diff --git a/internal/backend/sftp/foreground_solaris.go b/internal/backend/foreground_solaris.go
similarity index 58%
rename from internal/backend/sftp/foreground_solaris.go
rename to internal/backend/foreground_solaris.go
index 5114eb9ea..501f9c1a1 100644
--- a/internal/backend/sftp/foreground_solaris.go
+++ b/internal/backend/foreground_solaris.go
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-package sftp
+package backend
 
 import (
 	"os/exec"
@@ -7,7 +7,10 @@ import (
 	"github.com/restic/restic/internal/errors"
 )
 
-func startForeground(cmd *exec.Cmd) (bg func() error, err error) {
+// StartForeground runs cmd in the foreground, by temporarily switching to the
+// new process group created for cmd. The returned function `bg` switches back
+// to the previous process group.
+func StartForeground(cmd *exec.Cmd) (bg func() error, err error) {
 	// run the command in it's own process group so that SIGINT
 	// is not sent to it.
 	cmd.SysProcAttr = &syscall.SysProcAttr{
diff --git a/internal/backend/sftp/foreground_unix.go b/internal/backend/foreground_unix.go
similarity index 91%
rename from internal/backend/sftp/foreground_unix.go
rename to internal/backend/foreground_unix.go
index 789cecb1c..1662a0250 100644
--- a/internal/backend/sftp/foreground_unix.go
+++ b/internal/backend/foreground_unix.go
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 // +build !solaris
 // +build !windows
 
-package sftp
+package backend
 
 import (
 	"os"
@@ -24,10 +24,10 @@ func tcsetpgrp(fd int, pid int) error {
 	return errno
 }
 
-// startForeground runs cmd in the foreground, by temporarily switching to the
+// StartForeground runs cmd in the foreground, by temporarily switching to the
 // new process group created for cmd. The returned function `bg` switches back
 // to the previous process group.
-func startForeground(cmd *exec.Cmd) (bg func() error, err error) {
+func StartForeground(cmd *exec.Cmd) (bg func() error, err error) {
 	// open the TTY, we need the file descriptor
 	tty, err := os.OpenFile("/dev/tty", os.O_RDWR, 0)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/internal/backend/sftp/foreground_windows.go b/internal/backend/foreground_windows.go
similarity index 84%
rename from internal/backend/sftp/foreground_windows.go
rename to internal/backend/foreground_windows.go
index e57b4d3a4..0e8b03a13 100644
--- a/internal/backend/sftp/foreground_windows.go
+++ b/internal/backend/foreground_windows.go
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-package sftp
+package backend
 
 import (
 	"os/exec"
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/restic/restic/internal/errors"
 )
 
-// startForeground runs cmd in the foreground, by temporarily switching to the
+// StartForeground runs cmd in the foreground, by temporarily switching to the
 // new process group created for cmd. The returned function `bg` switches back
 // to the previous process group.
 func startForeground(cmd *exec.Cmd) (bg func() error, err error) {
diff --git a/internal/backend/sftp/sftp.go b/internal/backend/sftp/sftp.go
index 1f98cf56b..268a3404a 100644
--- a/internal/backend/sftp/sftp.go
+++ b/internal/backend/sftp/sftp.go
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ func startClient(program string, args ...string) (*SFTP, error) {
 		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "cmd.StdoutPipe")
 	}
 
-	bg, err := startForeground(cmd)
+	bg, err := backend.StartForeground(cmd)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "cmd.Start")
 	}