diff --git a/cache.h b/cache.h
index c9efe88e9ec..763c961520f 100644
--- a/cache.h
+++ b/cache.h
@@ -894,9 +894,12 @@ extern int dwim_log(const char *str, int len, unsigned char *sha1, char **ref);
 extern int interpret_branch_name(const char *str, int len, struct strbuf *);
 extern int get_sha1_mb(const char *str, unsigned char *sha1);
 
-extern int refname_match(const char *abbrev_name, const char *full_name, const char **rules);
-extern const char *ref_rev_parse_rules[];
-#define ref_fetch_rules ref_rev_parse_rules
+/*
+ * Return true iff abbrev_name is a possible abbreviation for
+ * full_name according to the rules defined by ref_rev_parse_rules in
+ * refs.c.
+ */
+extern int refname_match(const char *abbrev_name, const char *full_name);
 
 extern int create_symref(const char *ref, const char *refs_heads_master, const char *logmsg);
 extern int validate_headref(const char *ref);
diff --git a/refs.c b/refs.c
index 490b57b881d..fc33ee8ffbe 100644
--- a/refs.c
+++ b/refs.c
@@ -1880,7 +1880,7 @@ const char *prettify_refname(const char *name)
 		0);
 }
 
-const char *ref_rev_parse_rules[] = {
+static const char *ref_rev_parse_rules[] = {
 	"%.*s",
 	"refs/%.*s",
 	"refs/tags/%.*s",
@@ -1890,12 +1890,12 @@ const char *ref_rev_parse_rules[] = {
 	NULL
 };
 
-int refname_match(const char *abbrev_name, const char *full_name, const char **rules)
+int refname_match(const char *abbrev_name, const char *full_name)
 {
 	const char **p;
 	const int abbrev_name_len = strlen(abbrev_name);
 
-	for (p = rules; *p; p++) {
+	for (p = ref_rev_parse_rules; *p; p++) {
 		if (!strcmp(full_name, mkpath(*p, abbrev_name_len, abbrev_name))) {
 			return 1;
 		}
diff --git a/remote.c b/remote.c
index a89efab5b76..e41251ee77a 100644
--- a/remote.c
+++ b/remote.c
@@ -1000,7 +1000,7 @@ int count_refspec_match(const char *pattern,
 		char *name = refs->name;
 		int namelen = strlen(name);
 
-		if (!refname_match(pattern, name, ref_rev_parse_rules))
+		if (!refname_match(pattern, name))
 			continue;
 
 		/* A match is "weak" if it is with refs outside
@@ -1571,7 +1571,7 @@ int branch_merge_matches(struct branch *branch,
 {
 	if (!branch || i < 0 || i >= branch->merge_nr)
 		return 0;
-	return refname_match(branch->merge[i]->src, refname, ref_fetch_rules);
+	return refname_match(branch->merge[i]->src, refname);
 }
 
 static int ignore_symref_update(const char *refname)
@@ -1624,7 +1624,7 @@ static const struct ref *find_ref_by_name_abbrev(const struct ref *refs, const c
 {
 	const struct ref *ref;
 	for (ref = refs; ref; ref = ref->next) {
-		if (refname_match(name, ref->name, ref_fetch_rules))
+		if (refname_match(name, ref->name))
 			return ref;
 	}
 	return NULL;
@@ -2121,7 +2121,7 @@ static void apply_cas(struct push_cas_option *cas,
 	/* Find an explicit --<option>=<name>[:<value>] entry */
 	for (i = 0; i < cas->nr; i++) {
 		struct push_cas *entry = &cas->entry[i];
-		if (!refname_match(entry->refname, ref->name, ref_rev_parse_rules))
+		if (!refname_match(entry->refname, ref->name))
 			continue;
 		ref->expect_old_sha1 = 1;
 		if (!entry->use_tracking)