diff --git a/pretty.c b/pretty.c
index cf964b060c..bdbed4295a 100644
--- a/pretty.c
+++ b/pretty.c
@@ -1759,7 +1759,7 @@ static size_t format_commit_one(struct strbuf *sb, /* in UTF-8 */
 				goto trailer_out;
 		}
 		if (*arg == ')') {
-			format_trailers_from_commit(sb, msg + c->subject_off, &opts);
+			format_trailers_from_commit(&opts, msg + c->subject_off, sb);
 			ret = arg - placeholder + 1;
 		}
 	trailer_out:
diff --git a/ref-filter.c b/ref-filter.c
index 35b989e1df..d358953b0c 100644
--- a/ref-filter.c
+++ b/ref-filter.c
@@ -1985,7 +1985,7 @@ static void grab_sub_body_contents(struct atom_value *val, int deref, struct exp
 			struct strbuf s = STRBUF_INIT;
 
 			/* Format the trailer info according to the trailer_opts given */
-			format_trailers_from_commit(&s, subpos, &atom->u.contents.trailer_opts);
+			format_trailers_from_commit(&atom->u.contents.trailer_opts, subpos, &s);
 
 			v->s = strbuf_detach(&s, NULL);
 		} else if (atom->u.contents.option == C_BARE)
diff --git a/trailer.c b/trailer.c
index 916175707d..4a58005416 100644
--- a/trailer.c
+++ b/trailer.c
@@ -1176,10 +1176,10 @@ void trailer_info_release(struct trailer_info *info)
 	free(info->trailers);
 }
 
-static void format_trailer_info(struct strbuf *out,
+static void format_trailer_info(const struct process_trailer_options *opts,
 				const struct trailer_info *info,
 				const char *msg,
-				const struct process_trailer_options *opts)
+				struct strbuf *out)
 {
 	size_t origlen = out->len;
 	size_t i;
@@ -1237,13 +1237,14 @@ static void format_trailer_info(struct strbuf *out,
 
 }
 
-void format_trailers_from_commit(struct strbuf *out, const char *msg,
-				 const struct process_trailer_options *opts)
+void format_trailers_from_commit(const struct process_trailer_options *opts,
+				 const char *msg,
+				 struct strbuf *out)
 {
 	struct trailer_info info;
 
 	trailer_info_get(&info, msg, opts);
-	format_trailer_info(out, &info, msg, opts);
+	format_trailer_info(opts, &info, msg, out);
 	trailer_info_release(&info);
 }
 
diff --git a/trailer.h b/trailer.h
index 37033e631a..027bf00282 100644
--- a/trailer.h
+++ b/trailer.h
@@ -101,8 +101,9 @@ void trailer_info_release(struct trailer_info *info);
  *     only the trailer block itself, even if the "only_trailers" option is not
  *     set.
  */
-void format_trailers_from_commit(struct strbuf *out, const char *msg,
-				 const struct process_trailer_options *opts);
+void format_trailers_from_commit(const struct process_trailer_options *opts,
+				 const char *msg,
+				 struct strbuf *out);
 
 /*
  * An interface for iterating over the trailers found in a particular commit