--- a/mercurial/interfaces/misc.py	Sat Feb 08 18:12:29 2025 +0100
+++ b/mercurial/interfaces/misc.py	Sat Feb 08 18:15:18 2025 +0100
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 
 from typing import (
     Callable,
+    Iterator,
     List,
     Protocol,
 )
@@ -24,3 +25,23 @@
     @abc.abstractmethod
     def __call__(self, *args) -> List:
         ...
+
+
+class IDirs(Protocol):
+    '''a multiset of directory names from a set of file paths'''
+
+    @abc.abstractmethod
+    def addpath(self, path: bytes) -> None:
+        ...
+
+    @abc.abstractmethod
+    def delpath(self, path: bytes) -> None:
+        ...
+
+    @abc.abstractmethod
+    def __iter__(self) -> Iterator[bytes]:
+        ...
+
+    @abc.abstractmethod
+    def __contains__(self, d: bytes) -> bool:
+        ...

--- a/mercurial/interfaces/repository.py	Sat Feb 08 18:12:29 2025 +0100
+++ b/mercurial/interfaces/repository.py	Sat Feb 08 18:15:18 2025 +0100
@@ -31,9 +31,6 @@
 
     # Almost all mercurial modules are only imported in the type checking phase
     # to avoid circular imports
-    from .. import (
-        pathutil,
-    )
     from ..utils import (
         urlutil,
     )
@@ -1178,7 +1175,7 @@
         """
 
     @abc.abstractmethod
-    def dirs(self) -> pathutil.dirs:
+    def dirs(self) -> misc.IDirs:
         """Returns an object implementing the ``idirs`` interface."""
 
     @abc.abstractmethod

--- a/mercurial/pathutil.py	Sat Feb 08 18:12:29 2025 +0100
+++ b/mercurial/pathutil.py	Sat Feb 08 18:15:18 2025 +0100
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@
     util,
 )
 
+from .interfaces import misc as int_misc
+
 rustdirs = policy.importrust('dirstate', 'Dirs', pyo3=True)
 parsers = policy.importmod('parsers')
 
@@ -335,7 +337,7 @@
         pos = path.find(pycompat.ossep, pos + 1)
 
 
-class dirs:
+class dirs(int_misc.IDirs):
     '''a multiset of directory names from a set of file paths'''
 
     def __init__(self, map, only_tracked=False):