diff --git a/headers/os/storage/Node.h b/headers/os/storage/Node.h
index 7643a61597..618d4aec0a 100644
--- a/headers/os/storage/Node.h
+++ b/headers/os/storage/Node.h
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ struct node_ref {
 
 	bool operator==(const node_ref& ref) const;
 	bool operator!=(const node_ref& ref) const;
+	bool operator<(const node_ref& ref) const;
 	node_ref& operator=(const node_ref& ref);
 
 	dev_t device;
diff --git a/src/kits/storage/Node.cpp b/src/kits/storage/Node.cpp
index 5cce99b1a7..83ce9dc59d 100644
--- a/src/kits/storage/Node.cpp
+++ b/src/kits/storage/Node.cpp
@@ -68,6 +68,16 @@ node_ref::operator!=(const node_ref &ref) const
 	return !(*this == ref);
 }
 
+
+bool
+node_ref::operator<(const node_ref& other) const
+{
+	if (this->device != other.device)
+		return this->device < other.device;
+	return this->node < other.node;
+}
+
+
 // =
 node_ref&
 node_ref::operator=(const node_ref &ref)
diff --git a/src/kits/tracker/VirtualDirectoryManager.cpp b/src/kits/tracker/VirtualDirectoryManager.cpp
index 40dce3fdb9..e385efde63 100644
--- a/src/kits/tracker/VirtualDirectoryManager.cpp
+++ b/src/kits/tracker/VirtualDirectoryManager.cpp
@@ -35,15 +35,6 @@ static const char* const kTemporaryDefinitionFileBaseDirectoryPath
 	= "/tmp/tracker/virtual-directories";
 
 
-static bool
-operator<(const node_ref& a, const node_ref& b)
-{
-	if (a.device != b.device)
-		return a.device < b.device;
-	return a.node < b.node;
-}
-
-
 // #pragma mark - Info