diff --git a/clippy_lints/src/utils/higher.rs b/clippy_lints/src/utils/higher.rs
index 16ab44881a55..ab8b7d8b2b8f 100644
--- a/clippy_lints/src/utils/higher.rs
+++ b/clippy_lints/src/utils/higher.rs
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 //! This module contains functions for retrieve the original AST from lowered `hir`.
 
 use rustc::hir;
+use rustc::lint::LateContext;
 use syntax::ast;
-use utils::{match_path, paths};
+use syntax::ptr::P;
+use utils::{is_expn_of, match_path, paths};
 
 /// Convert a hir binary operator to the corresponding `ast` type.
 pub fn binop(op: hir::BinOp_) -> ast::BinOpKind {
@@ -148,3 +150,41 @@ pub fn for_loop(expr: &hir::Expr) -> Option<(&hir::Pat, &hir::Expr, &hir::Expr)>
     }}
     None
 }
+
+/// Represent the pre-expansion arguments of a `vec!` invocation.
+pub enum VecArgs<'a> {
+    /// `vec![elem; len]`
+    Repeat(&'a P<hir::Expr>, &'a P<hir::Expr>),
+    /// `vec![a, b, c]`
+    Vec(&'a [P<hir::Expr>]),
+}
+
+/// Returns the arguments of the `vec!` macro if this expression was expanded from `vec!`.
+pub fn vec_macro<'e>(cx: &LateContext, expr: &'e hir::Expr) -> Option<VecArgs<'e>> {
+    if_let_chain!{[
+        let hir::ExprCall(ref fun, ref args) = expr.node,
+        let hir::ExprPath(_, ref path) = fun.node,
+        is_expn_of(cx, fun.span, "vec").is_some()
+    ], {
+        return if match_path(path, &paths::VEC_FROM_ELEM) && args.len() == 2 {
+            // `vec![elem; size]` case
+            Some(VecArgs::Repeat(&args[0], &args[1]))
+        }
+        else if match_path(path, &["into_vec"]) && args.len() == 1 {
+            // `vec![a, b, c]` case
+            if_let_chain!{[
+                let hir::ExprBox(ref boxed) = args[0].node,
+                let hir::ExprVec(ref args) = boxed.node
+            ], {
+                return Some(VecArgs::Vec(&*args));
+            }}
+
+            None
+        }
+        else {
+            None
+        };
+    }}
+
+    None
+}
diff --git a/clippy_lints/src/vec.rs b/clippy_lints/src/vec.rs
index 97a45da4536f..8e09f9341c2d 100644
--- a/clippy_lints/src/vec.rs
+++ b/clippy_lints/src/vec.rs
@@ -2,8 +2,7 @@ use rustc::lint::*;
 use rustc::ty::TypeVariants;
 use rustc::hir::*;
 use syntax::codemap::Span;
-use syntax::ptr::P;
-use utils::{higher, is_expn_of, match_path, paths, snippet, span_lint_and_then};
+use utils::{higher, snippet, span_lint_and_then};
 
 /// **What it does:** This lint warns about using `&vec![..]` when using `&[..]` would be possible.
 ///
@@ -51,12 +50,12 @@ impl LateLintPass for Pass {
 }
 
 fn check_vec_macro(cx: &LateContext, vec: &Expr, span: Span) {
-    if let Some(vec_args) = unexpand(cx, vec) {
+    if let Some(vec_args) = higher::vec_macro(cx, vec) {
         let snippet = match vec_args {
-            Args::Repeat(elem, len) => {
+            higher::VecArgs::Repeat(elem, len) => {
                 format!("&[{}; {}]", snippet(cx, elem.span, "elem"), snippet(cx, len.span, "len")).into()
             }
-            Args::Vec(args) => {
+            higher::VecArgs::Vec(args) => {
                 if let Some(last) = args.iter().last() {
                     let span = Span {
                         lo: args[0].span.lo,
@@ -77,40 +76,3 @@ fn check_vec_macro(cx: &LateContext, vec: &Expr, span: Span) {
     }
 }
 
-/// Represent the pre-expansion arguments of a `vec!` invocation.
-pub enum Args<'a> {
-    /// `vec![elem; len]`
-    Repeat(&'a P<Expr>, &'a P<Expr>),
-    /// `vec![a, b, c]`
-    Vec(&'a [P<Expr>]),
-}
-
-/// Returns the arguments of the `vec!` macro if this expression was expanded from `vec!`.
-pub fn unexpand<'e>(cx: &LateContext, expr: &'e Expr) -> Option<Args<'e>> {
-    if_let_chain!{[
-        let ExprCall(ref fun, ref args) = expr.node,
-        let ExprPath(_, ref path) = fun.node,
-        is_expn_of(cx, fun.span, "vec").is_some()
-    ], {
-        return if match_path(path, &paths::VEC_FROM_ELEM) && args.len() == 2 {
-            // `vec![elem; size]` case
-            Some(Args::Repeat(&args[0], &args[1]))
-        }
-        else if match_path(path, &["into_vec"]) && args.len() == 1 {
-            // `vec![a, b, c]` case
-            if_let_chain!{[
-                let ExprBox(ref boxed) = args[0].node,
-                let ExprVec(ref args) = boxed.node
-            ], {
-                return Some(Args::Vec(&*args));
-            }}
-
-            None
-        }
-        else {
-            None
-        };
-    }}
-
-    None
-}