diff --git a/down.go b/down.go
index f02f774..944a3fc 100644
--- a/down.go
+++ b/down.go
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package main
 
 import (
-	"database/sql"
 	"fmt"
 	"log"
 	"os"
@@ -39,22 +38,6 @@ func downRun(cmd *Command, args ...string) {
 	runMigrations(conf, conf.MigrationsDir, previous)
 }
 
-func getDBVersion(conf *DBConf) int {
-
-	db, err := sql.Open(conf.Driver, conf.OpenStr)
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatal("couldn't open DB:", err)
-	}
-	defer db.Close()
-
-	version, err := ensureDBVersion(db)
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatalf("couldn't get DB version: %v", err)
-	}
-
-	return version
-}
-
 func getPreviousVersion(dirpath string, version int) (previous, earliest int) {
 
 	previous = -1
diff --git a/migrate.go b/migrate.go
index 93fe57b..7c3e188 100644
--- a/migrate.go
+++ b/migrate.go
@@ -232,3 +232,21 @@ func ensureDBVersion(db *sql.DB) (int, error) {
 
 	return 0, txn.Commit()
 }
+
+// wrapper for ensureDBVersion for callers that don't already have
+// their own DB instance
+func getDBVersion(conf *DBConf) int {
+
+	db, err := sql.Open(conf.Driver, conf.OpenStr)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatal("couldn't open DB:", err)
+	}
+	defer db.Close()
+
+	version, err := ensureDBVersion(db)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatalf("couldn't get DB version: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	return version
+}