diff --git a/src/platform/backends/qemu/qemu_snapshot.cpp b/src/platform/backends/qemu/qemu_snapshot.cpp
index 916b0c64a6..aa23f0f26f 100644
--- a/src/platform/backends/qemu/qemu_snapshot.cpp
+++ b/src/platform/backends/qemu/qemu_snapshot.cpp
@@ -33,9 +33,6 @@ namespace mpp = mp::platform;
 
 namespace
 {
-const auto snapshot_template = QStringLiteral("@%1"); /* avoid colliding with suspension snapshots; prefix with a char
-                                                         that can't be part of the name, to avoid confusion */
-
 std::unique_ptr<mp::QemuImgProcessSpec> make_capture_spec(const QString& tag, const mp::Path& image_path)
 {
     return std::make_unique<mp::QemuImgProcessSpec>(QStringList{"snapshot", "-c", tag, image_path},
@@ -80,7 +77,7 @@ mp::QemuSnapshot::QemuSnapshot(const QJsonObject& json, QemuVirtualMachine& vm,
 
 void mp::QemuSnapshot::capture_impl()
 {
-    auto tag = derive_tag();
+    auto tag = derive_id();
 
     // Avoid creating more than one snapshot with the same tag (creation would succeed, but we'd then be unable to
     // identify the snapshot by tag)
@@ -93,7 +90,7 @@ void mp::QemuSnapshot::capture_impl()
 
 void mp::QemuSnapshot::erase_impl()
 {
-    checked_exec_qemu_img(make_delete_spec(derive_tag(), image_path));
+    checked_exec_qemu_img(make_delete_spec(derive_id(), image_path));
 }
 
 void mp::QemuSnapshot::apply_impl()
@@ -105,11 +102,6 @@ void mp::QemuSnapshot::apply_impl()
     desc.mem_size = get_mem_size();
     desc.disk_space = get_disk_space();
 
-    checked_exec_qemu_img(make_restore_spec(derive_tag(), image_path));
+    checked_exec_qemu_img(make_restore_spec(derive_id(), image_path));
     rollback.dismiss();
 }
-
-QString mp::QemuSnapshot::derive_tag() const
-{
-    return snapshot_template.arg(get_name().c_str());
-}
diff --git a/src/platform/backends/qemu/qemu_snapshot.h b/src/platform/backends/qemu/qemu_snapshot.h
index 2424690193..81480a1eb1 100644
--- a/src/platform/backends/qemu/qemu_snapshot.h
+++ b/src/platform/backends/qemu/qemu_snapshot.h
@@ -41,9 +41,6 @@ class QemuSnapshot : public BaseSnapshot
     void erase_impl() override;
     void apply_impl() override;
 
-private:
-    QString derive_tag() const;
-
 private:
     VirtualMachineDescription& desc;
     const Path& image_path;
diff --git a/src/platform/backends/shared/base_snapshot.cpp b/src/platform/backends/shared/base_snapshot.cpp
index 939c2aebb0..f09467069d 100644
--- a/src/platform/backends/shared/base_snapshot.cpp
+++ b/src/platform/backends/shared/base_snapshot.cpp
@@ -29,6 +29,9 @@ namespace mp = multipass;
 
 namespace
 {
+const auto snapshot_template = QStringLiteral("@%1"); /* avoid colliding with suspension snapshots; prefix with a char
+                                                         that can't be part of the name, to avoid confusion */
+
 std::unordered_map<std::string, mp::VMMount> load_mounts(const QJsonArray& json)
 {
     std::unordered_map<std::string, mp::VMMount> mounts;
@@ -197,3 +200,8 @@ QJsonObject multipass::BaseSnapshot::serialize() const
 
     return ret;
 }
+
+QString multipass::BaseSnapshot::derive_id() const
+{
+    return snapshot_template.arg(get_name().c_str());
+}
diff --git a/src/platform/backends/shared/base_snapshot.h b/src/platform/backends/shared/base_snapshot.h
index 411c952c95..126e19183b 100644
--- a/src/platform/backends/shared/base_snapshot.h
+++ b/src/platform/backends/shared/base_snapshot.h
@@ -69,6 +69,8 @@ class BaseSnapshot : public Snapshot
     virtual void erase_impl() = 0;
     virtual void apply_impl() = 0;
 
+    QString derive_id() const;
+
 private:
     struct InnerJsonTag
     {