diff --git a/src/Instance.cxx b/src/Instance.cxx
index d05b1de14..aab8a83a2 100644
--- a/src/Instance.cxx
+++ b/src/Instance.cxx
@@ -90,6 +90,22 @@ Instance::DeletePartition(Partition &partition) noexcept
 	}
 }
 
+AudioOutputControl *
+Instance::FindOutput(std::string_view name,
+		     Partition &excluding_partition) noexcept
+{
+	for (auto &partition : partitions) {
+		if (&partition == &excluding_partition)
+			continue;
+
+		auto *output = partition.outputs.FindByName(name);
+		if (output != nullptr && !output->IsDummy())
+			return output;
+	}
+
+	return nullptr;
+}
+
 #ifdef ENABLE_DATABASE
 
 const Database &
diff --git a/src/Instance.hxx b/src/Instance.hxx
index 3a77650bd..253dad670 100644
--- a/src/Instance.hxx
+++ b/src/Instance.hxx
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ class InotifyUpdate;
 
 class ClientList;
 struct Partition;
+class AudioOutputControl;
 class StateFile;
 class RemoteTagCache;
 class StickerDatabase;
@@ -171,6 +172,17 @@ struct Instance final
 
 	void BeginShutdownPartitions() noexcept;
 
+	/**
+	 * Returns the (non-dummy) audio output device with the
+	 * specified name.  Returns nullptr if the name does not
+	 * exist.
+	 *
+	 * @param excluding_partition ignore this partition
+	 */
+	[[gnu::pure]]
+	AudioOutputControl *FindOutput(std::string_view name,
+				       Partition &excluding_partition) noexcept;
+
 #ifdef ENABLE_DATABASE
 	/**
 	 * Returns the global #Database instance.  May return nullptr
diff --git a/src/command/PartitionCommands.cxx b/src/command/PartitionCommands.cxx
index 8a2dd112a..722f53aa3 100644
--- a/src/command/PartitionCommands.cxx
+++ b/src/command/PartitionCommands.cxx
@@ -145,29 +145,24 @@ handle_moveoutput(Client &client, Request request, Response &response)
 
 	/* find the partition which owns this output currently */
 	auto &instance = client.GetInstance();
-	for (auto &partition : instance.partitions) {
-		if (&partition == &dest_partition)
-			continue;
 
-		auto *output = partition.outputs.FindByName(output_name);
-		if (output == nullptr || output->IsDummy())
-			continue;
-
-		const bool was_enabled = output->IsEnabled();
-
-		if (existing_output != nullptr)
-			/* move the output back where it once was */
-			existing_output->ReplaceDummy(output->Steal(),
-						      was_enabled);
-		else
-			/* copy the AudioOutputControl and add it to the output list */
-			dest_partition.outputs.AddMoveFrom(std::move(*output),
-							   was_enabled);
-
-		instance.EmitIdle(IDLE_OUTPUT);
-		return CommandResult::OK;
+	auto *output = instance.FindOutput(output_name, dest_partition);
+	if (output == nullptr) {
+		response.Error(ACK_ERROR_NO_EXIST, "No such output");
+		return CommandResult::ERROR;
 	}
 
-	response.Error(ACK_ERROR_NO_EXIST, "No such output");
-	return CommandResult::ERROR;
+	const bool was_enabled = output->IsEnabled();
+
+	if (existing_output != nullptr)
+		/* move the output back where it once was */
+		existing_output->ReplaceDummy(output->Steal(),
+					      was_enabled);
+	else
+		/* copy the AudioOutputControl and add it to the output list */
+		dest_partition.outputs.AddMoveFrom(std::move(*output),
+						   was_enabled);
+
+	instance.EmitIdle(IDLE_OUTPUT);
+	return CommandResult::OK;
 }