diff --git a/admin/webservice/documentation.php b/admin/webservice/documentation.php
index 92a4dd87c15..9c727eaf9ac 100644
--- a/admin/webservice/documentation.php
+++ b/admin/webservice/documentation.php
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ admin_externalpage_setup('webservicedocumentation');
 $functions = $DB->get_records('external_functions', array(), 'name');
 $functiondescs = array();
 foreach ($functions as $function) {
-    $functiondescs[$function->name] = external_function_info($function);
+    $functiondescs[$function->name] = external_api::external_function_info($function);
 }
 
 //display the documentation for all documented protocols,
diff --git a/admin/webservice/forms.php b/admin/webservice/forms.php
index 88e543fa64e..08ff31a2c3d 100644
--- a/admin/webservice/forms.php
+++ b/admin/webservice/forms.php
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ class external_service_functions_form extends moodleform {
         //we add the descriptions to the functions
         foreach ($functions as $functionid => $functionname) {
             //retrieve full function information (including the description)
-            $function = external_function_info($functionname);
+            $function = external_api::external_function_info($functionname);
             if (empty($function->deprecated)) {
                 $functions[$functionid] = $function->name . ':' . $function->description;
             } else {
diff --git a/admin/webservice/testclient.php b/admin/webservice/testclient.php
index d14dbb9d063..444e384fd97 100644
--- a/admin/webservice/testclient.php
+++ b/admin/webservice/testclient.php
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ admin_externalpage_setup('testclient');
 $allfunctions = $DB->get_records('external_functions', array(), 'name ASC');
 $functions = array();
 foreach ($allfunctions as $f) {
-    $finfo = external_function_info($f);
+    $finfo = external_api::external_function_info($f);
     if (!empty($finfo->testclientpath) and file_exists($CFG->dirroot.'/'.$finfo->testclientpath)) {
         //some plugins may want to have own test client forms
         include_once($CFG->dirroot.'/'.$finfo->testclientpath);
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ if ($mform->is_cancelled()) {
 
 } else if ($data = $mform->get_data()) {
 
-    $functioninfo = external_function_info($function);
+    $functioninfo = external_api::external_function_info($function);
 
     // first load lib of selected protocol
     require_once("$CFG->dirroot/webservice/$protocol/locallib.php");
diff --git a/lib/deprecatedlib.php b/lib/deprecatedlib.php
index 6affc75f3d1..8964b9b49a2 100644
--- a/lib/deprecatedlib.php
+++ b/lib/deprecatedlib.php
@@ -4473,3 +4473,20 @@ function site_scale_used($scaleid, &$courses) {
     }
     return $return;
 }
+
+/**
+ * Returns detailed function information
+ *
+ * @deprecated since Moodle 3.1
+ * @param string|object $function name of external function or record from external_function
+ * @param int $strictness IGNORE_MISSING means compatible mode, false returned if record not found, debug message if more found;
+ *                        MUST_EXIST means throw exception if no record or multiple records found
+ * @return stdClass description or false if not found or exception thrown
+ * @since Moodle 2.0
+ */
+function external_function_info($function, $strictness=MUST_EXIST) {
+    debugging('external_function_info() is deprecated. Please use external_api::external_function_info() instead.',
+              DEBUG_DEVELOPER);
+    return external_api::external_function_info($function, $strictness);
+}
+
diff --git a/lib/externallib.php b/lib/externallib.php
index 48a33324e97..7c0e838e2cb 100644
--- a/lib/externallib.php
+++ b/lib/externallib.php
@@ -25,19 +25,6 @@
 
 defined('MOODLE_INTERNAL') || die();
 
-/**
- * Returns detailed function information
- *
- * @param string|object $function name of external function or record from external_function
- * @param int $strictness IGNORE_MISSING means compatible mode, false returned if record not found, debug message if more found;
- *                        MUST_EXIST means throw exception if no record or multiple records found
- * @return stdClass description or false if not found or exception thrown
- * @since Moodle 2.0
- */
-function external_function_info($function, $strictness=MUST_EXIST) {
-    return external_api::external_function_info($function, $strictness);
-}
-
 /**
  * Exception indicating user is not allowed to use external function in the current context.
  *
diff --git a/lib/tests/externallib_test.php b/lib/tests/externallib_test.php
index df37d0a40bc..c018617b2c6 100644
--- a/lib/tests/externallib_test.php
+++ b/lib/tests/externallib_test.php
@@ -317,7 +317,7 @@ class core_externallib_testcase extends advanced_testcase {
      * @dataProvider all_external_info_provider
      */
     public function test_all_external_info($f) {
-        $desc = external_function_info($f);
+        $desc = external_api::external_function_info($f);
         $this->assertNotEmpty($desc->name);
         $this->assertNotEmpty($desc->classname);
         $this->assertNotEmpty($desc->methodname);
diff --git a/webservice/lib.php b/webservice/lib.php
index 2fa826deca1..84bcc794ee4 100644
--- a/webservice/lib.php
+++ b/webservice/lib.php
@@ -1246,7 +1246,7 @@ abstract class webservice_base_server extends webservice_server {
         }
 
         // function must exist
-        $function = external_function_info($this->functionname);
+        $function = external_api::external_function_info($this->functionname);
 
         if ($this->restricted_serviceid) {
             $params = array('sid1'=>$this->restricted_serviceid, 'sid2'=>$this->restricted_serviceid);
@@ -1475,7 +1475,7 @@ EOD;
      * @throws moodle_exception
      */
     protected function get_virtual_method_code($function) {
-        $function = external_function_info($function);
+        $function = external_api::external_function_info($function);
 
         // Parameters and their defaults for the method signature.
         $paramanddefaults = array();
diff --git a/webservice/renderer.php b/webservice/renderer.php
index cc4b685ba40..4dc971d06ed 100644
--- a/webservice/renderer.php
+++ b/webservice/renderer.php
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ class core_webservice_renderer extends plugin_renderer_base {
 
             $anydeprecated = false;
             foreach ($functions as $function) {
-                $function = external_function_info($function);
+                $function = external_api::external_function_info($function);
 
                 if (!empty($function->deprecated)) {
                     $anydeprecated = true;
diff --git a/webservice/tests/lib_test.php b/webservice/tests/lib_test.php
index 6629899cc72..5fd86802fee 100644
--- a/webservice/tests/lib_test.php
+++ b/webservice/tests/lib_test.php
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ class webservice_test extends advanced_testcase {
         // Check the contents of service methods.
         foreach ($servicemethods as $method) {
             // Get the external function info.
-            $function = external_function_info($method->name);
+            $function = external_api::external_function_info($method->name);
 
             // Check input params.
             foreach ($function->parameters_desc->keys as $name => $keydesc) {
diff --git a/webservice/wsdoc.php b/webservice/wsdoc.php
index 01b71c034c9..f5bb7ab3cb5 100644
--- a/webservice/wsdoc.php
+++ b/webservice/wsdoc.php
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ $functions = $webservice->get_external_functions(array($token->externalserviceid
 // get all the function descriptions
 $functiondescs = array();
 foreach ($functions as $function) {
-    $functiondescs[$function->name] = external_function_info($function);
+    $functiondescs[$function->name] = external_api::external_function_info($function);
 }
 
 // get activated protocol