diff --git a/diff.c b/diff.c
index ba5f7aa217..3f538f5803 100644
--- a/diff.c
+++ b/diff.c
@@ -1976,19 +1976,7 @@ struct userdiff_driver *get_textconv(struct diff_filespec *one)
 		return NULL;
 
 	diff_filespec_load_driver(one);
-	if (!one->driver->textconv)
-		return NULL;
-
-	if (one->driver->textconv_want_cache && !one->driver->textconv_cache) {
-		struct notes_cache *c = xmalloc(sizeof(*c));
-		struct strbuf name = STRBUF_INIT;
-
-		strbuf_addf(&name, "textconv/%s", one->driver->name);
-		notes_cache_init(c, name.buf, one->driver->textconv);
-		one->driver->textconv_cache = c;
-	}
-
-	return one->driver;
+	return userdiff_get_textconv(one->driver);
 }
 
 static void builtin_diff(const char *name_a,
diff --git a/userdiff.c b/userdiff.c
index 1ff47977d5..5d62e795a2 100644
--- a/userdiff.c
+++ b/userdiff.c
@@ -267,3 +267,20 @@ struct userdiff_driver *userdiff_find_by_path(const char *path)
 		return NULL;
 	return userdiff_find_by_name(check.value);
 }
+
+struct userdiff_driver *userdiff_get_textconv(struct userdiff_driver *driver)
+{
+	if (!driver->textconv)
+		return NULL;
+
+	if (driver->textconv_want_cache && !driver->textconv_cache) {
+		struct notes_cache *c = xmalloc(sizeof(*c));
+		struct strbuf name = STRBUF_INIT;
+
+		strbuf_addf(&name, "textconv/%s", driver->name);
+		notes_cache_init(c, name.buf, driver->textconv);
+		driver->textconv_cache = c;
+	}
+
+	return driver;
+}
diff --git a/userdiff.h b/userdiff.h
index 942d594950..4a7e78ffbc 100644
--- a/userdiff.h
+++ b/userdiff.h
@@ -23,4 +23,6 @@ int userdiff_config(const char *k, const char *v);
 struct userdiff_driver *userdiff_find_by_name(const char *name);
 struct userdiff_driver *userdiff_find_by_path(const char *path);
 
+struct userdiff_driver *userdiff_get_textconv(struct userdiff_driver *driver);
+
 #endif /* USERDIFF */