diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/config.py b/lib/spack/spack/config.py
index 28694121fba..4a578eb5521 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/config.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/config.py
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@
 import spack.util.remote_file_cache as rfc_util
 import spack.util.spack_yaml as syaml
 from spack.util.cpus import cpus_available
+from spack.util.spack_yaml import get_mark_from_yaml_data
 
 from .enums import ConfigScopePriority
 
@@ -1596,28 +1597,6 @@ def create_from(*scopes_or_paths: Union[ScopeWithOptionalPriority, str]) -> Conf
     return result
 
 
-def get_mark_from_yaml_data(obj):
-    """Try to get ``spack.util.spack_yaml`` mark from YAML data.
-
-    We try the object, and if that fails we try its first member (if it's a container).
-
-    Returns:
-        mark if one is found, otherwise None.
-    """
-    # mark of object itelf
-    mark = getattr(obj, "_start_mark", None)
-    if mark:
-        return mark
-
-    # mark of first member if it is a container
-    if isinstance(obj, (list, dict)):
-        first_member = next(iter(obj), None)
-        if first_member:
-            mark = getattr(first_member, "_start_mark", None)
-
-    return mark
-
-
 def determine_number_of_jobs(
     *,
     parallel: bool = False,
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/solver/requirements.py b/lib/spack/spack/solver/requirements.py
index 6fa107e9fd0..95e383feaf9 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/solver/requirements.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/solver/requirements.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 import spack.error
 import spack.package_base
 import spack.spec
-from spack.config import get_mark_from_yaml_data
+from spack.util.spack_yaml import get_mark_from_yaml_data
 
 
 class RequirementKind(enum.Enum):
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/util/spack_yaml.py b/lib/spack/spack/util/spack_yaml.py
index de68ddda3f7..0a1549e6d25 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/util/spack_yaml.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/util/spack_yaml.py
@@ -495,3 +495,25 @@ class SpackYAMLError(spack.error.SpackError):
 
     def __init__(self, msg, yaml_error):
         super().__init__(msg, str(yaml_error))
+
+
+def get_mark_from_yaml_data(obj):
+    """Try to get ``spack.util.spack_yaml`` mark from YAML data.
+
+    We try the object, and if that fails we try its first member (if it's a container).
+
+    Returns:
+        mark if one is found, otherwise None.
+    """
+    # mark of object itelf
+    mark = getattr(obj, "_start_mark", None)
+    if mark:
+        return mark
+
+    # mark of first member if it is a container
+    if isinstance(obj, (list, dict)):
+        first_member = next(iter(obj), None)
+        if first_member:
+            mark = getattr(first_member, "_start_mark", None)
+
+    return mark