diff --git a/mercurial/cmdutil.py b/mercurial/cmdutil.py
--- a/mercurial/cmdutil.py
+++ b/mercurial/cmdutil.py
@@ -975,250 +975,7 @@
     return r
 
 def copy(ui, repo, pats, opts, rename=False):
-    # called with the repo lock held
-    #
-    # hgsep => pathname that uses "/" to separate directories
-    # ossep => pathname that uses os.sep to separate directories
-    cwd = repo.getcwd()
-    targets = {}
-    after = opts.get("after")
-    dryrun = opts.get("dry_run")
-    wctx = repo[None]
-
-    def walkpat(pat):
-        srcs = []
-        if after:
-            badstates = '?'
-        else:
-            badstates = '?r'
-        m = scmutil.match(wctx, [pat], opts, globbed=True)
-        for abs in wctx.walk(m):
-            state = repo.dirstate[abs]
-            rel = m.rel(abs)
-            exact = m.exact(abs)
-            if state in badstates:
-                if exact and state == '?':
-                    ui.warn(_('%s: not copying - file is not managed\n') % rel)
-                if exact and state == 'r':
-                    ui.warn(_('%s: not copying - file has been marked for'
-                              ' remove\n') % rel)
-                continue
-            # abs: hgsep
-            # rel: ossep
-            srcs.append((abs, rel, exact))
-        return srcs
-
-    # abssrc: hgsep
-    # relsrc: ossep
-    # otarget: ossep
-    def copyfile(abssrc, relsrc, otarget, exact):
-        abstarget = pathutil.canonpath(repo.root, cwd, otarget)
-        if '/' in abstarget:
-            # We cannot normalize abstarget itself, this would prevent
-            # case only renames, like a => A.
-            abspath, absname = abstarget.rsplit('/', 1)
-            abstarget = repo.dirstate.normalize(abspath) + '/' + absname
-        reltarget = repo.pathto(abstarget, cwd)
-        target = repo.wjoin(abstarget)
-        src = repo.wjoin(abssrc)
-        state = repo.dirstate[abstarget]
-
-        scmutil.checkportable(ui, abstarget)
-
-        # check for collisions
-        prevsrc = targets.get(abstarget)
-        if prevsrc is not None:
-            ui.warn(_('%s: not overwriting - %s collides with %s\n') %
-                    (reltarget, repo.pathto(abssrc, cwd),
-                     repo.pathto(prevsrc, cwd)))
-            return
-
-        # check for overwrites
-        exists = os.path.lexists(target)
-        samefile = False
-        if exists and abssrc != abstarget:
-            if (repo.dirstate.normalize(abssrc) ==
-                repo.dirstate.normalize(abstarget)):
-                if not rename:
-                    ui.warn(_("%s: can't copy - same file\n") % reltarget)
-                    return
-                exists = False
-                samefile = True
-
-        if not after and exists or after and state in 'mn':
-            if not opts['force']:
-                if state in 'mn':
-                    msg = _('%s: not overwriting - file already committed\n')
-                    if after:
-                        flags = '--after --force'
-                    else:
-                        flags = '--force'
-                    if rename:
-                        hint = _('(hg rename %s to replace the file by '
-                                 'recording a rename)\n') % flags
-                    else:
-                        hint = _('(hg copy %s to replace the file by '
-                                 'recording a copy)\n') % flags
-                else:
-                    msg = _('%s: not overwriting - file exists\n')
-                    if rename:
-                        hint = _('(hg rename --after to record the rename)\n')
-                    else:
-                        hint = _('(hg copy --after to record the copy)\n')
-                ui.warn(msg % reltarget)
-                ui.warn(hint)
-                return
-
-        if after:
-            if not exists:
-                if rename:
-                    ui.warn(_('%s: not recording move - %s does not exist\n') %
-                            (relsrc, reltarget))
-                else:
-                    ui.warn(_('%s: not recording copy - %s does not exist\n') %
-                            (relsrc, reltarget))
-                return
-        elif not dryrun:
-            try:
-                if exists:
-                    os.unlink(target)
-                targetdir = os.path.dirname(target) or '.'
