diff --git a/include/common/mathlib.h b/include/common/mathlib.h
index d3fb87f9..dae8f786 100644
--- a/include/common/mathlib.h
+++ b/include/common/mathlib.h
@@ -172,6 +172,15 @@ VectorNormalize(vec3_t v)
     return (vec_t)length;
 }
 
+// returns the normalized direction from `start` to `stop` in the `dir` param
+// returns the distance from `start` to `stop`
+static inline vec_t
+GetDir(const vec3_t start, const vec3_t stop, vec3_t dir)
+{
+    VectorSubtract(stop, start, dir);
+    return VectorNormalize(dir);
+}
+    
 /* Shortcut for output of warnings/errors */
 const char *VecStr(const vec3_t vec);
 const char *VecStrf(const vec3_t vec);
diff --git a/light/ltface.cc b/light/ltface.cc
index ba9b8645..e79bbab6 100644
--- a/light/ltface.cc
+++ b/light/ltface.cc
@@ -1459,12 +1459,6 @@ LightFace_Sky(const sun_t *sun, const lightsurf_t *lightsurf, lightmap_t *lightm
         Lightmap_Save(lightmaps, lightsurf, lightmap, 0);
 }
 
-static vec_t GetDir(const vec3_t start, const vec3_t stop, vec3_t dir)
-{
-    VectorSubtract(stop, start, dir);
-    return VectorNormalize(dir);
-}
-
 /*
  * ============
  * LightFace_Min