continue;
 
                        if (rm->peer_ref) {
-                               ref = xcalloc(1, sizeof(*ref) + strlen(rm->peer_ref->name) + 1);
-                               strcpy(ref->name, rm->peer_ref->name);
+                               ref = alloc_ref(rm->peer_ref->name);
                                hashcpy(ref->old_sha1, rm->peer_ref->old_sha1);
                                hashcpy(ref->new_sha1, rm->old_sha1);
                                ref->force = rm->peer_ref->force;
 
                                    url.buf);
                        data[i] = 0;
                        ref_name = mid + 1;
-                       ref = xmalloc(sizeof(struct ref) +
-                                     strlen(ref_name) + 1);
-                       memset(ref, 0, sizeof(struct ref));
-                       strcpy(ref->name, ref_name);
+                       ref = alloc_ref(ref_name);
                        get_sha1_hex(start, ref->old_sha1);
                        if (!refs)
                                refs = ref;