diff --git a/dir.c b/dir.c
index b2dfb69eb5..39eb7a3a4f 100644
--- a/dir.c
+++ b/dir.c
@@ -223,6 +223,18 @@ static void *read_skip_worktree_file_from_index(const char *path, size_t *size)
 	return data;
 }
 
+void free_excludes(struct exclude_list *el)
+{
+	int i;
+
+	for (i = 0; i < el->nr; i++)
+		free(el->excludes[i]);
+	free(el->excludes);
+
+	el->nr = 0;
+	el->excludes = NULL;
+}
+
 int add_excludes_from_file_to_list(const char *fname,
 				   const char *base,
 				   int baselen,
diff --git a/dir.h b/dir.h
index 278d84cdf7..ce55008298 100644
--- a/dir.h
+++ b/dir.h
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ extern int add_excludes_from_file_to_list(const char *fname, const char *base, i
 extern void add_excludes_from_file(struct dir_struct *, const char *fname);
 extern void add_exclude(const char *string, const char *base,
 			int baselen, struct exclude_list *which);
+extern void free_excludes(struct exclude_list *el);
 extern int file_exists(const char *);
 
 extern char *get_relative_cwd(char *buffer, int size, const char *dir);
diff --git a/unpack-trees.c b/unpack-trees.c
index 803445aa7b..4d92412469 100644
--- a/unpack-trees.c
+++ b/unpack-trees.c
@@ -945,11 +945,7 @@ int unpack_trees(unsigned len, struct tree_desc *t, struct unpack_trees_options
 		*o->dst_index = o->result;
 
 done:
-	for (i = 0;i < el.nr;i++)
-		free(el.excludes[i]);
-	if (el.excludes)
-		free(el.excludes);
-
+	free_excludes(&el);
 	return ret;
 
 return_failed: