diff --git a/fs/btrfs/backref.c b/fs/btrfs/backref.c
index 826b98c..6a3f7f5 100644
--- a/fs/btrfs/backref.c
+++ b/fs/btrfs/backref.c
@@ -1107,38 +1107,6 @@
 	return 0;
 }
 
-
-static int __inode_info(u64 inum, u64 ioff, u8 key_type,
-			struct btrfs_root *fs_root, struct btrfs_path *path,
-			struct btrfs_key *found_key)
-{
-	int ret;
-	struct btrfs_key key;
-	struct extent_buffer *eb;
-
-	key.type = key_type;
-	key.objectid = inum;
-	key.offset = ioff;
-
-	ret = btrfs_search_slot(NULL, fs_root, &key, path, 0, 0);
-	if (ret < 0)
-		return ret;
-
-	eb = path->nodes[0];
-	if (ret && path->slots[0] >= btrfs_header_nritems(eb)) {
-		ret = btrfs_next_leaf(fs_root, path);
-		if (ret)
-			return ret;
-		eb = path->nodes[0];
-	}
-
-	btrfs_item_key_to_cpu(eb, found_key, path->slots[0]);
-	if (found_key->type != key.type || found_key->objectid != key.objectid)
-		return 1;
-
-	return 0;
-}
-
 /*
  * this makes the path point to (inum INODE_ITEM ioff)
  */
@@ -1146,16 +1114,16 @@
 			struct btrfs_path *path)
 {
 	struct btrfs_key key;
-	return __inode_info(inum, ioff, BTRFS_INODE_ITEM_KEY, fs_root, path,
-				&key);
+	return btrfs_find_item(fs_root, path, inum, ioff,
+			BTRFS_INODE_ITEM_KEY, &key);
 }
 
 static int inode_ref_info(u64 inum, u64 ioff, struct btrfs_root *fs_root,
 				struct btrfs_path *path,
 				struct btrfs_key *found_key)
 {
-	return __inode_info(inum, ioff, BTRFS_INODE_REF_KEY, fs_root, path,
-				found_key);
+	return btrfs_find_item(fs_root, path, inum, ioff,
+			BTRFS_INODE_REF_KEY, found_key);
 }
 
 int btrfs_find_one_extref(struct btrfs_root *root, u64 inode_objectid,
diff --git a/fs/btrfs/ctree.c b/fs/btrfs/ctree.c
index bcd0bd85..141c15c 100644
--- a/fs/btrfs/ctree.c
+++ b/fs/btrfs/ctree.c
@@ -2461,6 +2461,43 @@
 	return 0;
 }
 
+/* Proposed generic search function, meant to take the place of the
+* various small search helper functions throughout the code and standardize
+* the search interface. Right now, it only replaces the former __inode_info
+* in backref.c.
+*/
+int btrfs_find_item(struct btrfs_root *fs_root, struct btrfs_path *path,
+		u64 iobjectid, u64 ioff, u8 key_type,
+		struct btrfs_key *found_key)
+{
+	int ret;
+	struct btrfs_key key;
+	struct extent_buffer *eb;
+
+	key.type = key_type;
+	key.objectid = iobjectid;
+	key.offset = ioff;
+
+	ret = btrfs_search_slot(NULL, fs_root, &key, path, 0, 0);
+	if (ret < 0)
+		return ret;
+
+	eb = path->nodes[0];
+	if (ret && path->slots[0] >= btrfs_header_nritems(eb)) {
+		ret = btrfs_next_leaf(fs_root, path);
+		if (ret)
+			return ret;
+		eb = path->nodes[0];
+	}
+
+	btrfs_item_key_to_cpu(eb, found_key, path->slots[0]);
+	if (found_key->type != key.type ||
+			found_key->objectid != key.objectid)
+		return 1;
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 /*
  * look for key in the tree.  path is filled in with nodes along the way
  * if key is found, we return zero and you can find the item in the leaf
diff --git a/fs/btrfs/ctree.h b/fs/btrfs/ctree.h
index dbe9b31..a58611f 100644
--- a/fs/btrfs/ctree.h
+++ b/fs/btrfs/ctree.h
@@ -3371,6 +3371,8 @@
 			 struct btrfs_root *root,
 			 struct btrfs_path *path,
 			 struct btrfs_key *new_key);
+int btrfs_find_item(struct btrfs_root *fs_root, struct btrfs_path *path,
+		u64 inum, u64 ioff, u8 key_type, struct btrfs_key *found_key);
 int btrfs_search_slot(struct btrfs_trans_handle *trans, struct btrfs_root
 		      *root, struct btrfs_key *key, struct btrfs_path *p, int
 		      ins_len, int cow);