diff --git a/src/SMESH_I/SMESH_Mesh_i.cxx b/src/SMESH_I/SMESH_Mesh_i.cxx
index 87e95bbc7..599d9c6df 100644
--- a/src/SMESH_I/SMESH_Mesh_i.cxx
+++ b/src/SMESH_I/SMESH_Mesh_i.cxx
@@ -1437,7 +1437,7 @@ CORBA::Boolean SMESH_Mesh_i::HasDuplicatedGroupNamesMED()
   return _impl->HasDuplicatedGroupNamesMED();
 }
 
-static void PrepareForWriting (const char* file)
+void SMESH_Mesh_i::PrepareForWriting (const char* file)
 {
   TCollection_AsciiString aFullName ((char*)file);
   OSD_Path aPath (aFullName);
diff --git a/src/SMESH_I/SMESH_Mesh_i.hxx b/src/SMESH_I/SMESH_Mesh_i.hxx
index d76ade836..20cfca213 100644
--- a/src/SMESH_I/SMESH_Mesh_i.hxx
+++ b/src/SMESH_I/SMESH_Mesh_i.hxx
@@ -310,6 +310,8 @@ public:
   static SMESH::Hypothesis_Status
   ConvertHypothesisStatus (SMESH_Hypothesis::Hypothesis_Status theStatus);
 
+  static void PrepareForWriting (const char* file);
+
   //int importMEDFile( const char* theFileName, const char* theMeshName );
 
   SMESH::SMESH_subMesh_ptr createSubMesh( GEOM::GEOM_Object_ptr theSubShapeObject );