diff --git a/src/runtime/parser.c b/src/runtime/parser.c
index 6201ace3..c064403b 100644
--- a/src/runtime/parser.c
+++ b/src/runtime/parser.c
@@ -462,32 +462,8 @@ static ConsumeResult ts_parser__consume_lookahead(TSParser *self, int head) {
   }
 }
 
-static int ts_tree__compare(TSTree *left, TSTree *right) {
-  if (left->symbol < right->symbol)
-    return -1;
-  if (right->symbol < left->symbol)
-    return 1;
-  if (left->child_count < right->child_count)
-    return -1;
-  if (right->child_count < left->child_count)
-    return 1;
-  for (size_t i = 0; i < left->child_count; i++) {
-    TSTree *left_child = left->children[i];
-    TSTree *right_child = right->children[i];
-    switch (ts_tree__compare(left_child, right_child)) {
-      case -1:
-        return -1;
-      case 1:
-        return 1;
-      default:
-        break;
-    }
-  }
-  return 0;
-}
-
 static TSTree *ts_parser__select_tree(void *data, TSTree *left, TSTree *right) {
-  if (ts_tree__compare(left, right) <= 0)
+  if (ts_tree_compare(left, right) <= 0)
     return left;
   else
     return right;
diff --git a/src/runtime/tree.c b/src/runtime/tree.c
index 4c04e9b8..0591ba03 100644
--- a/src/runtime/tree.c
+++ b/src/runtime/tree.c
@@ -143,6 +143,30 @@ bool ts_tree_eq(const TSTree *self, const TSTree *other) {
   return true;
 }
 
+int ts_tree_compare(const TSTree *left, const TSTree *right) {
+  if (left->symbol < right->symbol)
+    return -1;
+  if (right->symbol < left->symbol)
+    return 1;
+  if (left->child_count < right->child_count)
+    return -1;
+  if (right->child_count < left->child_count)
+    return 1;
+  for (size_t i = 0; i < left->child_count; i++) {
+    TSTree *left_child = left->children[i];
+    TSTree *right_child = right->children[i];
+    switch (ts_tree_compare(left_child, right_child)) {
+      case -1:
+        return -1;
+      case 1:
+        return 1;
+      default:
+        break;
+    }
+  }
+  return 0;
+}
+
 static size_t write_lookahead_to_string(char *string, size_t limit,
                                         char lookahead) {
   switch (lookahead) {
diff --git a/src/runtime/tree.h b/src/runtime/tree.h
index b443868e..93bfdecf 100644
--- a/src/runtime/tree.h
+++ b/src/runtime/tree.h
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ TSTree *ts_tree_make_error(TSLength size, TSLength padding, char lookahead_char)
 void ts_tree_retain(TSTree *tree);
 void ts_tree_release(TSTree *tree);
 bool ts_tree_eq(const TSTree *tree1, const TSTree *tree2);
+int ts_tree_compare(const TSTree *tree1, const TSTree *tree2);
 char *ts_tree_string(const TSTree *tree, const char **names,
                      bool include_anonymous);
 TSLength ts_tree_total_size(const TSTree *tree);