diff --git a/source/blender/blenkernel/BKE_object.h b/source/blender/blenkernel/BKE_object.h
index 882d6f111d8..03565bd3bda 100644
--- a/source/blender/blenkernel/BKE_object.h
+++ b/source/blender/blenkernel/BKE_object.h
@@ -274,10 +274,6 @@ void BKE_object_rot_to_mat3(const struct Object *ob, float r_mat[3][3], bool use
 void BKE_object_mat3_to_rot(struct Object *ob, float r_mat[3][3], bool use_compat);
 void BKE_object_to_mat3(struct Object *ob, float r_mat[3][3]);
 void BKE_object_to_mat4(struct Object *ob, float r_mat[4][4]);
-void BKE_object_apply_mat4(struct Object *ob,
-                           const float mat[4][4],
-                           const bool use_compat,
-                           const bool use_parent);
 /**
  * Applies the global transformation \a mat to the \a ob using a relative parent space if
  * supplied.
@@ -293,6 +289,11 @@ void BKE_object_apply_mat4_ex(struct Object *ob,
                               struct Object *parent,
                               const float parentinv[4][4],
                               const bool use_compat);
+/** See #BKE_object_apply_mat4_ex */
+void BKE_object_apply_mat4(struct Object *ob,
+                           const float mat[4][4],
+                           const bool use_compat,
+                           const bool use_parent);
 void BKE_object_matrix_local_get(struct Object *ob, float r_mat[4][4]);
 
 bool BKE_object_pose_context_check(const struct Object *ob);
diff --git a/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/object.cc b/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/object.cc
index af971e27c52..7fec91ed65a 100644
--- a/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/object.cc
+++ b/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/object.cc
@@ -3775,9 +3775,6 @@ void BKE_object_apply_mat4_ex(Object *ob,
   /* BKE_object_mat3_to_rot handles delta rotations */
 }
 
-/**
- * XXX: should be removed after COW operators port to use BKE_object_apply_mat4_ex directly.
- */
 void BKE_object_apply_mat4(Object *ob,
                            const float mat[4][4],
                            const bool use_compat,