diff --git a/builtin/fetch.c b/builtin/fetch.c
index c7ff3480fb..f90179040b 100644
--- a/builtin/fetch.c
+++ b/builtin/fetch.c
@@ -1686,6 +1686,36 @@ static void ref_transaction_rejection_handler(const char *refname,
 	*data->retcode = 1;
 }
 
+/*
+ * Commit the reference transaction. If it isn't an atomic transaction, handle
+ * rejected updates as part of using batched updates.
+ */
+static int commit_ref_transaction(struct ref_transaction **transaction,
+				  bool is_atomic, const char *remote_name,
+				  struct strbuf *err)
+{
+	int retcode = ref_transaction_commit(*transaction, err);
+	if (retcode)
+		goto out;
+
+	if (!is_atomic) {
+		struct ref_rejection_data data = {
+			.conflict_msg_shown = 0,
+			.remote_name = remote_name,
+			.retcode = &retcode,
+		};
+
+		ref_transaction_for_each_rejected_update(*transaction,
+							 ref_transaction_rejection_handler,
+							 &data);
+	}
+
+out:
+	ref_transaction_free(*transaction);
+	*transaction = NULL;
+	return retcode;
+}
+
 static int do_fetch(struct transport *transport,
 		    struct refspec *rs,
 		    const struct fetch_config *config)
@@ -1858,33 +1888,10 @@ static int do_fetch(struct transport *transport,
 	if (retcode)
 		goto cleanup;
 
-	retcode = ref_transaction_commit(transaction, &err);
-	if (retcode) {
-		/*
-		 * Explicitly handle transaction cleanup to avoid
-		 * aborting an already closed transaction.
-		 */
-		ref_transaction_free(transaction);
-		transaction = NULL;
+	retcode = commit_ref_transaction(&transaction, atomic_fetch,
+					 transport->remote->name, &err);
+	if (retcode)
 		goto cleanup;
-	}
-
-	if (!atomic_fetch) {
-		struct ref_rejection_data data = {
-			.retcode = &retcode,
-			.conflict_msg_shown = 0,
-			.remote_name = transport->remote->name,
-		};
-
-		ref_transaction_for_each_rejected_update(transaction,
-							 ref_transaction_rejection_handler,
-							 &data);
-		if (retcode) {
-			ref_transaction_free(transaction);
-			transaction = NULL;
-			goto cleanup;
-		}
-	}
 
 	commit_fetch_head(&fetch_head);