diff --git a/common/lib/dependabot/clients/gitlab_with_retries.rb b/common/lib/dependabot/clients/gitlab_with_retries.rb
index e5e5c29eebe1..1f7423e8e1d2 100644
--- a/common/lib/dependabot/clients/gitlab_with_retries.rb
+++ b/common/lib/dependabot/clients/gitlab_with_retries.rb
@@ -7,6 +7,11 @@ module Clients
     class GitlabWithRetries
       RETRYABLE_ERRORS = [Gitlab::Error::BadGateway].freeze
 
+      class ContentEncoding
+        BASE64 = "base64"
+        TEXT = "text"
+      end
+
       #######################
       # Constructor methods #
       #######################
@@ -60,6 +65,24 @@ def initialize(max_retries: 3, **args)
         @client = ::Gitlab::Client.new(args)
       end
 
+      # Create commit in gitlab repo with correctly mapped file actions
+      #
+      # @param [String] repo
+      # @param [String] branch_name
+      # @param [String] commit_message
+      # @param [Array<Dependabot::DependencyFile>] files
+      # @param [Hash] options
+      # @return [Gitlab::ObjectifiedHash]
+      def create_commit(repo, branch_name, commit_message, files, **options)
+        @client.create_commit(
+          repo,
+          branch_name,
+          commit_message,
+          file_actions(files),
+          **options
+        )
+      end
+
       def method_missing(method_name, *args, &block)
         retry_connection_failures do
           if @client.respond_to?(method_name)
@@ -85,6 +108,47 @@ def retry_connection_failures
           retry_attempt <= @max_retries ? retry : raise
         end
       end
+
+      private
+
+      # Array of file actions for a commit
+      #
+      # @param [Array<Dependabot::DependencyFile>] files
+      # @return [Array<Hash>]
+      def file_actions(files)
+        files.map do |file|
+          {
+            action: file_action(file),
+            encoding: file_encoding(file),
+            file_path: file.type == "symlink" ? file.symlink_target : file.path,
+            content: file.content
+          }
+        end
+      end
+
+      # Single file action
+      #
+      # @param [Dependabot::DependencyFile] file
+      # @return [String]
+      def file_action(file)
+        if file.operation == Dependabot::DependencyFile::Operation::DELETE
+          "delete"
+        elsif file.operation == Dependabot::DependencyFile::Operation::CREATE
+          "create"
+        else
+          "update"
+        end
+      end
+
+      # Encoding option for gitlab commit operation
+      #
+      # @param [Dependabot::DependencyFile] file
+      # @return [String]
+      def file_encoding(file)
+        return ContentEncoding::BASE64 if file.content_encoding == Dependabot::DependencyFile::ContentEncoding::BASE64
+
+        ContentEncoding::TEXT
+      end
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/common/lib/dependabot/pull_request_creator/gitlab.rb b/common/lib/dependabot/pull_request_creator/gitlab.rb
index 9ff8707f60cd..2be27b731b01 100644
--- a/common/lib/dependabot/pull_request_creator/gitlab.rb
+++ b/common/lib/dependabot/pull_request_creator/gitlab.rb
@@ -99,32 +99,10 @@ def create_commit
           source.repo,
           branch_name,
           commit_message,
-          file_actions
+          files
         )
       end
 
-      def file_actions
-        files.map do |file|
-          {
-            action: file_action(file),
-            file_path: file.type == "symlink" ? file.symlink_target : file.path,
-            content: file.content,
-            encoding: file.content_encoding == Dependabot::DependencyFile::ContentEncoding::BASE64 ? "base64" : "text"
-          }
-        end
-      end
-
-      # @param [DependencyFile] file
-      def file_action(file)
-        if file.operation == Dependabot::DependencyFile::Operation::DELETE
-          "delete"
-        elsif file.operation == Dependabot::DependencyFile::Operation::CREATE
-          "create"
-        else
-          "update"
-        end
-      end
-
       def create_submodule_update_commit
         file = files.first
 
diff --git a/common/lib/dependabot/pull_request_updater/gitlab.rb b/common/lib/dependabot/pull_request_updater/gitlab.rb
index 2fd0eeb11ae0..719703f78f54 100644
--- a/common/lib/dependabot/pull_request_updater/gitlab.rb
+++ b/common/lib/dependabot/pull_request_updater/gitlab.rb
@@ -68,33 +68,11 @@ def create_commit
           source.repo,
           merge_request.source_branch,
           commit_being_updated.title,
-          file_actions,
+          files,
           force: true,
           start_branch: merge_request.target_branch
         )
       end
-
-      def file_actions
-        files.map do |file|
-          {
-            action: file_action(file),
-            file_path: file.type == "symlink" ? file.symlink_target : file.path,
-            content: file.content,
-            encoding: file.content_encoding == Dependabot::DependencyFile::ContentEncoding::BASE64 ? "base64" : "text"
-          }
-        end
-      end
-
-      # @param [DependencyFile] file
-      def file_action(file)
-        if file.operation == Dependabot::DependencyFile::Operation::DELETE
-          "delete"
-        elsif file.operation == Dependabot::DependencyFile::Operation::CREATE
-          "create"
-        else
-          "update"
-        end
-      end
     end
   end
 end