diff --git a/http.c b/http.c
index c93716c72f09bb690281d70ce1e8036cce9d1eb9..89e3cf4bd88ae4a84edf0b2fcdec13024262a704 100644
--- a/http.c
+++ b/http.c
@@ -846,13 +846,18 @@ static int http_request(const char *url, void *result, int target, int options)
 	return ret;
 }
 
+static int http_request_reauth(const char *url, void *result, int target,
+			       int options)
+{
+	int ret = http_request(url, result, target, options);
+	if (ret != HTTP_REAUTH)
+		return ret;
+	return http_request(url, result, target, options);
+}
+
 int http_get_strbuf(const char *url, struct strbuf *result, int options)
 {
-	int http_ret = http_request(url, result, HTTP_REQUEST_STRBUF, options);
-	if (http_ret == HTTP_REAUTH) {
-		http_ret = http_request(url, result, HTTP_REQUEST_STRBUF, options);
-	}
-	return http_ret;
+	return http_request_reauth(url, result, HTTP_REQUEST_STRBUF, options);
 }
 
 /*
@@ -875,7 +880,7 @@ static int http_get_file(const char *url, const char *filename, int options)
 		goto cleanup;
 	}
 
-	ret = http_request(url, result, HTTP_REQUEST_FILE, options);
+	ret = http_request_reauth(url, result, HTTP_REQUEST_FILE, options);
 	fclose(result);
 
 	if ((ret == HTTP_OK) && move_temp_to_file(tmpfile.buf, filename))