diff --git a/refs.c b/refs.c
index e2d34b253e4c9c4efcb30e88d11ccd3ce9e14deb..842e4d89dfff8a598030e7122fa7f987023c4ddf 100644
--- a/refs.c
+++ b/refs.c
@@ -392,6 +392,13 @@ static char *substitute_branch_name(const char **string, int *len)
 int dwim_ref(const char *str, int len, unsigned char *sha1, char **ref)
 {
 	char *last_branch = substitute_branch_name(&str, &len);
+	int   refs_found  = expand_ref(str, len, sha1, ref);
+	free(last_branch);
+	return refs_found;
+}
+
+int expand_ref(const char *str, int len, unsigned char *sha1, char **ref)
+{
 	const char **p, *r;
 	int refs_found = 0;
 
@@ -417,7 +424,6 @@ int dwim_ref(const char *str, int len, unsigned char *sha1, char **ref)
 			warning("ignoring broken ref %s.", fullref);
 		}
 	}
-	free(last_branch);
 	return refs_found;
 }
 
diff --git a/refs.h b/refs.h
index 3c3da29bf0064cd189a6b0c8dc1a7daeb953150e..31a2fa68a37306f9d707d89c7dea8a022a9a44a8 100644
--- a/refs.h
+++ b/refs.h
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ extern int resolve_gitlink_ref(const char *path, const char *refname, unsigned c
  */
 extern int refname_match(const char *abbrev_name, const char *full_name);
 
+extern int expand_ref(const char *str, int len, unsigned char *sha1, char **ref);
 extern int dwim_ref(const char *str, int len, unsigned char *sha1, char **ref);
 extern int dwim_log(const char *str, int len, unsigned char *sha1, char **ref);