diff --git a/ankisyncd/sync_app.py b/ankisyncd/sync_app.py
index 0cab094..3920ed2 100644
--- a/ankisyncd/sync_app.py
+++ b/ankisyncd/sync_app.py
@@ -45,6 +45,34 @@ try:
 except ImportError:
     from StringIO import StringIO
 
+def old_client(cv):
+    if not cv:
+        return False
+
+    note = {"alpha": 0, "beta": 0}
+    client, version, platform = cv.split(',')
+
+    for name in note.keys():
+        if name in version:
+            vs = version.split(name)
+            version = vs[0]
+            note[name] = int(vs[-1])
+
+    version_int = [int(x) for x in version.split('.')]
+
+    if client == 'ankidesktop':
+        return version_int < [2, 0, 27]
+    elif client == 'ankidroid':
+        if version_int == [2, 3]:
+           if note["alpha"]:
+              return note["alpha"] < 4
+        else:
+           return version_int < [2, 2, 3]
+    else:  # unknown client, assume current version
+        return False
+
+
+
 class SyncCollectionHandler(Syncer):
     operations = ['meta', 'applyChanges', 'start', 'chunk', 'applyChunk', 'sanityCheck2', 'finish']
 
@@ -52,33 +80,6 @@ class SyncCollectionHandler(Syncer):
         # So that 'server' (the 3rd argument) can't get set
         Syncer.__init__(self, col)
 
-    @staticmethod
-    def _old_client(cv):
-        if not cv:
-            return False
-
-        note = {"alpha": 0, "beta": 0}
-        client, version, platform = cv.split(',')
-
-        for name in note.keys():
-            if name in version:
-                vs = version.split(name)
-                version = vs[0]
-                note[name] = int(vs[-1])
-
-        version_int = [int(x) for x in version.split('.')]
-
-        if client == 'ankidesktop':
-            return version_int < [2, 0, 27]
-        elif client == 'ankidroid':
-            if version_int == [2, 3]:
-               if note["alpha"]:
-                  return note["alpha"] < 4
-            else:
-               return version_int < [2, 2, 3]
-        else:  # unknown client, assume current version
-            return False
-
     def meta(self):
         # Make sure the media database is open!
         if self.col.media.db is None:
@@ -527,7 +528,7 @@ class SyncApp(object):
                         session.client_version = data['cv']
                         del data['cv']
 
-                    if self.session.collection_handler._old_client(session.client_version):
+                    if old_client(session.client_version):
                         return Response(status="501")  # client needs upgrade
 
                     self.session_manager.save(hkey, session)
diff --git a/tests/test_sync_app.py b/tests/test_sync_app.py
index c2257aa..bcb5e8d 100644
--- a/tests/test_sync_app.py
+++ b/tests/test_sync_app.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ from ankisyncd.sync_app import SyncCollectionHandler
 from ankisyncd.sync_app import SyncUserSession
 from ankisyncd.sync_app import SimpleSessionManager
 from ankisyncd.sync_app import SqliteSessionManager
+from ankisyncd.sync_app import old_client
 
 from collection_test_base import CollectionTestBase
 
@@ -45,12 +46,12 @@ class SyncCollectionHandlerTest(CollectionTestBase):
         )
 
         for cv in old:
-            if not self.syncCollectionHandler._old_client(cv):
-                raise AssertionError("_old_client(\"%s\") is False" % cv)
+            if not old_client(cv):
+                raise AssertionError("old_client(\"%s\") is False" % cv)
 
         for cv in current:
-            if self.syncCollectionHandler._old_client(cv):
-                raise AssertionError("_old_client(\"%s\") is True" % cv)
+            if old_client(cv):
+                raise AssertionError("old_client(\"%s\") is True" % cv)
 
     def test_meta(self):
         meta = self.syncCollectionHandler.meta()