diff --git a/refs/files-backend.c b/refs/files-backend.c
index f17daddffaad79431fdb9475dff93012d2c7aaba..6d0fcc88f92d2b7d8e813e7738f510f581921459 100644
--- a/refs/files-backend.c
+++ b/refs/files-backend.c
@@ -2585,23 +2585,34 @@ static int files_rename_ref(struct ref_store *ref_store,
 	struct stat loginfo;
 	int log = !lstat(git_path("logs/%s", oldrefname), &loginfo);
 	struct strbuf err = STRBUF_INIT;
+	int ret;
 
-	if (log && S_ISLNK(loginfo.st_mode))
-		return error("reflog for %s is a symlink", oldrefname);
+	if (log && S_ISLNK(loginfo.st_mode)) {
+		ret = error("reflog for %s is a symlink", oldrefname);
+		goto out;
+	}
 
 	if (!resolve_ref_unsafe(oldrefname, RESOLVE_REF_READING | RESOLVE_REF_NO_RECURSE,
-				orig_sha1, &flag))
-		return error("refname %s not found", oldrefname);
+				orig_sha1, &flag)) {
+		ret = error("refname %s not found", oldrefname);
+		goto out;
+	}
 
-	if (flag & REF_ISSYMREF)
-		return error("refname %s is a symbolic ref, renaming it is not supported",
-			oldrefname);
-	if (!rename_ref_available(oldrefname, newrefname))
-		return 1;
+	if (flag & REF_ISSYMREF) {
+		ret = error("refname %s is a symbolic ref, renaming it is not supported",
+			    oldrefname);
+		goto out;
+	}
+	if (!rename_ref_available(oldrefname, newrefname)) {
+		ret = 1;
+		goto out;
+	}
 
-	if (log && rename(git_path("logs/%s", oldrefname), git_path(TMP_RENAMED_LOG)))
-		return error("unable to move logfile logs/%s to "TMP_RENAMED_LOG": %s",
-			oldrefname, strerror(errno));
+	if (log && rename(git_path("logs/%s", oldrefname), git_path(TMP_RENAMED_LOG))) {
+		ret = error("unable to move logfile logs/%s to "TMP_RENAMED_LOG": %s",
+			    oldrefname, strerror(errno));
+		goto out;
+	}
 
 	if (delete_ref(logmsg, oldrefname, orig_sha1, REF_NODEREF)) {
 		error("unable to delete old %s", oldrefname);
@@ -2657,7 +2668,8 @@ static int files_rename_ref(struct ref_store *ref_store,
 		goto rollback;
 	}
 
-	return 0;
+	ret = 0;
+	goto out;
 
  rollback:
 	lock = lock_ref_sha1_basic(refs, oldrefname, NULL, NULL, NULL,
@@ -2686,7 +2698,9 @@ static int files_rename_ref(struct ref_store *ref_store,
 		error("unable to restore logfile %s from "TMP_RENAMED_LOG": %s",
 			oldrefname, strerror(errno));
 
-	return 1;
+	ret = 1;
+ out:
+	return ret;
 }
 
 static int close_ref(struct ref_lock *lock)