diff --git a/kittens/choose/main.py b/kittens/choose/main.py
index 16d900965..9dc4e90f3 100644
--- a/kittens/choose/main.py
+++ b/kittens/choose/main.py
@@ -3,47 +3,14 @@
 # License: GPL v3 Copyright: 2018, Kovid Goyal <kovid at kovidgoyal.net>
 
 import sys
-from typing import Iterable, List, Union
+from typing import List
 
 from kitty.key_encoding import KeyEvent
 
-from . import subseq_matcher
 from ..tui.handler import Handler
 from ..tui.loop import Loop
 
 
-def match(
-    input_data: Union[str, bytes, Iterable[Union[str, bytes]]],
-    query: str,
-    threads: int = 0,
-    positions: bool = False,
-    level1: str = '/',
-    level2: str = '-_0123456789',
-    level3: str = '.',
-    limit: int = 0,
-    mark_before: str = '',
-    mark_after: str = '',
-    delimiter: str = '\n'
-) -> List[str]:
-    if isinstance(input_data, str):
-        idata = [x.encode('utf-8') for x in input_data.split(delimiter)]
-    elif isinstance(input_data, bytes):
-        idata = input_data.split(delimiter.encode('utf-8'))
-    else:
-        idata = [x.encode('utf-8') if isinstance(x, str) else x for x in input_data]
-    query = query.lower()
-    level1 = level1.lower()
-    level2 = level2.lower()
-    level3 = level3.lower()
-    data = subseq_matcher.match(
-        idata, (level1, level2, level3), query,
-        positions, limit, threads,
-        mark_before, mark_after, delimiter)
-    if data is None:
-        return []
-    return list(filter(None, data.split(delimiter or '\n')))
-
-
 class ChooseHandler(Handler):
 
     def initialize(self) -> None:
diff --git a/kittens/choose/match.py b/kittens/choose/match.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d0cfe2bbf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/kittens/choose/match.py
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+# vim:fileencoding=utf-8
+# License: GPLv3 Copyright: 2021, Kovid Goyal <kovid at kovidgoyal.net>
+
+from typing import Iterable, List, Union
+
+from . import subseq_matcher
+
+
+def match(
+    input_data: Union[str, bytes, Iterable[Union[str, bytes]]],
+    query: str,
+    threads: int = 0,
+    positions: bool = False,
+    level1: str = '/',
+    level2: str = '-_0123456789',
+    level3: str = '.',
+    limit: int = 0,
+    mark_before: str = '',
+    mark_after: str = '',
+    delimiter: str = '\n'
+) -> List[str]:
+    if isinstance(input_data, str):
+        idata = [x.encode('utf-8') for x in input_data.split(delimiter)]
+    elif isinstance(input_data, bytes):
+        idata = input_data.split(delimiter.encode('utf-8'))
+    else:
+        idata = [x.encode('utf-8') if isinstance(x, str) else x for x in input_data]
+    query = query.lower()
+    level1 = level1.lower()
+    level2 = level2.lower()
+    level3 = level3.lower()
+    data = subseq_matcher.match(
+        idata, (level1, level2, level3), query,
+        positions, limit, threads,
+        mark_before, mark_after, delimiter)
+    if data is None:
+        return []
+    return list(filter(None, data.split(delimiter or '\n')))
diff --git a/kittens/themes/collection.py b/kittens/themes/collection.py
index 70e404a88..5ded581ef 100644
--- a/kittens/themes/collection.py
+++ b/kittens/themes/collection.py
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ from kitty.constants import cache_dir, config_dir
 from kitty.options.types import Options as KittyOptions
 from kitty.rgb import Color
 
-from ..choose.main import match
+from ..choose.match import match
 
 
 def set_comment_in_zip_file(path: str, data: str) -> None: