diff --git a/src/hg-data.c b/src/hg-data.c
index e45631a54..f9faf5d59 100644
--- a/src/hg-data.c
+++ b/src/hg-data.c
@@ -53,8 +53,7 @@ void hg_file_load(struct hg_file *result, const struct hg_object_id *oid)
 	if (is_empty_hg_file(oid))
 		return;
 
-	ensure_notes(&files_meta);
-	note = get_note_hg(&files_meta, oid);
+	note = get_files_meta(oid);
 	if (note) {
 		if (oid_object_info_extended(
 				the_repository, note, &oi,
diff --git a/src/hg-data.h b/src/hg-data.h
index 13128e990..7361be44b 100644
--- a/src/hg-data.h
+++ b/src/hg-data.h
@@ -91,7 +91,6 @@ void hg_file_store(struct hg_file *file, struct hg_file *reference);
 int add_hg2git(const struct hg_object_id *oid, const struct object_id *note_oid);
 int add_files_meta(const struct hg_object_id *oid, const struct object_id *note_oid);
 
-const struct object_id *get_note_hg(struct notes_tree *notes,
-                                    const struct hg_object_id *oid);
+const struct object_id *get_files_meta(const struct hg_object_id *oid);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/libcinnabar.rs b/src/libcinnabar.rs
index 387dca433..7aa4bfa69 100644
--- a/src/libcinnabar.rs
+++ b/src/libcinnabar.rs
@@ -183,6 +183,11 @@ pub unsafe extern "C" fn get_note_hg(
     cinnabar_get_note(notes, &git_oid.into())
 }
 
+#[no_mangle]
+pub unsafe extern "C" fn get_files_meta(oid: *const hg_object_id) -> *const object_id {
+    get_note_hg(&mut files_meta.0, oid)
+}
+
 unsafe fn add_note_hg(
     notes: *mut cinnabar_notes_tree,
     oid: *const hg_object_id,