-                if not os.path.isdir(targetdir):
-                    os.makedirs(targetdir)
-                if samefile:
-                    tmp = target + "~hgrename"
-                    os.rename(src, tmp)
-                    os.rename(tmp, target)
-                else:
-                    util.copyfile(src, target)
-                srcexists = True
-            except IOError as inst:
-                if inst.errno == errno.ENOENT:
-                    ui.warn(_('%s: deleted in working directory\n') % relsrc)
-                    srcexists = False
-                else:
-                    ui.warn(_('%s: cannot copy - %s\n') %
-                            (relsrc, encoding.strtolocal(inst.strerror)))
-                    return True # report a failure
-
-        if ui.verbose or not exact:
-            if rename:
-                ui.status(_('moving %s to %s\n') % (relsrc, reltarget))
-            else:
-                ui.status(_('copying %s to %s\n') % (relsrc, reltarget))
-
-        targets[abstarget] = abssrc
-
-        # fix up dirstate
-        scmutil.dirstatecopy(ui, repo, wctx, abssrc, abstarget,
-                             dryrun=dryrun, cwd=cwd)
-        if rename and not dryrun:
-            if not after and srcexists and not samefile:
-                repo.wvfs.unlinkpath(abssrc)
-            wctx.forget([abssrc])
-
-    # pat: ossep
-    # dest ossep
-    # srcs: list of (hgsep, hgsep, ossep, bool)
-    # return: function that takes hgsep and returns ossep
-    def targetpathfn(pat, dest, srcs):
-        if os.path.isdir(pat):
-            abspfx = pathutil.canonpath(repo.root, cwd, pat)
-            abspfx = util.localpath(abspfx)
-            if destdirexists:
-                striplen = len(os.path.split(abspfx)[0])
-            else:
-                striplen = len(abspfx)
-            if striplen:
-                striplen += len(pycompat.ossep)
-            res = lambda p: os.path.join(dest, util.localpath(p)[striplen:])
-        elif destdirexists:
-            res = lambda p: os.path.join(dest,
-                                         os.path.basename(util.localpath(p)))
-        else:
-            res = lambda p: dest
-        return res
-
-    # pat: ossep
-    # dest ossep
-    # srcs: list of (hgsep, hgsep, ossep, bool)
-    # return: function that takes hgsep and returns ossep
-    def targetpathafterfn(pat, dest, srcs):
-        if matchmod.patkind(pat):
-            # a mercurial pattern
-            res = lambda p: os.path.join(dest,
-                                         os.path.basename(util.localpath(p)))
-        else:
-            abspfx = pathutil.canonpath(repo.root, cwd, pat)
-            if len(abspfx) < len(srcs[0][0]):
-                # A directory. Either the target path contains the last
-                # component of the source path or it does not.
-                def evalpath(striplen):
-                    score = 0
-                    for s in srcs:
-                        t = os.path.join(dest, util.localpath(s[0])[striplen:])
-                        if os.path.lexists(t):
-                            score += 1
-                    return score
-
-                abspfx = util.localpath(abspfx)
-                striplen = len(abspfx)
-                if striplen:
-                    striplen += len(pycompat.ossep)
-                if os.path.isdir(os.path.join(dest, os.path.split(abspfx)[1])):
-                    score = evalpath(striplen)
-                    striplen1 = len(os.path.split(abspfx)[0])
-                    if striplen1:
-                        striplen1 += len(pycompat.ossep)
-                    if evalpath(striplen1) > score:
-                        striplen = striplen1
-                res = lambda p: os.path.join(dest,
-                                             util.localpath(p)[striplen:])
-            else:
-                # a file
-                if destdirexists:
-                    res = lambda p: os.path.join(dest,
-                                        os.path.basename(util.localpath(p)))
-                else:
-                    res = lambda p: dest
-        return res
-
-    pats = scmutil.expandpats(pats)
-    if not pats:
-        raise error.Abort(_('no source or destination specified'))
-    if len(pats) == 1:
-        raise error.Abort(_('no destination specified'))
-    dest = pats.pop()
-    destdirexists = os.path.isdir(dest) and not os.path.islink(dest)
-    if not destdirexists:
-        if len(pats) > 1 or matchmod.patkind(pats[0]):
-            raise error.Abort(_('with multiple sources, destination must be an '
-                               'existing directory'))
-        if util.endswithsep(dest):
-            raise error.Abort(_('destination %s is not a directory') % dest)
-
-    tfn = targetpathfn
-    if after:
-        tfn = targetpathafterfn
-    copylist = []
-    for pat in pats:
-        srcs = walkpat(pat)
-        if not srcs:
-            continue
-        copylist.append((tfn(pat, dest, srcs), srcs))
-    if not copylist:
-        raise error.Abort(_('no files to copy'))
-
-    errors = 0
-    for targetpath, srcs in copylist:
-        for abssrc, relsrc, exact in srcs:
-            if copyfile(abssrc, relsrc, targetpath(abssrc), exact):
-                errors += 1
-
-    if errors:
-        ui.warn(_('(consider using --after)\n'))
-
-    return errors != 0
+    return copies.copy(ui, repo, pats, opts, rename)
 
 ## facility to let extension process additional data into an import patch
 # list of identifier to be executed in order
diff --git a/mercurial/copies.py b/mercurial/copies.py
--- a/mercurial/copies.py
+++ b/mercurial/copies.py
@@ -8,14 +8,19 @@
 from __future__ import absolute_import
 
 import collections
+import errno
 import heapq
 import os
 
+from .i18n import _
 from . import (
+    encoding,
+    error,
     match as matchmod,
     node,
     pathutil,
     phases,
+    pycompat,
     scmutil,
     util,
 )
@@ -860,3 +865,249 @@
             continue
         if repo.dirstate[dst] in "nma":
             repo.dirstate.copy(src, dst)
+
+def copy(ui, repo, pats, opts, rename=False):
+    # called with the repo lock held
+    #
+    # hgsep => pathname that uses "/" to separate directories
+    # ossep => pathname that uses os.sep to separate directories
+    cwd = repo.getcwd()
+    targets = {}
+    after = opts.get("after")
+    dryrun = opts.get("dry_run")
+    wctx = repo[None]
+
+    def walkpat(pat):
+        srcs = []
+        if after:
+            badstates = '?'
