diff --git a/src/comp/back/link.rs b/src/comp/back/link.rs
index a77688db9148..55716acf357f 100644
--- a/src/comp/back/link.rs
+++ b/src/comp/back/link.rs
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import lib::llvm::llvm;
 import front::attr;
 import middle::trans;
 import middle::ty;
+import metadata::encoder;
 import std::str;
 import std::fs;
 import std::vec;
@@ -407,7 +408,7 @@ fn symbol_hash(ty::ctxt tcx, sha1 sha, &ty::t t,
     // FIXME: This wants to be link_meta.meta_hash
     sha.input_str(link_meta.name);
     sha.input_str("-");
-    sha.input_str(metadata::tyencode::ty_str(tcx, t));
+    sha.input_str(encoder::ty_str(tcx, t));
     auto hash = truncated_sha1_result(sha);
     // Prefix with _ so that it never blends into adjacent digits
 
diff --git a/src/comp/metadata/encoder.rs b/src/comp/metadata/encoder.rs
index ed90eaf1263f..0ed91e8bbae5 100644
--- a/src/comp/metadata/encoder.rs
+++ b/src/comp/metadata/encoder.rs
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import front::attr;
 
 export def_to_str;
 export encode_metadata;
+export ty_str;
 
 // Path table encoding
 fn encode_name(&ebml::writer ebml_w, &str name) {
@@ -540,6 +541,16 @@ fn encode_metadata(&@crate_ctxt cx, &@crate crate) -> str {
     ret string_w.get_str();
 }
 
+// Get the encoded string for a type
+fn ty_str(&ty::ctxt tcx, &ty::t t) -> str {
+    auto cx = @rec(ds = encoder::def_to_str,
+                   tcx = tcx,
+                   abbrevs = metadata::tyencode::ac_no_abbrevs);
+    auto sw = io::string_writer();
+    tyencode::enc_ty(sw.get_writer(), cx, t);
+    ret sw.get_str();
+}
+
 
 // Local Variables:
 // mode: rust
diff --git a/src/comp/metadata/tyencode.rs b/src/comp/metadata/tyencode.rs
index 36b7bc7711ef..ce3c743b23ac 100644
--- a/src/comp/metadata/tyencode.rs
+++ b/src/comp/metadata/tyencode.rs
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ export ty_abbrev;
 export ac_no_abbrevs;
 export ac_use_abbrevs;
 export enc_ty;
-export ty_str;
 
 type ctxt =
     rec(fn(&def_id) -> str  ds, // Def -> str Callback:
@@ -36,14 +35,7 @@ fn cx_uses_abbrevs(&@ctxt cx) -> bool {
         case (ac_use_abbrevs(_)) { ret true; }
     }
 }
-fn ty_str(&ty::ctxt tcx, &ty::t t) -> str {
-    auto cx = @rec(ds = encoder::def_to_str,
-                   tcx = tcx,
-                   abbrevs = metadata::tyencode::ac_no_abbrevs);
-    auto sw = io::string_writer();
-    enc_ty(sw.get_writer(), cx, t);
-    ret sw.get_str();
-}
+
 fn enc_ty(&io::writer w, &@ctxt cx, &ty::t t) {
     alt (cx.abbrevs) {
         case (ac_no_abbrevs) {
diff --git a/src/comp/util/ppaux.rs b/src/comp/util/ppaux.rs
index 3d0d78f2ffc1..a3963f94c428 100644
--- a/src/comp/util/ppaux.rs
+++ b/src/comp/util/ppaux.rs
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import std::option::none;
 import std::option::some;
 import middle::ty;
 import middle::ty::*;
+import metadata::encoder;
 import syntax::print::pp;
 import syntax::print::pprust;
 import pp::word;
@@ -151,7 +152,7 @@ fn ty_to_str(&ctxt cx, &t typ) -> str {
 }
 
 fn ty_to_short_str(&ctxt cx, t typ) -> str {
-    auto s = metadata::tyencode::ty_str(cx, typ);
+    auto s = encoder::ty_str(cx, typ);
     if (str::byte_len(s) >= 32u) { s = str::substr(s, 0u, 32u); }
     ret s;
 }