diff --git a/conda_build/config.py b/conda_build/config.py
index e1bba06518..2f29d63201 100644
--- a/conda_build/config.py
+++ b/conda_build/config.py
@@ -913,8 +913,7 @@ def __exit__(self, e_type, e_value, traceback):
             self.clean(remove_folders=False)
 
 
-def get_or_merge_config(config, variant=None, **kwargs):
-    """Always returns a new object - never changes the config that might be passed in."""
+def _get_or_merge_config(config, variant=None, **kwargs):
     if not config:
         config = Config(variant=variant)
     else:
@@ -928,6 +927,11 @@ def get_or_merge_config(config, variant=None, **kwargs):
     return config
 
 
+def get_or_merge_config(config, variant=None, **kwargs):
+    """Always returns a new object - never changes the config that might be passed in."""
+    return _get_or_merge_config(config, variant=variant, **kwargs)
+
+
 def get_channel_urls(args):
     channel_urls = args.get("channel") or args.get("channels") or ()
     final_channel_urls = []
diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index 3aca5b4bc7..945277f4c1 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 import conda_build.config
 from conda_build.config import (
     Config,
+    _get_or_merge_config,
     _src_cache_root_default,
     conda_pkg_format_default,
     enable_static_default,
@@ -21,7 +22,6 @@
     error_overlinking_default,
     exit_on_verify_error_default,
     filename_hashing_default,
-    get_or_merge_config,
     ignore_verify_codes_default,
     no_rewrite_stdout_env_default,
     noarch_python_build_age_default,
@@ -121,11 +121,11 @@ def default_testing_config(testing_config, monkeypatch, request):
         return
 
     def get_or_merge_testing_config(config, variant=None, **kwargs):
-        return get_or_merge_config(config or testing_config, variant, **kwargs)
+        return _get_or_merge_config(config or testing_config, variant, **kwargs)
 
     monkeypatch.setattr(
         conda_build.config,
-        "get_or_merge_config",
+        "_get_or_merge_config",
         get_or_merge_testing_config,
     )