+        else:
+            badstates = '?r'
+        m = scmutil.match(wctx, [pat], opts, globbed=True)
+        for abs in wctx.walk(m):
+            state = repo.dirstate[abs]
+            rel = m.rel(abs)
+            exact = m.exact(abs)
+            if state in badstates:
+                if exact and state == '?':
+                    ui.warn(_('%s: not copying - file is not managed\n') % rel)
+                if exact and state == 'r':
+                    ui.warn(_('%s: not copying - file has been marked for'
+                              ' remove\n') % rel)
+                continue
+            # abs: hgsep
+            # rel: ossep
+            srcs.append((abs, rel, exact))
+        return srcs
+
+    # abssrc: hgsep
+    # relsrc: ossep
+    # otarget: ossep
+    def copyfile(abssrc, relsrc, otarget, exact):
+        abstarget = pathutil.canonpath(repo.root, cwd, otarget)
+        if '/' in abstarget:
+            # We cannot normalize abstarget itself, this would prevent
+            # case only renames, like a => A.
+            abspath, absname = abstarget.rsplit('/', 1)
+            abstarget = repo.dirstate.normalize(abspath) + '/' + absname
+        reltarget = repo.pathto(abstarget, cwd)
+        target = repo.wjoin(abstarget)
+        src = repo.wjoin(abssrc)
+        state = repo.dirstate[abstarget]
+
+        scmutil.checkportable(ui, abstarget)
+
+        # check for collisions
+        prevsrc = targets.get(abstarget)
+        if prevsrc is not None:
+            ui.warn(_('%s: not overwriting - %s collides with %s\n') %
+                    (reltarget, repo.pathto(abssrc, cwd),
+                     repo.pathto(prevsrc, cwd)))
+            return
+
+        # check for overwrites
+        exists = os.path.lexists(target)
+        samefile = False
+        if exists and abssrc != abstarget:
+            if (repo.dirstate.normalize(abssrc) ==
+                repo.dirstate.normalize(abstarget)):
+                if not rename:
+                    ui.warn(_("%s: can't copy - same file\n") % reltarget)
+                    return
+                exists = False
+                samefile = True
+
+        if not after and exists or after and state in 'mn':
+            if not opts['force']:
+                if state in 'mn':
+                    msg = _('%s: not overwriting - file already committed\n')
+                    if after:
+                        flags = '--after --force'
+                    else:
+                        flags = '--force'
+                    if rename:
+                        hint = _('(hg rename %s to replace the file by '
+                                 'recording a rename)\n') % flags
+                    else:
+                        hint = _('(hg copy %s to replace the file by '
+                                 'recording a copy)\n') % flags
+                else:
+                    msg = _('%s: not overwriting - file exists\n')
+                    if rename:
+                        hint = _('(hg rename --after to record the rename)\n')
+                    else:
+                        hint = _('(hg copy --after to record the copy)\n')
+                ui.warn(msg % reltarget)
+                ui.warn(hint)
+                return
+
+        if after:
+            if not exists:
+                if rename:
+                    ui.warn(_('%s: not recording move - %s does not exist\n') %
+                            (relsrc, reltarget))
+                else:
+                    ui.warn(_('%s: not recording copy - %s does not exist\n') %
+                            (relsrc, reltarget))
+                return
+        elif not dryrun:
+            try:
+                if exists:
+                    os.unlink(target)
+                targetdir = os.path.dirname(target) or '.'
