diff --git a/vndk/tools/header-checker/src/repr/ir_reader.h b/vndk/tools/header-checker/src/repr/ir_reader.h
index 21a8f6951..e3f318210 100644
--- a/vndk/tools/header-checker/src/repr/ir_reader.h
+++ b/vndk/tools/header-checker/src/repr/ir_reader.h
@@ -49,6 +49,10 @@ class IRReader {
   };
 
  public:
+  static std::unique_ptr<IRReader> CreateIRReader(
+      TextFormatIR text_format,
+      const std::set<std::string> *exported_headers = nullptr);
+
   IRReader(const std::set<std::string> *exported_headers)
       : module_(new ModuleIR(exported_headers)) {}
 
@@ -64,28 +68,9 @@ class IRReader {
     return std::move(module_);
   }
 
-  void Merge(IRReader &&addend) {
-    MergeElements(&module_->functions_, std::move(addend.module_->functions_));
-    MergeElements(&module_->global_variables_,
-                  std::move(addend.module_->global_variables_));
-    MergeElements(&module_->record_types_,
-                  std::move(addend.module_->record_types_));
-    MergeElements(&module_->enum_types_,
-                  std::move(addend.module_->enum_types_));
-    MergeElements(&module_->pointer_types_,
-                  std::move(addend.module_->pointer_types_));
-    MergeElements(&module_->lvalue_reference_types_,
-                  std::move(addend.module_->lvalue_reference_types_));
-    MergeElements(&module_->rvalue_reference_types_,
-                  std::move(addend.module_->rvalue_reference_types_));
-    MergeElements(&module_->array_types_,
-                  std::move(addend.module_->array_types_));
-    MergeElements(&module_->builtin_types_,
-                  std::move(addend.module_->builtin_types_));
-    MergeElements(&module_->qualified_types_,
-                  std::move(addend.module_->qualified_types_));
-  }
+  void MergeGraphs(const IRReader &addend);
 
+ private:
   template <typename T>
   MergeStatus MergeReferencingTypeInternalAndUpdateParent(
       const IRReader &addend, const T *addend_node,
@@ -177,8 +162,6 @@ class IRReader {
       const FunctionIR *addend_node, const IRReader &addend,
       AbiElementMap<MergeStatus> *local_to_global_type_id_map);
 
-  void MergeGraphs(const IRReader &addend);
-
   void UpdateIRReaderTypeGraph(
       const TypeIR *addend_node, const std::string &added_type_id,
       AbiElementMap<MergeStatus> *local_to_global_type_id_map);
@@ -193,17 +176,7 @@ class IRReader {
 
   std::string AllocateNewTypeId();
 
-  static std::unique_ptr<IRReader> CreateIRReader(
-      TextFormatIR text_format,
-      const std::set<std::string> *exported_headers = nullptr);
-
  protected:
-  template <typename Augend, typename Addend>
-  inline void MergeElements(Augend *augend, Addend &&addend) {
-    augend->insert(std::make_move_iterator(addend.begin()),
-                   std::make_move_iterator(addend.end()));
-  }
-
   std::unique_ptr<ModuleIR> module_;
 
   uint64_t max_type_id_ = 0;