diff --git a/src/cargo/util/semver_eval_ext.rs b/src/cargo/util/semver_eval_ext.rs
index a402f454412a..e73a46ee8d3e 100644
--- a/src/cargo/util/semver_eval_ext.rs
+++ b/src/cargo/util/semver_eval_ext.rs
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ fn matches_exact(cmp: &Comparator, ver: &Version) -> bool {
 }
 
 // See https://github.com/dtolnay/semver/blob/69efd3cc770ead273a06ad1788477b3092996d29/src/eval.rs#L64-L88
-fn matches_greater(cmp: &Comparator, ver: &Version) -> bool {
+pub(crate) fn matches_greater(cmp: &Comparator, ver: &Version) -> bool {
     if ver.major != cmp.major {
         return ver.major > cmp.major;
     }
diff --git a/src/cargo/util/toml_mut/upgrade.rs b/src/cargo/util/toml_mut/upgrade.rs
index b81f51ec5e3f..f50977641714 100644
--- a/src/cargo/util/toml_mut/upgrade.rs
+++ b/src/cargo/util/toml_mut/upgrade.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
-use std::fmt::Display;
-
+use crate::util::semver_eval_ext;
 use crate::CargoResult;
+use std::fmt::Display;
 
 /// Upgrade an existing requirement to a new version.
 /// Copied from cargo-edit.
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ pub(crate) fn upgrade_requirement(
             .comparators
             .into_iter()
             // Don't downgrade if pre-release was used, see https://github.com/rust-lang/cargo/issues/14178 and https://github.com/rust-lang/cargo/issues/13290.
-            .filter(|p| p.pre.is_empty() || matches_greater(p, version))
+            .filter(|p| p.pre.is_empty() || semver_eval_ext::matches_greater(p, version))
             .map(|p| set_comparator(p, version))
             .collect::<CargoResult<_>>()?;
         if comparators.is_empty() {
@@ -78,33 +78,6 @@ fn set_comparator(
     }
 }
 
-// See https://github.com/dtolnay/semver/blob/69efd3cc770ead273a06ad1788477b3092996d29/src/eval.rs#L64-L88
-fn matches_greater(cmp: &semver::Comparator, ver: &semver::Version) -> bool {
-    if ver.major != cmp.major {
-        return ver.major > cmp.major;
-    }
-
-    match cmp.minor {
-        None => return false,
-        Some(minor) => {
-            if ver.minor != minor {
-                return ver.minor > minor;
-            }
-        }
-    }
-
-    match cmp.patch {
-        None => return false,
-        Some(patch) => {
-            if ver.patch != patch {
-                return ver.patch > patch;
-            }
-        }
-    }
-
-    ver.pre > cmp.pre
-}
-
 fn assign_partial_req(
     version: &semver::Version,
     mut pred: semver::Comparator,