
-    if (g_strcmp0 (basename, "..") == 0) {
-      i--;
-    } else if (g_strcmp0 (basename, ".") == 0) {
-      /* nothing to do */
-    } else {
-      i++;
-    }
-
-    g_clear_pointer (&basename, g_free);
-    g_clear_pointer (&tmp, g_free);
-    tmp = dirname;
-  }
-
-  g_clear_pointer (&tmp, g_free);
-
-  if (i < 0) {
-    g_critical ("path counting resulted in a negative directory count!");
-    return 0;
-  }
-
-  return i;
-}
-
 static gboolean
 gst_plugin_loader_spawn (GstPluginLoader * loader)
 {
@@ -574,7 +497,7 @@ gst_plugin_loader_spawn (GstPluginLoader * loader)
 
     relocated_libgstreamer = priv_gst_get_relocated_libgstreamer ();
     if (relocated_libgstreamer) {
-      int plugin_subdir_depth = count_directories (GST_PLUGIN_SUBDIR);
+      int plugin_subdir_depth = priv_gst_count_directories (GST_PLUGIN_SUBDIR);
 
       GST_DEBUG ("found libgstreamer-" GST_API_VERSION " library "
           "at %s", relocated_libgstreamer);
diff --git a/subprojects/gstreamer/gst/gstregistry.c b/subprojects/gstreamer/gst/gstregistry.c
index 1b69d13f4f..8a62cca6ce 100644
--- a/subprojects/gstreamer/gst/gstregistry.c
+++ b/subprojects/gstreamer/gst/gstregistry.c
@@ -1626,6 +1626,74 @@ priv_gst_get_relocated_libgstreamer (void)
   return dir;
 }
 
+int
+priv_gst_count_directories (const char *filepath)
+{
+  int i = 0;
+  char *tmp;
+  gsize len;
+
+  g_return_val_if_fail (!g_path_is_absolute (filepath), 0);
+
+  tmp = g_strdup (filepath);
+  len = strlen (tmp);
+
+  /* ignore UNC share paths entirely */
+  if (len >= 3 && G_IS_DIR_SEPARATOR (tmp[0]) && G_IS_DIR_SEPARATOR (tmp[1])
+      && !G_IS_DIR_SEPARATOR (tmp[2])) {
+    GST_WARNING ("found a UNC share path, ignoring");
+    return 0;
+  }
+
+  /* remove trailing slashes if they exist */
+  while (
+      /* don't remove the trailing slash for C:\.
+       * UNC paths are at least \\s\s */
+      len > 3 && G_IS_DIR_SEPARATOR (tmp[len - 1])) {
+    tmp[len - 1] = '\0';
+    len--;
+  }
+
+  while (tmp) {
+    char *dirname, *basename;
+    len = strlen (tmp);
+
+    if (g_strcmp0 (tmp, ".") == 0)
+      break;
+    if (g_strcmp0 (tmp, "/") == 0)
+      break;
+
+    /* g_path_get_dirname() may return something of the form 'C:.', where C is
+     * a drive letter */
+    if (len == 3 && g_ascii_isalpha (tmp[0]) && tmp[1] == ':' && tmp[2] == '.')
+      break;
+
+    basename = g_path_get_basename (tmp);
+    dirname = g_path_get_dirname (tmp);
+
+    if (g_strcmp0 (basename, "..") == 0) {
+      i--;
+    } else if (g_strcmp0 (basename, ".") == 0) {
+      /* nothing to do */
+    } else {
+      i++;
+    }
+
+    g_clear_pointer (&basename, g_free);
+    g_clear_pointer (&tmp, g_free);
+    tmp = dirname;
+  }
+
+  g_clear_pointer (&tmp, g_free);
+
+  if (i < 0) {
+    g_critical ("path counting resulted in a negative directory count!");
+    return 0;
+  }
+
+  return i;
+}
+
 #ifndef GST_DISABLE_REGISTRY
 /* Unref all plugins marked 'cached', to clear old plugins that no
  * longer exist. Returns %TRUE if any plugins were removed */