diff --git a/pkg_auto/impl/pkg_auto_lib.sh b/pkg_auto/impl/pkg_auto_lib.sh
index d96bc60765..d53183b9c4 100644
--- a/pkg_auto/impl/pkg_auto_lib.sh
+++ b/pkg_auto/impl/pkg_auto_lib.sh
@@ -2176,52 +2176,6 @@ function get_first_from_set() {
     return_ref=''
 }
 
-# Does the set operation on two passed sets - both set differences and
-# an intersection.
-#
-# Params:
-#
-# 1 - name of the first set variable
-# 2 - name of the second set variable
-# 3 - name of the set variable that will contain elements that exist
-#     in first set, but not the second
-# 4 - name of the set variable that will contain elements that exist
-#     in second set, but not the first
-# 5 - name of the set variable that will contain elements that exist
-#     in both first and second sets
-function sets_split() {
-    local -n first_set_ref=${1}; shift
-    local -n second_set_ref=${1}; shift
-    local -n only_in_first_set_ref=${1}; shift
-    local -n only_in_second_set_ref=${1}; shift
-    local -n common_set_ref=${1}; shift
-
-    only_in_first_set_ref=()
-    only_in_second_set_ref=()
-    common_set_ref=()
-
-    local item mark
-
-    for item in "${!first_set_ref[@]}"; do
-        mark=${second_set_ref["${item}"]:-}
-        if [[ -z "${mark}" ]]; then
-            # shellcheck disable=SC2034 # it's a reference to external variable
-            only_in_first_set_ref["${item}"]=x
-        else
-            # shellcheck disable=SC2034 # it's a reference to external variable
-            common_set_ref["${item}"]=x
-        fi
-    done
-
-    for item in "${!second_set_ref[@]}"; do
-        mark=${first_set_ref["${item}"]:-}
-        if [[ -z "${mark}" ]]; then
-            # shellcheck disable=SC2034 # it's a reference to external variable
-            only_in_second_set_ref["${item}"]=x
-        fi
-    done
-}
-
 # Write information to reports directory about the package update
 # (meaning specifically that the new version is greater than the old
 # one).
diff --git a/pkg_auto/impl/util.sh b/pkg_auto/impl/util.sh
index c2763ad3e8..23e8de104e 100644
--- a/pkg_auto/impl/util.sh
+++ b/pkg_auto/impl/util.sh
@@ -250,4 +250,53 @@ function all_pairs() {
     done
 }
 
+# Does the set operation on two passed sets - both set differences and
+# an intersection.
+#
+# Params:
+#
+# 1 - name of the first set variable
+# 2 - name of the second set variable
+# 3 - name of the set variable that will contain elements that exist
+#     in first set, but not the second
+# 4 - name of the set variable that will contain elements that exist
+#     in second set, but not the first
+# 5 - name of the set variable that will contain elements that exist
+#     in both first and second sets
+function sets_split() {
+    local -n first_set_ref=${1}; shift
+    local -n second_set_ref=${1}; shift
+    # shellcheck disable=SC2178 # shellcheck does not grok references
+    local -n only_in_first_set_ref=${1}; shift
+    # shellcheck disable=SC2178 # shellcheck does not grok references
+    local -n only_in_second_set_ref=${1}; shift
+    # shellcheck disable=SC2178 # shellcheck does not grok references
+    local -n common_set_ref=${1}; shift
+
+    only_in_first_set_ref=()
+    only_in_second_set_ref=()
+    common_set_ref=()
+
+    local item mark
+
+    for item in "${!first_set_ref[@]}"; do
+        mark=${second_set_ref["${item}"]:-}
+        if [[ -z ${mark} ]]; then
+            # shellcheck disable=SC2034 # it's a reference to external variable
+            only_in_first_set_ref["${item}"]=x
+        else
+            # shellcheck disable=SC2034 # it's a reference to external variable
+            common_set_ref["${item}"]=x
+        fi
+    done
+
+    for item in "${!second_set_ref[@]}"; do
+        mark=${first_set_ref["${item}"]:-}
+        if [[ -z ${mark} ]]; then
+            # shellcheck disable=SC2034 # it's a reference to external variable
+            only_in_second_set_ref["${item}"]=x
+        fi
+    done
+}
+
 fi