diff --git a/mutation_partition.cc b/mutation_partition.cc
index f2f377651e..325989eb8f 100644
--- a/mutation_partition.cc
+++ b/mutation_partition.cc
@@ -1763,6 +1763,25 @@ row row::difference(const schema& s, column_kind kind, const row& other) const
     return r;
 }
 
+bool row_marker::compact_and_expire(tombstone tomb, gc_clock::time_point now,
+        can_gc_fn& can_gc, gc_clock::time_point gc_before) {
+    if (is_missing()) {
+        return false;
+    }
+    if (_timestamp <= tomb.timestamp) {
+        _timestamp = api::missing_timestamp;
+        return false;
+    }
+    if (_ttl > no_ttl && _expiry < now) {
+        _expiry -= _ttl;
+        _ttl = dead;
+    }
+    if (_ttl == dead && _expiry < gc_before && can_gc(tombstone(_timestamp, _expiry))) {
+        _timestamp = api::missing_timestamp;
+    }
+    return !is_missing() && _ttl != dead;
+}
+
 mutation_partition mutation_partition::difference(schema_ptr s, const mutation_partition& other) const
 {
     mutation_partition mp(s);
diff --git a/mutation_partition.hh b/mutation_partition.hh
index a233340fc5..17452de84d 100644
--- a/mutation_partition.hh
+++ b/mutation_partition.hh
@@ -443,23 +443,7 @@ public:
     // tombstones.
     // Returns true if row marker is live.
     bool compact_and_expire(tombstone tomb, gc_clock::time_point now,
-            can_gc_fn& can_gc, gc_clock::time_point gc_before) {
-        if (is_missing()) {
-            return false;
-        }
-        if (_timestamp <= tomb.timestamp) {
-            _timestamp = api::missing_timestamp;
-            return false;
-        }
-        if (_ttl > no_ttl && _expiry < now) {
-            _expiry -= _ttl;
-            _ttl = dead;
-        }
-        if (_ttl == dead && _expiry < gc_before && can_gc(tombstone(_timestamp, _expiry))) {
-            _timestamp = api::missing_timestamp;
-        }
-        return !is_missing() && _ttl != dead;
-    }
+            can_gc_fn& can_gc, gc_clock::time_point gc_before);
     // Consistent with feed_hash()
     bool operator==(const row_marker& other) const {
         if (_timestamp != other._timestamp) {