diff --git a/mercurial/debugcommands.py b/mercurial/debugcommands.py
--- a/mercurial/debugcommands.py
+++ b/mercurial/debugcommands.py
@@ -4512,7 +4512,7 @@ def debugwireproto(ui, repo, path=None, 
             peer = None
         else:
             ui.write(_(b'creating ssh peer from handshake results\n'))
-            peer = sshpeer.makepeer(
+            peer = sshpeer._make_peer(
                 ui,
                 url,
                 proc,
@@ -4568,7 +4568,7 @@ def debugwireproto(ui, repo, path=None, 
             )
         else:
             peer_path = urlutil.try_path(ui, path)
-            peer = httppeer.makepeer(ui, peer_path, opener=opener)
+            peer = httppeer._make_peer(ui, peer_path, opener=opener)
 
         # We /could/ populate stdin/stdout with sock.makefile()...
     else:
diff --git a/mercurial/httppeer.py b/mercurial/httppeer.py
--- a/mercurial/httppeer.py
+++ b/mercurial/httppeer.py
@@ -592,7 +592,7 @@ def performhandshake(ui, url, opener, re
     return respurl, info
 
 
-def makepeer(ui, path, opener=None, requestbuilder=urlreq.request):
+def _make_peer(ui, path, opener=None, requestbuilder=urlreq.request):
     """Construct an appropriate HTTP peer instance.
 
     ``opener`` is an ``url.opener`` that should be used to establish
@@ -628,7 +628,7 @@ def make_peer(ui, path, create, intents=
                 _(b'Python support for SSL and HTTPS is not installed')
             )
 
-        inst = makepeer(ui, path)
+        inst = _make_peer(ui, path)
 
         return inst
     except error.RepoError as httpexception:
diff --git a/mercurial/sshpeer.py b/mercurial/sshpeer.py
--- a/mercurial/sshpeer.py
+++ b/mercurial/sshpeer.py
@@ -568,7 +568,7 @@ class sshv1peer(wireprotov1peer.wirepeer
             self._readerr()
 
 
-def makepeer(ui, path, proc, stdin, stdout, stderr, autoreadstderr=True):
+def _make_peer(ui, path, proc, stdin, stdout, stderr, autoreadstderr=True):
     """Make a peer instance from existing pipes.
 
     ``path`` and ``proc`` are stored on the eventual peer instance and may
@@ -658,7 +658,7 @@ def make_peer(ui, path, create, intents=
         ui, sshcmd, args, remotecmd, remotepath, sshenv
     )
 
-    peer = makepeer(ui, path, proc, stdin, stdout, stderr)
+    peer = _make_peer(ui, path, proc, stdin, stdout, stderr)
 
     # Finally, if supported by the server, notify it about our own
     # capabilities.