diff --git a/src/ol/format/OWS.js b/src/ol/format/OWS.js
index 60c206d526..deb2c08e5a 100644
--- a/src/ol/format/OWS.js
+++ b/src/ol/format/OWS.js
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
  * @module ol/format/OWS
  */
 import {inherits} from '../index.js';
-import XLink from '../format/XLink.js';
+import {readHref} from '../format/XLink.js';
 import XML from '../format/XML.js';
 import XSD from '../format/XSD.js';
 import {makeObjectPropertyPusher, makeObjectPropertySetter, makeStructureNS, pushParseAndPop} from '../xml.js';
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ const SERVICE_PROVIDER_PARSERS =
     makeStructureNS(
       NAMESPACE_URIS, {
         'ProviderName': makeObjectPropertySetter(XSD.readString),
-        'ProviderSite': makeObjectPropertySetter(XLink.readHref),
+        'ProviderSite': makeObjectPropertySetter(readHref),
         'ServiceContact': makeObjectPropertySetter(
           readServiceContact)
       });
@@ -288,7 +288,7 @@ function readDcp(node, objectStack) {
  * @return {Object|undefined} The GET object.
  */
 function readGet(node, objectStack) {
-  const href = XLink.readHref(node);
+  const href = readHref(node);
   if (!href) {
     return undefined;
   }
diff --git a/src/ol/format/WMSCapabilities.js b/src/ol/format/WMSCapabilities.js
index a3fb478c4f..a150a453b7 100644
--- a/src/ol/format/WMSCapabilities.js
+++ b/src/ol/format/WMSCapabilities.js
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
  * @module ol/format/WMSCapabilities
  */
 import {inherits} from '../index.js';
-import XLink from '../format/XLink.js';
+import {readHref} from '../format/XLink.js';
 import XML from '../format/XML.js';
 import XSD from '../format/XSD.js';
 import {makeArrayPusher, makeObjectPropertyPusher, makeObjectPropertySetter,
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ const SERVICE_PARSERS = makeStructureNS(
     'Title': makeObjectPropertySetter(XSD.readString),
     'Abstract': makeObjectPropertySetter(XSD.readString),
     'KeywordList': makeObjectPropertySetter(readKeywordList),
-    'OnlineResource': makeObjectPropertySetter(XLink.readHref),
+    'OnlineResource': makeObjectPropertySetter(readHref),
     'ContactInformation': makeObjectPropertySetter(readContactInformation),
     'Fees': makeObjectPropertySetter(XSD.readString),
     'AccessConstraints': makeObjectPropertySetter(XSD.readString),
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ const LAYER_PARSERS = makeStructureNS(
 const ATTRIBUTION_PARSERS = makeStructureNS(
   NAMESPACE_URIS, {
     'Title': makeObjectPropertySetter(XSD.readString),
-    'OnlineResource': makeObjectPropertySetter(XLink.readHref),
+    'OnlineResource': makeObjectPropertySetter(readHref),
     'LogoURL': makeObjectPropertySetter(readSizedFormatOnlineresource)
   });
 
@@ -252,7 +252,7 @@ const STYLE_PARSERS = makeStructureNS(
 const FORMAT_ONLINERESOURCE_PARSERS =
     makeStructureNS(NAMESPACE_URIS, {
       'Format': makeObjectPropertySetter(XSD.readString),
-      'OnlineResource': makeObjectPropertySetter(XLink.readHref)
+      'OnlineResource': makeObjectPropertySetter(readHref)
     });
 
 
diff --git a/src/ol/format/WMTSCapabilities.js b/src/ol/format/WMTSCapabilities.js
index d7136f5167..0458e089f7 100644
--- a/src/ol/format/WMTSCapabilities.js
+++ b/src/ol/format/WMTSCapabilities.js
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 import {inherits} from '../index.js';
 import {boundingExtent} from '../extent.js';
 import OWS from '../format/OWS.js';
-import XLink from '../format/XLink.js';
+import {readHref} from '../format/XLink.js';
 import XML from '../format/XML.js';
 import XSD from '../format/XSD.js';
 import {pushParseAndPop, makeStructureNS,
@@ -344,7 +344,7 @@ function readWgs84BoundingBox(node, objectStack) {
 function readLegendUrl(node, objectStack) {
   const legend = {};
   legend['format'] = node.getAttribute('format');
-  legend['href'] = XLink.readHref(node);
+  legend['href'] = readHref(node);
   return legend;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/ol/format/XLink.js b/src/ol/format/XLink.js
index db684f45f9..8688388c81 100644
--- a/src/ol/format/XLink.js
+++ b/src/ol/format/XLink.js
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 /**
  * @module ol/format/XLink
  */
-const XLink = {};
 
 
 /**
@@ -15,7 +14,6 @@ const NAMESPACE_URI = 'http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink';
  * @param {Node} node Node.
  * @return {boolean|undefined} Boolean.
  */
-XLink.readHref = function(node) {
+export function readHref(node) {
   return node.getAttributeNS(NAMESPACE_URI, 'href');
-};
-export default XLink;
+}