diff --git a/src/gui/categoryfiltermodel.cpp b/src/gui/categoryfiltermodel.cpp
index 715bdd7af..0968761ae 100644
--- a/src/gui/categoryfiltermodel.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/categoryfiltermodel.cpp
@@ -195,6 +195,13 @@ CategoryFilterModel::~CategoryFilterModel()
     delete m_rootItem;
 }
 
+bool CategoryFilterModel::isSpecialItem(const QModelIndex &index)
+{
+    // the first two items at first level are special items:
+    // 'All' and 'Uncategorized'
+    return (!index.parent().isValid() && (index.row() <= 1));
+}
+
 int CategoryFilterModel::columnCount(const QModelIndex &) const
 {
     return 1;
diff --git a/src/gui/categoryfiltermodel.h b/src/gui/categoryfiltermodel.h
index df92eab57..bf186faae 100644
--- a/src/gui/categoryfiltermodel.h
+++ b/src/gui/categoryfiltermodel.h
@@ -48,6 +48,8 @@ public:
     explicit CategoryFilterModel(QObject *parent = nullptr);
     ~CategoryFilterModel();
 
+    static bool isSpecialItem(const QModelIndex &index);
+
     int columnCount(const QModelIndex &parent = QModelIndex()) const override;
     QVariant data(const QModelIndex &index, int role = Qt::DisplayRole) const override;
     Qt::ItemFlags flags(const QModelIndex &index) const override;
diff --git a/src/gui/categoryfilterwidget.cpp b/src/gui/categoryfilterwidget.cpp
index 0da279b25..bf7952322 100644
--- a/src/gui/categoryfilterwidget.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/categoryfilterwidget.cpp
@@ -54,13 +54,6 @@ namespace
 
         return categoryFilter;
     }
-
-    bool isSpecialItem(const QModelIndex &index)
-    {
-        // the first two items at first level are special items:
-        // 'All' and 'Uncategorized'
-        return (!index.parent().isValid() && (index.row() <= 1));
-    }
 }
 
 CategoryFilterWidget::CategoryFilterWidget(QWidget *parent)
@@ -115,7 +108,7 @@ void CategoryFilterWidget::showMenu(QPoint)
     connect(addAct, SIGNAL(triggered()), SLOT(addCategory()));
 
     auto selectedRows = selectionModel()->selectedRows();
-    if (!selectedRows.empty() && !isSpecialItem(selectedRows.first())) {
+    if (!selectedRows.empty() && !CategoryFilterModel::isSpecialItem(selectedRows.first())) {
         if (BitTorrent::Session::instance()->isSubcategoriesEnabled()) {
             QAction *addSubAct = menu.addAction(
                         GuiIconProvider::instance()->getIcon("list-add")
@@ -238,7 +231,7 @@ void CategoryFilterWidget::addSubcategory()
 void CategoryFilterWidget::removeCategory()
 {
     auto selectedRows = selectionModel()->selectedRows();
-    if (!selectedRows.empty() && !isSpecialItem(selectedRows.first())) {
+    if (!selectedRows.empty() && !CategoryFilterModel::isSpecialItem(selectedRows.first())) {
         BitTorrent::Session::instance()->removeCategory(
                     static_cast<CategoryFilterModel *>(model())->categoryName(selectedRows.first()));
         updateGeometry();