diff --git a/compat.c b/compat.c
index a3fb17f7e..765614944 100644
--- a/compat.c
+++ b/compat.c
@@ -26,6 +26,11 @@ struct iio_context * iio_create_xml_context(const char *xml_file)
 	return create_context_with_arg("xml:", xml_file);
 }
 
+struct iio_context * iio_create_network_context(const char *hostname)
+{
+	return create_context_with_arg("ip:", hostname);
+}
+
 struct iio_context * iio_create_local_context(void)
 {
 	return iio_create_context_from_uri("local:");
diff --git a/context.c b/context.c
index b176ed3e3..b8bc5f19f 100644
--- a/context.c
+++ b/context.c
@@ -464,21 +464,6 @@ struct iio_context * iio_create_default_context(void)
 	return iio_create_context_from_uri("local:");
 }
 
-static struct iio_context *
-iio_create_context_from_uri_arg(const char *backend, const char *arg)
-{
-	char uri[1024];
-
-	iio_snprintf(uri, sizeof(uri), "%s:%s", backend, arg);
-
-	return iio_create_context_from_uri(uri);
-}
-
-struct iio_context * iio_create_network_context(const char *hostname)
-{
-	return iio_create_context_from_uri_arg("ip", hostname);
-}
-
 struct iio_context * iio_create_xml_context_mem(const char *xml, size_t len)
 {
 	if (WITH_XML_BACKEND)
diff --git a/iio-compat.h b/iio-compat.h
index 14f824225..b5bf05509 100644
--- a/iio-compat.h
+++ b/iio-compat.h
@@ -36,6 +36,13 @@
 __api __check_ret struct iio_context * iio_create_local_context(void);
 
 
+/** @brief Create a context from the network
+ * @param host Hostname, IPv4 or IPv6 address where the IIO Daemon is running
+ * @return On success, a pointer to an iio_context structure
+ * @return On failure, NULL is returned and errno is set appropriately */
+__api __check_ret struct iio_context * iio_create_network_context(const char *host);
+
+
 /** @brief Create a context from a XML file
  * @param xml_file Path to the XML file to open
  * @return On success, A pointer to an iio_context structure
diff --git a/iio.h b/iio.h
index 82b81b609..f2de195b5 100644
--- a/iio.h
+++ b/iio.h
@@ -429,13 +429,6 @@ __api __check_ret struct iio_context * iio_create_xml_context_mem(
 		const char *xml, size_t len);
 
 
-/** @brief Create a context from the network
- * @param host Hostname, IPv4 or IPv6 address where the IIO Daemon is running
- * @return On success, a pointer to an iio_context structure
- * @return On failure, NULL is returned and errno is set appropriately */
-__api __check_ret struct iio_context * iio_create_network_context(const char *host);
-
-
 /** @brief Create a context from a URI description
  * @param uri A URI describing the context location
  * @return On success, a pointer to a iio_context structure