diff --git a/usr.bin/xlint/common/emit.c b/usr.bin/xlint/common/emit.c
index 1ae524fa95fc..5a3c310a28df 100644
--- a/usr.bin/xlint/common/emit.c
+++ b/usr.bin/xlint/common/emit.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/*	$NetBSD: emit.c,v 1.15 2021/09/04 14:42:30 rillig Exp $	*/
+/*	$NetBSD: emit.c,v 1.16 2021/09/04 14:48:27 rillig Exp $	*/
 
 /*
  * Copyright (c) 1994, 1995 Jochen Pohl
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@
 
 #include <sys/cdefs.h>
 #if defined(__RCSID) && !defined(lint)
-__RCSID("$NetBSD: emit.c,v 1.15 2021/09/04 14:42:30 rillig Exp $");
+__RCSID("$NetBSD: emit.c,v 1.16 2021/09/04 14:48:27 rillig Exp $");
 #endif
 
 #include <stdio.h>
@@ -131,57 +131,6 @@ outchar(char c)
 	*ob.o_next++ = c;
 }
 
-#if defined(IS_LINT1)
-/* write a character to the output buffer, quoted if necessary */
-void
-outqchar(char c)
-{
-
-	if (ch_isprint(c) && c != '\\' && c != '"' && c != '\'') {
-		outchar(c);
-	} else {
-		outchar('\\');
-		switch (c) {
-		case '\\':
-			outchar('\\');
-			break;
-		case '"':
-			outchar('"');
-			break;
-		case '\'':
-			outchar('\'');
-			break;
-		case '\b':
-			outchar('b');
-			break;
-		case '\t':
-			outchar('t');
-			break;
-		case '\n':
-			outchar('n');
-			break;
-		case '\f':
-			outchar('f');
-			break;
-		case '\r':
-			outchar('r');
-			break;
-		case '\v':
-			outchar('v');
-			break;
-		case '\a':
-			outchar('a');
-			break;
-		default:
-			outchar((char)((((unsigned char)c >> 6) & 07) + '0'));
-			outchar((char)((((unsigned char)c >> 3) & 07) + '0'));
-			outchar((char)((c & 07) + '0'));
-			break;
-		}
-	}
-}
-#endif
-
 /*
  * write a string to the output buffer
  * the string must not contain any characters which
diff --git a/usr.bin/xlint/common/externs.h b/usr.bin/xlint/common/externs.h
index 19edebfd6698..6ebcdd609714 100644
--- a/usr.bin/xlint/common/externs.h
+++ b/usr.bin/xlint/common/externs.h
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/*	$NetBSD: externs.h,v 1.23 2021/09/04 14:42:30 rillig Exp $	*/
+/*	$NetBSD: externs.h,v 1.24 2021/09/04 14:48:27 rillig Exp $	*/
 
 /*
  * Copyright (c) 1994, 1995 Jochen Pohl
@@ -60,7 +60,6 @@ extern	void	outopen(const char *);
 extern	void	outclose(void);
 extern	void	outclr(void);
 extern	void	outchar(char);
-extern	void	outqchar(char);
 extern	void	outstrg(const char *);
 extern	void	outint(int);
 extern	void	outname(const char *);
diff --git a/usr.bin/xlint/lint1/emit1.c b/usr.bin/xlint/lint1/emit1.c
index 2255923a1136..cde5099bc955 100644
--- a/usr.bin/xlint/lint1/emit1.c
+++ b/usr.bin/xlint/lint1/emit1.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/* $NetBSD: emit1.c,v 1.55 2021/09/04 14:26:32 rillig Exp $ */
+/* $NetBSD: emit1.c,v 1.56 2021/09/04 14:48:27 rillig Exp $ */
 
 /*
  * Copyright (c) 1996 Christopher G. Demetriou.  All Rights Reserved.
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@
 
 #include <sys/cdefs.h>
 #if defined(__RCSID) && !defined(lint)
-__RCSID("$NetBSD: emit1.c,v 1.55 2021/09/04 14:26:32 rillig Exp $");
+__RCSID("$NetBSD: emit1.c,v 1.56 2021/09/04 14:48:27 rillig Exp $");
 #endif
 
 #include "lint1.h"
@@ -431,6 +431,56 @@ outcall(const tnode_t *tn, bool rvused, bool rvdisc)
 	outtype(tn->tn_type);
 }
 
+/* write a character to the output buffer, quoted if necessary */
+static void
+outqchar(char c)
+{
+
+	if (ch_isprint(c) && c != '\\' && c != '"' && c != '\'') {
+		outchar(c);
+		return;
+	}
+
+	outchar('\\');
+	switch (c) {
+	case '\\':
+		outchar('\\');
+		break;
+	case '"':
+		outchar('"');
+		break;
+	case '\'':
+		outchar('\'');
+		break;
+	case '\b':
+		outchar('b');
+		break;
+	case '\t':
+		outchar('t');
+		break;
+	case '\n':
+		outchar('n');
+		break;
+	case '\f':
+		outchar('f');
+		break;
+	case '\r':
+		outchar('r');
+		break;
+	case '\v':
+		outchar('v');
+		break;
+	case '\a':
+		outchar('a');
+		break;
+	default:
+		outchar((char)((((unsigned char)c >> 6) & 07) + '0'));
+		outchar((char)((((unsigned char)c >> 3) & 07) + '0'));
+		outchar((char)((c & 07) + '0'));
+		break;
+	}
+}
+
 /*
  * extracts potential format specifiers for printf() and scanf() and
  * writes them, enclosed in "" and quoted if necessary, to the output buffer