diff --git a/Annex/Branch.hs b/Annex/Branch.hs
index 37237ec667..44ee69e627 100644
--- a/Annex/Branch.hs
+++ b/Annex/Branch.hs
@@ -43,10 +43,6 @@ fullname = Git.Ref $ "refs/heads/" ++ show name
 originname :: Git.Ref
 originname = Git.Ref $ "origin/" ++ show name
 
-{- A separate index file for the branch. -}
-index :: Git.Repo -> FilePath
-index g = gitAnnexDir g </> "index"
-
 {- Populates the branch's index file with the current branch contents.
  - 
  - Usually, this is only done when the index doesn't yet exist, and
@@ -62,7 +58,7 @@ withIndex :: Annex a -> Annex a
 withIndex = withIndex' False
 withIndex' :: Bool -> Annex a -> Annex a
 withIndex' bootstrapping a = do
-	f <- fromRepo index
+	f <- fromRepo gitAnnexIndex
 	bracketIO (Git.useIndex f) id $ do
 		unlessM (liftIO $ doesFileExist f) $ do
 			unless bootstrapping create
diff --git a/Locations.hs b/Locations.hs
index f7784a56d5..fdb8232844 100644
--- a/Locations.hs
+++ b/Locations.hs
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ module Locations (
 	gitAnnexUnusedLog,
 	gitAnnexJournalDir,
 	gitAnnexJournalLock,
+	gitAnnexIndex,
 	isLinkToAnnex,
 	annexHashes,
 	hashDirMixed,
@@ -131,6 +132,10 @@ gitAnnexJournalDir r = addTrailingPathSeparator $ gitAnnexDir r </> "journal"
 gitAnnexJournalLock :: Git.Repo -> FilePath
 gitAnnexJournalLock r = gitAnnexDir r </> "journal.lck"
 
+{- .git/annex/index is used to stage changes to the git-annex branch -}
+gitAnnexIndex :: Git.Repo -> FilePath
+gitAnnexIndex r = gitAnnexDir r </> "index"
+
 {- Checks a symlink target to see if it appears to point to annexed content. -}
 isLinkToAnnex :: FilePath -> Bool
 isLinkToAnnex s = ("/.git/" ++ objectDir) `isInfixOf` s