+                if not os.path.isdir(targetdir):
+                    os.makedirs(targetdir)
+                if samefile:
+                    tmp = target + "~hgrename"
+                    os.rename(src, tmp)
+                    os.rename(tmp, target)
+                else:
+                    util.copyfile(src, target)
+                srcexists = True
+            except IOError as inst:
+                if inst.errno == errno.ENOENT:
+                    ui.warn(_('%s: deleted in working directory\n') % relsrc)
+                    srcexists = False
+                else:
+                    ui.warn(_('%s: cannot copy - %s\n') %
+                            (relsrc, encoding.strtolocal(inst.strerror)))
+                    return True # report a failure
+
+        if ui.verbose or not exact:
+            if rename:
+                ui.status(_('moving %s to %s\n') % (relsrc, reltarget))
+            else:
+                ui.status(_('copying %s to %s\n') % (relsrc, reltarget))
+
+        targets[abstarget] = abssrc
+
+        # fix up dirstate
+        scmutil.dirstatecopy(ui, repo, wctx, abssrc, abstarget,
+                             dryrun=dryrun, cwd=cwd)
+        if rename and not dryrun:
+            if not after and srcexists and not samefile:
+                repo.wvfs.unlinkpath(abssrc)
+            wctx.forget([abssrc])
+
+    # pat: ossep
+    # dest ossep
+    # srcs: list of (hgsep, hgsep, ossep, bool)
+    # return: function that takes hgsep and returns ossep
+    def targetpathfn(pat, dest, srcs):
+        if os.path.isdir(pat):
+            abspfx = pathutil.canonpath(repo.root, cwd, pat)
+            abspfx = util.localpath(abspfx)
+            if destdirexists:
+                striplen = len(os.path.split(abspfx)[0])
+            else:
+                striplen = len(abspfx)
+            if striplen:
+                striplen += len(pycompat.ossep)
+            res = lambda p: os.path.join(dest, util.localpath(p)[striplen:])
+        elif destdirexists:
+            res = lambda p: os.path.join(dest,
+                                         os.path.basename(util.localpath(p)))
+        else:
+            res = lambda p: dest
+        return res
+
+    # pat: ossep
+    # dest ossep
+    # srcs: list of (hgsep, hgsep, ossep, bool)
+    # return: function that takes hgsep and returns ossep
+    def targetpathafterfn(pat, dest, srcs):
+        if matchmod.patkind(pat):
+            # a mercurial pattern
+            res = lambda p: os.path.join(dest,
+                                         os.path.basename(util.localpath(p)))
+        else:
+            abspfx = pathutil.canonpath(repo.root, cwd, pat)
+            if len(abspfx) < len(srcs[0][0]):
+                # A directory. Either the target path contains the last
+                # component of the source path or it does not.
+                def evalpath(striplen):
+                    score = 0
+                    for s in srcs:
+                        t = os.path.join(dest, util.localpath(s[0])[striplen:])
+                        if os.path.lexists(t):
+                            score += 1
+                    return score
+
+                abspfx = util.localpath(abspfx)
+                striplen = len(abspfx)
+                if striplen:
+                    striplen += len(pycompat.ossep)
+                if os.path.isdir(os.path.join(dest, os.path.split(abspfx)[1])):
+                    score = evalpath(striplen)
+                    striplen1 = len(os.path.split(abspfx)[0])
+                    if striplen1:
+                        striplen1 += len(pycompat.ossep)
+                    if evalpath(striplen1) > score:
+                        striplen = striplen1
+                res = lambda p: os.path.join(dest,
+                                             util.localpath(p)[striplen:])
+            else:
+                # a file
+                if destdirexists:
+                    res = lambda p: os.path.join(dest,
+                                        os.path.basename(util.localpath(p)))
+                else:
+                    res = lambda p: dest
+        return res
+
+    pats = scmutil.expandpats(pats)
+    if not pats:
+        raise error.Abort(_('no source or destination specified'))
+    if len(pats) == 1:
+        raise error.Abort(_('no destination specified'))
+    dest = pats.pop()
+    destdirexists = os.path.isdir(dest) and not os.path.islink(dest)
+    if not destdirexists:
+        if len(pats) > 1 or matchmod.patkind(pats[0]):
+            raise error.Abort(_('with multiple sources, destination must be an '
+                               'existing directory'))
+        if util.endswithsep(dest):
+            raise error.Abort(_('destination %s is not a directory') % dest)
+
+    tfn = targetpathfn
+    if after:
+        tfn = targetpathafterfn
+    copylist = []
+    for pat in pats:
+        srcs = walkpat(pat)
+        if not srcs:
+            continue
+        copylist.append((tfn(pat, dest, srcs), srcs))
+    if not copylist:
+        raise error.Abort(_('no files to copy'))
+
+    errors = 0
+    for targetpath, srcs in copylist:
+        for abssrc, relsrc, exact in srcs:
+            if copyfile(abssrc, relsrc, targetpath(abssrc), exact):
+                errors += 1
+
+    if errors:
+        ui.warn(_('(consider using --after)\n'))
+
+    return errors != 0