diff --git a/refs.c b/refs.c
index 752938c23c..acb098c3d2 100644
--- a/refs.c
+++ b/refs.c
@@ -57,27 +57,33 @@ static const char *parse_ref_line(char *line, unsigned char *sha1)
 	return line;
 }
 
+static struct ref_entry *create_ref_entry(const char *refname,
+					  const unsigned char *sha1, int flag)
+{
+	int len;
+	struct ref_entry *ref;
+
+	if (check_refname_format(refname, REFNAME_ALLOW_ONELEVEL|REFNAME_DOT_COMPONENT))
+		die("Reference has invalid format: '%s'", refname);
+	len = strlen(refname) + 1;
+	ref = xmalloc(sizeof(struct ref_entry) + len);
+	hashcpy(ref->sha1, sha1);
+	hashclr(ref->peeled);
+	memcpy(ref->name, refname, len);
+	ref->flag = flag;
+	return ref;
+}
+
 /* Add a ref_entry to the end of the ref_array (unsorted). */
 static void add_ref(const char *refname, const unsigned char *sha1,
 		    int flag, struct ref_array *refs,
-		    struct ref_entry **new_entry)
+		    struct ref_entry **new_ref)
 {
-	int len;
-	struct ref_entry *entry;
-
-	/* Allocate it and add it in.. */
-	len = strlen(refname) + 1;
-	entry = xmalloc(sizeof(struct ref_entry) + len);
-	hashcpy(entry->sha1, sha1);
-	hashclr(entry->peeled);
-	if (check_refname_format(refname, REFNAME_ALLOW_ONELEVEL|REFNAME_DOT_COMPONENT))
-		die("Reference has invalid format: '%s'", refname);
-	memcpy(entry->name, refname, len);
-	entry->flag = flag;
-	if (new_entry)
-		*new_entry = entry;
+	struct ref_entry *ref = create_ref_entry(refname, sha1, flag);
+	if (new_ref)
+		*new_ref = ref;
 	ALLOC_GROW(refs->refs, refs->nr + 1, refs->alloc);
-	refs->refs[refs->nr++] = entry;
+	refs->refs[refs->nr++] = ref;
 }
 
 static int ref_entry_cmp(const void *a, const void *b)