diff --git a/include/libssh/libssh.h b/include/libssh/libssh.h
index ac73bc02..8e606d5a 100644
--- a/include/libssh/libssh.h
+++ b/include/libssh/libssh.h
@@ -429,7 +429,7 @@ LIBSSH_API int ssh_pki_import_privkey_base64(ssh_session session,
                                              const char *b64_key,
                                              const char *passphrase,
                                              ssh_key *pkey);
-LIBSSH_API int ssh_key_import_private(ssh_session session,
+LIBSSH_API int ssh_pki_import_privkey_file(ssh_session session,
                                       const char *filename,
                                       const char *passphrase,
                                       ssh_key *pkey);
diff --git a/src/bind.c b/src/bind.c
index 0dd1ebb5..7a2f049b 100644
--- a/src/bind.c
+++ b/src/bind.c
@@ -309,7 +309,7 @@ int ssh_bind_accept(ssh_bind sshbind, ssh_session session) {
   }
 
   if (sshbind->dsakey) {
-      rc = ssh_key_import_private(session, sshbind->dsakey, NULL, &dsa);
+      rc = ssh_pki_import_privkey_file(session, sshbind->dsakey, NULL, &dsa);
       if (rc == SSH_ERROR) {
           return SSH_ERROR;
       }
@@ -321,7 +321,7 @@ int ssh_bind_accept(ssh_bind sshbind, ssh_session session) {
   }
 
   if (sshbind->rsakey) {
-      rc = ssh_key_import_private(session, sshbind->rsakey, NULL, &rsa);
+      rc = ssh_pki_import_privkey_file(session, sshbind->rsakey, NULL, &rsa);
       if (rc == SSH_ERROR) {
           return SSH_ERROR;
       }
diff --git a/src/legacy.c b/src/legacy.c
index ee74b343..ee5f896e 100644
--- a/src/legacy.c
+++ b/src/legacy.c
@@ -274,7 +274,7 @@ ssh_private_key privatekey_from_file(ssh_session session,
 
     (void) type; /* unused */
 
-    rc = ssh_key_import_private(session, filename, passphrase, &key);
+    rc = ssh_pki_import_privkey_file(session, filename, passphrase, &key);
     if (rc == SSH_ERROR) {
         return NULL;
     }
diff --git a/src/pki.c b/src/pki.c
index 73e2edde..7685dfa1 100644
--- a/src/pki.c
+++ b/src/pki.c
@@ -200,19 +200,27 @@ int ssh_key_is_private(ssh_key k) {
 }
 
 /**
- * @brief import a key from a file
- * @param[out]  key      the ssh_key to update
- * @param[in]  session  The SSH Session to use. If a key decryption callback is set, it will
- *                      be used to ask for the passphrase.
+ * @brief Import a key from a file.
+ *
+ * @param[in]  session  The SSH Session to use. If a authentication callback is
+ *                      set, it will be used to ask for the passphrase.
+ *
  * @param[in]  filename The filename of the the private key.
- * @param[in]  passphrase The passphrase to decrypt the private key. Set to null
+ *
+ * @param[in]  passphrase The passphrase to decrypt the private key. Set to NULL
  *                        if none is needed or it is unknown.
+ *
+ * @param[out] pkey     A pointer to store the ssh_key. You need to free the
+ *                      key.
+ *
  * @returns SSH_OK on success, SSH_ERROR otherwise.
+ *
+ * @see ssh_key_free()
  **/
-int ssh_key_import_private(ssh_session session,
-                           const char *filename,
-                           const char *passphrase,
-                           ssh_key *pkey) {
+int ssh_pki_import_privkey_file(ssh_session session,
+                                const char *filename,
+                                const char *passphrase,
+                                ssh_key *pkey) {
     struct stat sb;
     char *key_buf;
     ssh_key key;