diff --git a/builtin/clone.c b/builtin/clone.c
index b087ee40c2..fbfd6568cd 100644
--- a/builtin/clone.c
+++ b/builtin/clone.c
@@ -953,7 +953,6 @@ int cmd_clone(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	struct ref *mapped_refs;
 	const struct ref *ref;
 	struct strbuf key = STRBUF_INIT;
-	struct strbuf default_refspec = STRBUF_INIT;
 	struct strbuf branch_top = STRBUF_INIT, reflog_msg = STRBUF_INIT;
 	struct transport *transport = NULL;
 	const char *src_ref_prefix = "refs/heads/";
@@ -1157,9 +1156,8 @@ int cmd_clone(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 
 	remote = remote_get(option_origin);
 
-	strbuf_addf(&default_refspec, "+%s*:%s*", src_ref_prefix,
-		    branch_top.buf);
-	refspec_append(&remote->fetch, default_refspec.buf);
+	refspec_appendf(&remote->fetch, "+%s*:%s*", src_ref_prefix,
+			branch_top.buf);
 
 	transport = transport_get(remote, remote->url[0]);
 	transport_set_verbosity(transport, option_verbosity, option_progress);
@@ -1332,7 +1330,6 @@ int cmd_clone(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	strbuf_release(&reflog_msg);
 	strbuf_release(&branch_top);
 	strbuf_release(&key);
-	strbuf_release(&default_refspec);
 	junk_mode = JUNK_LEAVE_ALL;
 
 	strvec_clear(&ref_prefixes);
diff --git a/builtin/fetch.c b/builtin/fetch.c
index a6d3268661..c555836937 100644
--- a/builtin/fetch.c
+++ b/builtin/fetch.c
@@ -1738,15 +1738,12 @@ static int fetch_one(struct remote *remote, int argc, const char **argv,
 
 	for (i = 0; i < argc; i++) {
 		if (!strcmp(argv[i], "tag")) {
-			char *tag;
 			i++;
 			if (i >= argc)
 				die(_("You need to specify a tag name."));
 
-			tag = xstrfmt("refs/tags/%s:refs/tags/%s",
-				      argv[i], argv[i]);
-			refspec_append(&rs, tag);
-			free(tag);
+			refspec_appendf(&rs, "refs/tags/%s:refs/tags/%s",
+					argv[i], argv[i]);
 		} else {
 			refspec_append(&rs, argv[i]);
 		}
diff --git a/builtin/push.c b/builtin/push.c
index bc94078e72..0eeb2c8dd5 100644
--- a/builtin/push.c
+++ b/builtin/push.c
@@ -61,26 +61,27 @@ static struct refspec rs = REFSPEC_INIT_PUSH;
 
 static struct string_list push_options_config = STRING_LIST_INIT_DUP;
 
-static const char *map_refspec(const char *ref,
-			       struct remote *remote, struct ref *local_refs)
+static void refspec_append_mapped(struct refspec *refspec, const char *ref,
+				  struct remote *remote, struct ref *local_refs)
 {
 	const char *branch_name;
 	struct ref *matched = NULL;
 
 	/* Does "ref" uniquely name our ref? */
-	if (count_refspec_match(ref, local_refs, &matched) != 1)
-		return ref;
+	if (count_refspec_match(ref, local_refs, &matched) != 1) {
+		refspec_append(refspec, ref);
+		return;
+	}
 
 	if (remote->push.nr) {
 		struct refspec_item query;
 		memset(&query, 0, sizeof(struct refspec_item));
 		query.src = matched->name;
 		if (!query_refspecs(&remote->push, &query) && query.dst) {
-			struct strbuf buf = STRBUF_INIT;
-			strbuf_addf(&buf, "%s%s:%s",
-				    query.force ? "+" : "",
-				    query.src, query.dst);
-			return strbuf_detach(&buf, NULL);
+			refspec_appendf(refspec, "%s%s:%s",
+					query.force ? "+" : "",
+					query.src, query.dst);
+			return;
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -88,14 +89,13 @@ static const char *map_refspec(const char *ref,
 	    skip_prefix(matched->name, "refs/heads/", &branch_name)) {
 		struct branch *branch = branch_get(branch_name);
 		if (branch->merge_nr == 1 && branch->merge[0]->src) {
-			struct strbuf buf = STRBUF_INIT;
-			strbuf_addf(&buf, "%s:%s",
-				    ref, branch->merge[0]->src);
-			return strbuf_detach(&buf, NULL);
+			refspec_appendf(refspec, "%s:%s",
+					ref, branch->merge[0]->src);
+			return;
 		}
 	}
 
