diff --git a/misc.h b/misc.h
index eff7e08c..e31a3ec7 100644
--- a/misc.h
+++ b/misc.h
@@ -406,4 +406,25 @@ static inline char *stripctrl_string(StripCtrlChars *sccpub, const char *str)
     return stripctrl_string_ptrlen(sccpub, ptrlen_from_asciz(str));
 }
 
+/*
+ * A mechanism for loading a file from disk into a memory buffer where
+ * it can be picked apart as a BinarySource.
+ */
+struct LoadedFile {
+    char *data;
+    size_t len, max_size;
+    BinarySource_IMPLEMENTATION;
+};
+typedef enum {
+    LF_OK,      /* file loaded successfully */
+    LF_TOO_BIG, /* file didn't fit in buffer */
+    LF_ERROR,   /* error from stdio layer */
+} LoadFileStatus;
+LoadedFile *lf_new(size_t max_size);
+void lf_free(LoadedFile *lf);
+LoadFileStatus lf_load_fp(LoadedFile *lf, FILE *fp);
+LoadFileStatus lf_load(LoadedFile *lf, const Filename *filename);
+static inline ptrlen ptrlen_from_lf(LoadedFile *lf)
+{ return make_ptrlen(lf->data, lf->len); }
+
 #endif
diff --git a/ssh.h b/ssh.h
index ec972e05..590f4cd2 100644
--- a/ssh.h
+++ b/ssh.h
@@ -1197,18 +1197,9 @@ int rsa1_loadpub_f(const Filename *filename, BinarySink *bs,
 const ssh_keyalg *find_pubkey_alg(const char *name);
 const ssh_keyalg *find_pubkey_alg_len(ptrlen name);
 
-/*
- * A mechanism for loading a key file from disk into a memory buffer
- * where it can be picked apart as a BinarySource.
- */
-struct LoadedFile {
-    char *data;
-    size_t len, max_size;
-    BinarySource_IMPLEMENTATION;
-};
+/* Convenient wrappers on the LoadedFile mechanism suitable for key files */
 LoadedFile *lf_load_keyfile(const Filename *filename, const char **errptr);
 LoadedFile *lf_load_keyfile_fp(FILE *fp, const char **errptr);
-void lf_free(LoadedFile *lf);
 
 enum {
     SSH_KEYTYPE_UNOPENABLE,
diff --git a/sshpubk.c b/sshpubk.c
index a06d0c01..ac995b69 100644
--- a/sshpubk.c
+++ b/sshpubk.c
@@ -44,13 +44,7 @@ static const ptrlen rsa1_signature =
                           (x)=='+' ? 62 : \
                           (x)=='/' ? 63 : 0 )
 
-typedef enum {
-    LF_OK,      /* file loaded successfully */
-    LF_TOO_BIG, /* file didn't fit in buffer */
-    LF_ERROR,   /* error from stdio layer */
-} LoadFileStatus;
-
-static LoadedFile *lf_new(size_t max_size)
+LoadedFile *lf_new(size_t max_size)
 {
     LoadedFile *lf = snew_plus(LoadedFile, max_size);
     lf->data = snew_plus_get_aux(lf);
@@ -66,7 +60,7 @@ void lf_free(LoadedFile *lf)
     sfree(lf);
 }
 
-static LoadFileStatus lf_load_fp(LoadedFile *lf, FILE *fp)
+LoadFileStatus lf_load_fp(LoadedFile *lf, FILE *fp)
 {
     lf->len = 0;
     while (lf->len < lf->max_size) {
@@ -94,7 +88,7 @@ static LoadFileStatus lf_load_fp(LoadedFile *lf, FILE *fp)
     return status;
 }
 
-static LoadFileStatus lf_load(LoadedFile *lf, const Filename *filename)
+LoadFileStatus lf_load(LoadedFile *lf, const Filename *filename)
 {
     FILE *fp = f_open(filename, "rb", false);
     if (!fp)