diff --git a/include/utilities/backupable_db.h b/include/utilities/backupable_db.h
index b6eb139e7..ab3a1ed80 100644
--- a/include/utilities/backupable_db.h
+++ b/include/utilities/backupable_db.h
@@ -85,6 +85,9 @@ class BackupEngine {
  public:
   virtual ~BackupEngine() {}
 
+  static BackupEngine* NewBackupEngine(Env* db_env,
+                                       const BackupableDBOptions& options);
+
   virtual Status CreateNewBackup(DB* db, bool flush_before_backup = false) = 0;
   virtual Status PurgeOldBackups(uint32_t num_backups_to_keep) = 0;
   virtual Status DeleteBackup(BackupID backup_id) = 0;
@@ -100,9 +103,6 @@ class BackupEngine {
   virtual void DeleteBackupsNewerThan(uint64_t sequence_number) = 0;
 };
 
-extern BackupEngine* CreateNewBackupEngine(Env* db_env,
-                                           const BackupableDBOptions& options);
-
 // Stack your DB with BackupableDB to be able to backup the DB
 class BackupableDB : public StackableDB {
  public:
diff --git a/utilities/backupable/backupable_db.cc b/utilities/backupable/backupable_db.cc
index d44fbb6ad..da225e22b 100644
--- a/utilities/backupable/backupable_db.cc
+++ b/utilities/backupable/backupable_db.cc
@@ -188,8 +188,8 @@ class BackupEngineImpl : public BackupEngine {
   static const size_t copy_file_buffer_size_ = 5 * 1024 * 1024LL; // 5MB
 };
 
-BackupEngine* CreateNewBackupEngine(Env* db_env,
-                                    const BackupableDBOptions& options) {
+BackupEngine* BackupEngine::NewBackupEngine(
+    Env* db_env, const BackupableDBOptions& options) {
   return new BackupEngineImpl(db_env, options);
 }