-	return ref;
+	refspec_append(refspec, ref);
 }
 
 static void set_refspecs(const char **refs, int nr, const char *repo)
@@ -107,30 +107,26 @@ static void set_refspecs(const char **refs, int nr, const char *repo)
 	for (i = 0; i < nr; i++) {
 		const char *ref = refs[i];
 		if (!strcmp("tag", ref)) {
-			struct strbuf tagref = STRBUF_INIT;
 			if (nr <= ++i)
 				die(_("tag shorthand without <tag>"));
 			ref = refs[i];
 			if (deleterefs)
-				strbuf_addf(&tagref, ":refs/tags/%s", ref);
+				refspec_appendf(&rs, ":refs/tags/%s", ref);
 			else
-				strbuf_addf(&tagref, "refs/tags/%s", ref);
-			ref = strbuf_detach(&tagref, NULL);
+				refspec_appendf(&rs, "refs/tags/%s", ref);
 		} else if (deleterefs) {
-			struct strbuf delref = STRBUF_INIT;
 			if (strchr(ref, ':'))
 				die(_("--delete only accepts plain target ref names"));
-			strbuf_addf(&delref, ":%s", ref);
-			ref = strbuf_detach(&delref, NULL);
+			refspec_appendf(&rs, ":%s", ref);
 		} else if (!strchr(ref, ':')) {
 			if (!remote) {
 				/* lazily grab remote and local_refs */
 				remote = remote_get(repo);
 				local_refs = get_local_heads();
 			}
-			ref = map_refspec(ref, remote, local_refs);
-		}
-		refspec_append(&rs, ref);
+			refspec_append_mapped(&rs, ref, remote, local_refs);
+		} else
+			refspec_append(&rs, ref);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -192,8 +188,6 @@ static const char message_detached_head_die[] =
 static void setup_push_upstream(struct remote *remote, struct branch *branch,
 				int triangular, int simple)
 {
-	struct strbuf refspec = STRBUF_INIT;
-
 	if (!branch)
 		die(_(message_detached_head_die), remote->name);
 	if (!branch->merge_nr || !branch->merge || !branch->remote_name)
@@ -219,18 +213,14 @@ static void setup_push_upstream(struct remote *remote, struct branch *branch,
 			die_push_simple(branch, remote);
 	}
 
-	strbuf_addf(&refspec, "%s:%s", branch->refname, branch->merge[0]->src);
-	refspec_append(&rs, refspec.buf);
+	refspec_appendf(&rs, "%s:%s", branch->refname, branch->merge[0]->src);
 }
 
 static void setup_push_current(struct remote *remote, struct branch *branch)
 {
-	struct strbuf refspec = STRBUF_INIT;
-
 	if (!branch)
 		die(_(message_detached_head_die), remote->name);
-	strbuf_addf(&refspec, "%s:%s", branch->refname, branch->refname);
-	refspec_append(&rs, refspec.buf);
+	refspec_appendf(&rs, "%s:%s", branch->refname, branch->refname);
 }
 
 static int is_workflow_triangular(struct remote *remote)
diff --git a/refspec.c b/refspec.c
index f10ef284ce..8d0affc34a 100644
--- a/refspec.c
+++ b/refspec.c
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ void refspec_init(struct refspec *rs, int fetch)
 	rs->fetch = fetch;
 }
 
-void refspec_append(struct refspec *rs, const char *refspec)
+static void refspec_append_nodup(struct refspec *rs, char *refspec)
 {
 	struct refspec_item item;
 
@@ -163,7 +163,21 @@ void refspec_append(struct refspec *rs, const char *refspec)
 	rs->items[rs->nr++] = item;
 
 	ALLOC_GROW(rs->raw, rs->raw_nr + 1, rs->raw_alloc);
-	rs->raw[rs->raw_nr++] = xstrdup(refspec);
+	rs->raw[rs->raw_nr++] = refspec;
+}
+
+void refspec_append(struct refspec *rs, const char *refspec)
+{
+	refspec_append_nodup(rs, xstrdup(refspec));
+}
+
+void refspec_appendf(struct refspec *rs, const char *fmt, ...)
+{
+	va_list ap;
+
+	va_start(ap, fmt);
+	refspec_append_nodup(rs, xstrvfmt(fmt, ap));
+	va_end(ap);
 }
 
 void refspec_appendn(struct refspec *rs, const char **refspecs, int nr)
diff --git a/refspec.h b/refspec.h
index 8d654e3a3a..7569248d11 100644
--- a/refspec.h
+++ b/refspec.h
@@ -56,6 +56,8 @@ void refspec_item_init_or_die(struct refspec_item *item, const char *refspec,
 void refspec_item_clear(struct refspec_item *item);
 void refspec_init(struct refspec *rs, int fetch);
 void refspec_append(struct refspec *rs, const char *refspec);
+__attribute__((format (printf,2,3)))
+void refspec_appendf(struct refspec *rs, const char *fmt, ...);
 void refspec_appendn(struct refspec *rs, const char **refspecs, int nr);
 void refspec_clear(struct refspec *rs);
 
diff --git a/remote.c b/remote.c
index 420150837b..eafc14cbe7 100644
--- a/remote.c
+++ b/remote.c
@@ -287,19 +287,15 @@ static void read_branches_file(struct remote *remote)
 		frag = (char *)git_default_branch_name();
 
 	add_url_alias(remote, strbuf_detach(&buf, NULL));
-	strbuf_addf(&buf, "refs/heads/%s:refs/heads/%s",
-		    frag, remote->name);
-	refspec_append(&remote->fetch, buf.buf);
+	refspec_appendf(&remote->fetch, "refs/heads/%s:refs/heads/%s",
+			frag, remote->name);
 
 	/*
 	 * Cogito compatible push: push current HEAD to remote #branch
 	 * (master if missing)
 	 */
-	strbuf_reset(&buf);
-	strbuf_addf(&buf, "HEAD:refs/heads/%s", frag);
-	refspec_append(&remote->push, buf.buf);
+	refspec_appendf(&remote->push, "HEAD:refs/heads/%s", frag);
 	remote->fetch_tags = 1; /* always auto-follow */
-	strbuf_release(&buf);
 }
 
 static int handle_config(const char *key, const char *value, void *cb)