diff --git a/utils/auc/src/auc.c b/utils/auc/src/auc.c
index 53164be798..00d813b056 100644
--- a/utils/auc/src/auc.c
+++ b/utils/auc/src/auc.c
@@ -417,9 +417,24 @@ static int verrevcmp(const char *val, const char *ref)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+/*
+ * replace '-rc' by '~' in string
+ */
+static inline void release_replace_rc(char *ver)
+{
+	char *tmp;
+
+	tmp = strstr(ver, "-rc");
+	if (tmp && strlen(tmp) > 3) {
+		*tmp = '~';
+		strcpy(tmp + 1, tmp + 3);
+	}
+}
+
 /*
  * OpenWrt release version string comperator
- * replaces '-rc' by '~' to fix ordering of release(s) (candidates).
+ * replaces '-rc' by '~' to fix ordering of release(s) (candidates)
+ * using the void release_replace_rc(char *ver) function above.
  */
 static int openwrt_release_verrevcmp(const char *ver1, const char *ver2)
 {
@@ -1210,17 +1225,6 @@ static int request_branches(bool only_active)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static inline void release_replace_rc(char *ver)
-{
-	char *tmp;
-
-	tmp = strstr(ver, "-rc");
-	if (tmp && strlen(tmp) > 3) {
-		*tmp = '~';
-		strcpy(tmp + 1, tmp + 3);
-	}
-}
-
 static struct branch *select_branch(char *name, char *select_version)
 {
 	struct branch *br, *abr = NULL;