diff --git a/gtk/a11y/gtktreeviewaccessible.c b/gtk/a11y/gtktreeviewaccessible.c
index ccdc8723fc..f959392ecd 100644
--- a/gtk/a11y/gtktreeviewaccessible.c
+++ b/gtk/a11y/gtktreeviewaccessible.c
@@ -2629,22 +2629,16 @@ cell_info_new (GtkTreeViewAccessible *accessible,
 }
 
 static GtkCellAccessible *
-find_cell (GtkTreeViewAccessible *accessible,
-           gint                   index)
+peek_cell (GtkTreeViewAccessible *accessible,
+           GtkRBTree             *tree,
+           GtkRBNode             *node,
+           GtkTreeViewColumn     *column)
 {
   GtkTreeViewAccessibleCellInfo lookup, *cell_info;
-  GtkTreeView *tree_view;
 
-  tree_view = GTK_TREE_VIEW (gtk_accessible_get_widget (GTK_ACCESSIBLE (accessible)));
-
-  if (!_gtk_rbtree_find_index (_gtk_tree_view_get_rbtree (tree_view),
-                               index / get_n_columns (tree_view) - 1,
-                               &lookup.tree,
-                               &lookup.node))
-    {
-      g_assert_not_reached ();
-    }
-  lookup.cell_col_ref = get_visible_column (tree_view, index % get_n_columns (tree_view));
+  lookup.tree = tree;
+  lookup.node = node;
+  lookup.cell_col_ref = column;
 
   cell_info = g_hash_table_lookup (accessible->cell_infos, &lookup);
   if (cell_info == NULL)
@@ -2653,6 +2647,29 @@ find_cell (GtkTreeViewAccessible *accessible,
   return cell_info->cell;
 }
 
+static GtkCellAccessible *
+find_cell (GtkTreeViewAccessible *accessible,
+           gint                   index)
+{
+  GtkTreeView *tree_view;
+  GtkRBTree *tree;
+  GtkRBNode *node;
+
+  tree_view = GTK_TREE_VIEW (gtk_accessible_get_widget (GTK_ACCESSIBLE (accessible)));
+
+  if (!_gtk_rbtree_find_index (_gtk_tree_view_get_rbtree (tree_view),
+                               index / get_n_columns (tree_view) - 1,
+                               &tree,
+                               &node))
+    {
+      g_assert_not_reached ();
+    }
+
+  return peek_cell (accessible,
+                    tree, node, 
+                    get_visible_column (tree_view, index % get_n_columns (tree_view)));
+}
+
 static void
 connect_model_signals (GtkTreeView           *view,
                        GtkTreeViewAccessible *accessible)