diff --git a/drivers/gpio/gpiolib.c b/drivers/gpio/gpiolib.c
index abdf448b11a3..42d4e1439350 100644
--- a/drivers/gpio/gpiolib.c
+++ b/drivers/gpio/gpiolib.c
@@ -296,7 +296,7 @@ static int gpiodev_add_to_list(struct gpio_device *gdev)
 /*
  * Convert a GPIO name to its descriptor
  */
-static struct gpio_desc *gpio_name_to_desc(const char * const name)
+struct gpio_desc *gpio_name_to_desc(const char * const name)
 {
 	struct gpio_device *gdev;
 	unsigned long flags;
@@ -324,6 +324,7 @@ static struct gpio_desc *gpio_name_to_desc(const char * const name)
 	return NULL;
 }
 
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(gpio_name_to_desc);
 /*
  * Takes the names from gc->names and checks if they are all unique. If they
  * are, they are assigned to their gpio descriptors.
diff --git a/drivers/gpio/gpiolib.h b/drivers/gpio/gpiolib.h
index b8b10a409c7b..7f1b727b5fcc 100644
--- a/drivers/gpio/gpiolib.h
+++ b/drivers/gpio/gpiolib.h
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ struct gpio_array {
 	unsigned long		*set_mask;
 	unsigned long		invert_mask[];
 };
-
+struct gpio_desc *gpio_name_to_desc(const char * const name);
 struct gpio_desc *gpiochip_get_desc(struct gpio_chip *chip, u16 hwnum);
 int gpiod_get_array_value_complex(bool raw, bool can_sleep,
 				  unsigned int array_size,