diff --git a/refs.c b/refs.c
index a09bbb768d..827e543b0f 100644
--- a/refs.c
+++ b/refs.c
@@ -2528,6 +2528,35 @@ int delete_ref(const char *refname, const unsigned char *sha1, int delopt)
  */
 #define TMP_RENAMED_LOG  "logs/refs/.tmp-renamed-log"
 
+static int rename_tmp_log(const char *newrefname)
+{
+	if (safe_create_leading_directories(git_path("logs/%s", newrefname))) {
+		error("unable to create directory for %s", newrefname);
+		return -1;
+	}
+
+ retry:
+	if (rename(git_path(TMP_RENAMED_LOG), git_path("logs/%s", newrefname))) {
+		if (errno==EISDIR || errno==ENOTDIR) {
+			/*
+			 * rename(a, b) when b is an existing
+			 * directory ought to result in ISDIR, but
+			 * Solaris 5.8 gives ENOTDIR.  Sheesh.
+			 */
+			if (remove_empty_directories(git_path("logs/%s", newrefname))) {
+				error("Directory not empty: logs/%s", newrefname);
+				return -1;
+			}
+			goto retry;
+		} else {
+			error("unable to move logfile "TMP_RENAMED_LOG" to logs/%s: %s",
+				newrefname, strerror(errno));
+			return -1;
+		}
+	}
+	return 0;
+}
+
 int rename_ref(const char *oldrefname, const char *newrefname, const char *logmsg)
 {
 	unsigned char sha1[20], orig_sha1[20];
@@ -2575,30 +2604,9 @@ int rename_ref(const char *oldrefname, const char *newrefname, const char *logms
 		}
 	}
 
-	if (log && safe_create_leading_directories(git_path("logs/%s", newrefname))) {
-		error("unable to create directory for %s", newrefname);
+	if (log && rename_tmp_log(newrefname))
 		goto rollback;
-	}
 
- retry:
-	if (log && rename(git_path(TMP_RENAMED_LOG), git_path("logs/%s", newrefname))) {
-		if (errno==EISDIR || errno==ENOTDIR) {
-			/*
-			 * rename(a, b) when b is an existing
-			 * directory ought to result in ISDIR, but
-			 * Solaris 5.8 gives ENOTDIR.  Sheesh.
-			 */
-			if (remove_empty_directories(git_path("logs/%s", newrefname))) {
-				error("Directory not empty: logs/%s", newrefname);
-				goto rollback;
-			}
-			goto retry;
-		} else {
-			error("unable to move logfile "TMP_RENAMED_LOG" to logs/%s: %s",
-				newrefname, strerror(errno));
-			goto rollback;
-		}
-	}
 	logmoved = log;
 
 	lock = lock_ref_sha1_basic(newrefname, NULL, 0, NULL);