diff --git a/arangod/VocBase/vocbase.cpp b/arangod/VocBase/vocbase.cpp
index 5bfa2c29bc..6d696c11a6 100644
--- a/arangod/VocBase/vocbase.cpp
+++ b/arangod/VocBase/vocbase.cpp
@@ -1368,17 +1368,6 @@ static bool FilenameStringComparator (std::string const& lhs, std::string const&
   return numLeft < numRight;
 }
 
-////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-///// @brief parses a json file to VelocyPack
-//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-
-static std::shared_ptr<VPackBuilder> TRI_VelocyPackFile (char const* path) {
-  size_t length;
-  char* content = TRI_SlurpFile(TRI_UNKNOWN_MEM_ZONE, path, &length);
-  // The Parser might THROW
-  return VPackParser::fromJson(reinterpret_cast<uint8_t const*>(content), length);
-}
-
 // -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // --SECTION--                                           class TRI_vocbase_col_t
 // -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -1388,8 +1377,9 @@ void TRI_vocbase_col_t::toVelocyPack (VPackBuilder& builder,
                                       TRI_voc_tick_t maxTick) {
   TRI_ASSERT(! builder.isClosed());
   char* filename = TRI_Concatenate2File(_path, TRI_VOC_PARAMETER_FILE);
+  std::string path = std::string(filename, strlen(filename));
 
-  std::shared_ptr<VPackBuilder> fileInfoBuilder = TRI_VelocyPackFile(filename);
+  std::shared_ptr<VPackBuilder> fileInfoBuilder = triagens::basics::VelocyPackHelper::velocyPackFromFile(path);
   builder.add("parameters", fileInfoBuilder->slice());
   TRI_FreeString(TRI_CORE_MEM_ZONE, filename);
 
@@ -1430,7 +1420,8 @@ void TRI_vocbase_col_t::toVelocyPackIndexes (VPackBuilder& builder,
   for (auto const& file : files) {
     if (regexec(&re, file.c_str(), (size_t) 0, nullptr, 0) == 0) {
       char* fqn = TRI_Concatenate2File(_path, file.c_str());
-      std::shared_ptr<VPackBuilder> indexVPack = TRI_VelocyPackFile(fqn);
+      std::string path = std::string(fqn, strlen(fqn));
+      std::shared_ptr<VPackBuilder> indexVPack = triagens::basics::VelocyPackHelper::velocyPackFromFile(path);
       TRI_FreeString(TRI_CORE_MEM_ZONE, fqn);
 
       VPackSlice const indexSlice = indexVPack->slice();
diff --git a/arangosh/V8Client/arangorestore.cpp b/arangosh/V8Client/arangorestore.cpp
index fcc3fcf889..efd014a82f 100644
--- a/arangosh/V8Client/arangorestore.cpp
+++ b/arangosh/V8Client/arangorestore.cpp
@@ -567,17 +567,6 @@ static bool SortCollections (VPackSlice const& l,
   return strcasecmp(leftName.c_str(), rightName.c_str()) < 0;
 }
 
-////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-///// @brief parses a json file to VelocyPack
-//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-
-static std::shared_ptr<VPackBuilder> readVelocyPackFile (std::string path) {
-  size_t length;
-  char* content = TRI_SlurpFile(TRI_UNKNOWN_MEM_ZONE, path.c_str(), &length);
-  // The Parser might THROW
-  return VPackParser::fromJson(reinterpret_cast<uint8_t const*>(content), length);
-}
-
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 /// @brief process all files from the input directory
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
@@ -615,7 +604,7 @@ static int ProcessInputDirectory (std::string& errorMsg) {
         }
 
         const string fqn = InputDirectory + TRI_DIR_SEPARATOR_STR + file;
-        std::shared_ptr<VPackBuilder> fileContentBuilder = readVelocyPackFile(fqn);
+        std::shared_ptr<VPackBuilder> fileContentBuilder = triagens::basics::VelocyPackHelper::velocyPackFromFile(fqn);
         VPackSlice const fileContent = fileContentBuilder->slice();
 
         if (! fileContent.isObject()) {
diff --git a/lib/Basics/VelocyPackHelper.cpp b/lib/Basics/VelocyPackHelper.cpp
index e54885d115..0f1d043c86 100644
--- a/lib/Basics/VelocyPackHelper.cpp
+++ b/lib/Basics/VelocyPackHelper.cpp
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 
 #include "Basics/VelocyPackHelper.h"
 #include "Basics/Exceptions.h"
+#include "Basics/files.h"
 
 using VelocyPackHelper = triagens::basics::VelocyPackHelper;
 
@@ -91,6 +92,17 @@ TRI_json_t* VelocyPackHelper::velocyPackToJson (VPackSlice const& slice) {
   return JsonHelper::fromString(slice.toJson());
 }
 
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+/// @brief parses a json file to VelocyPack
+//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+std::shared_ptr<VPackBuilder> VelocyPackHelper::velocyPackFromFile (std::string const& path) {
+  size_t length;
+  char* content = TRI_SlurpFile(TRI_UNKNOWN_MEM_ZONE, path.c_str(), &length);
+  // The Parser might THROW
+  return VPackParser::fromJson(reinterpret_cast<uint8_t const*>(content), length);
+}
+
 // -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // --SECTION--                                                       END-OF-FILE
 // -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/lib/Basics/VelocyPackHelper.h b/lib/Basics/VelocyPackHelper.h
index 59305175b4..0ce34182e7 100644
--- a/lib/Basics/VelocyPackHelper.h
+++ b/lib/Basics/VelocyPackHelper.h
@@ -113,6 +113,12 @@ namespace triagens {
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
         static TRI_json_t* velocyPackToJson (VPackSlice const&);
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+/// @brief parses a json file to VelocyPack
+//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+        static std::shared_ptr<VPackBuilder> velocyPackFromFile (std::string const& path);
     };
   }
 }