diff --git a/python/mxnet/ndarray/ndarray.py b/python/mxnet/ndarray/ndarray.py
index 2b5a2d1dd45e..5f03c65a2e79 100644
--- a/python/mxnet/ndarray/ndarray.py
+++ b/python/mxnet/ndarray/ndarray.py
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@
 # Caching whether MXNet was built with INT64 support or not
 _INT64_TENSOR_SIZE_ENABLED = None
 
-def int64_enabled():
+def _int64_enabled():
     global _INT64_TENSOR_SIZE_ENABLED
     if _INT64_TENSOR_SIZE_ENABLED is None:
         _INT64_TENSOR_SIZE_ENABLED = Features().is_enabled('INT64_TENSOR_SIZE')
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ def _new_alloc_handle(shape, ctx, delay_alloc, dtype=mx_real_t):
         A new empty `NDArray` handle.
     """
     hdl = NDArrayHandle()
-    if sys.version_info[0] > 2 and int64_enabled():
+    if sys.version_info[0] > 2 and _int64_enabled():
         check_call(_LIB.MXNDArrayCreateEx64(
             c_array_buf(mx_int64, native_array('q', shape)),
             ctypes.c_int(len(shape)),
@@ -2238,7 +2238,7 @@ def shape(self):
         (2L, 3L, 4L)
         """
         ndim = mx_int()
-        if _INT64_TENSOR_SIZE_ENABLED:
+        if _int64_enabled():
             pdata = ctypes.POINTER(mx_int64)()
             check_call(_LIB.MXNDArrayGetShapeEx64(
                 self.handle, ctypes.byref(ndim), ctypes.byref(pdata)))
diff --git a/python/mxnet/symbol/symbol.py b/python/mxnet/symbol/symbol.py
index fc798263d52f..3ac44176a87b 100644
--- a/python/mxnet/symbol/symbol.py
+++ b/python/mxnet/symbol/symbol.py
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@
 from ..base import check_call, MXNetError, NotImplementedForSymbol
 from ..context import Context, current_context
 from ..ndarray import NDArray, _DTYPE_NP_TO_MX, _DTYPE_MX_TO_NP, _GRAD_REQ_MAP
-from ..ndarray.ndarray import _STORAGE_TYPE_STR_TO_ID, int64_enabled
+from ..ndarray.ndarray import _STORAGE_TYPE_STR_TO_ID, _int64_enabled
 from ..ndarray import _ndarray_cls
 from ..executor import Executor
 from . import _internal
@@ -1212,7 +1212,7 @@ def _infer_shape_impl(self, partial, *args, **kwargs):
         aux_shape_size = mx_uint()
         aux_shape_ndim = ctypes.POINTER(mx_int)()
         complete = ctypes.c_int()
-        if sys.version_info[0] > 2 and int64_enabled():
+        if sys.version_info[0] > 2 and _int64_enabled():
             arg_shape_data = ctypes.POINTER(ctypes.POINTER(mx_int64))()
             out_shape_data = ctypes.POINTER(ctypes.POINTER(mx_int64))()
             aux_shape_data = ctypes.POINTER(ctypes.POINTER(mx_int64))()