diff --git a/refspec.c b/refspec.c
index 6d86e04442..66989a1d75 100644
--- a/refspec.c
+++ b/refspec.c
@@ -276,3 +276,51 @@ void refspec_ref_prefixes(const struct refspec *rs,
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+int match_name_with_pattern(const char *key, const char *name,
+				   const char *value, char **result)
+{
+	const char *kstar = strchr(key, '*');
+	size_t klen;
+	size_t ksuffixlen;
+	size_t namelen;
+	int ret;
+	if (!kstar)
+		die(_("key '%s' of pattern had no '*'"), key);
+	klen = kstar - key;
+	ksuffixlen = strlen(kstar + 1);
+	namelen = strlen(name);
+	ret = !strncmp(name, key, klen) && namelen >= klen + ksuffixlen &&
+		!memcmp(name + namelen - ksuffixlen, kstar + 1, ksuffixlen);
+	if (ret && value) {
+		struct strbuf sb = STRBUF_INIT;
+		const char *vstar = strchr(value, '*');
+		if (!vstar)
+			die(_("value '%s' of pattern has no '*'"), value);
+		strbuf_add(&sb, value, vstar - value);
+		strbuf_add(&sb, name + klen, namelen - klen - ksuffixlen);
+		strbuf_addstr(&sb, vstar + 1);
+		*result = strbuf_detach(&sb, NULL);
+	}
+	return ret;
+}
+
+static int refspec_match(const struct refspec_item *refspec,
+			 const char *name)
+{
+	if (refspec->pattern)
+		return match_name_with_pattern(refspec->src, name, NULL, NULL);
+
+	return !strcmp(refspec->src, name);
+}
+
+int omit_name_by_refspec(const char *name, struct refspec *rs)
+{
+	int i;
+
+	for (i = 0; i < rs->nr; i++) {
+		if (rs->items[i].negative && refspec_match(&rs->items[i], name))
+			return 1;
+	}
+	return 0;
+}
diff --git a/refspec.h b/refspec.h
index 69d693c87d..891d50b159 100644
--- a/refspec.h
+++ b/refspec.h
@@ -71,4 +71,17 @@ struct strvec;
 void refspec_ref_prefixes(const struct refspec *rs,
 			  struct strvec *ref_prefixes);
 
+/*
+ * Check whether a name matches any negative refspec in rs. Returns 1 if the
+ * name matches at least one negative refspec, and 0 otherwise.
+ */
+int omit_name_by_refspec(const char *name, struct refspec *rs);
+
+/*
+ * Checks whether a name matches a pattern and optionally generates a result.
+ * Returns 1 if the name matches the pattern, 0 otherwise.
+ */
+int match_name_with_pattern(const char *key, const char *name,
+				   const char *value, char **result);
+
 #endif /* REFSPEC_H */
diff --git a/remote.c b/remote.c
index 0f6fba8562..40c2418065 100644
--- a/remote.c
+++ b/remote.c
@@ -907,54 +907,6 @@ void ref_push_report_free(struct ref_push_report *report)
 	}
 }
 
-static int match_name_with_pattern(const char *key, const char *name,
-				   const char *value, char **result)
-{
-	const char *kstar = strchr(key, '*');
-	size_t klen;
-	size_t ksuffixlen;
-	size_t namelen;
-	int ret;
-	if (!kstar)
-		die(_("key '%s' of pattern had no '*'"), key);
-	klen = kstar - key;
-	ksuffixlen = strlen(kstar + 1);
-	namelen = strlen(name);
-	ret = !strncmp(name, key, klen) && namelen >= klen + ksuffixlen &&
-		!memcmp(name + namelen - ksuffixlen, kstar + 1, ksuffixlen);
-	if (ret && value) {
-		struct strbuf sb = STRBUF_INIT;
-		const char *vstar = strchr(value, '*');
-		if (!vstar)
-			die(_("value '%s' of pattern has no '*'"), value);
-		strbuf_add(&sb, value, vstar - value);
-		strbuf_add(&sb, name + klen, namelen - klen - ksuffixlen);
-		strbuf_addstr(&sb, vstar + 1);
-		*result = strbuf_detach(&sb, NULL);
-	}
-	return ret;
-}
-
-static int refspec_match(const struct refspec_item *refspec,
-			 const char *name)
-{
-	if (refspec->pattern)
-		return match_name_with_pattern(refspec->src, name, NULL, NULL);
-
-	return !strcmp(refspec->src, name);
-}
-
-int omit_name_by_refspec(const char *name, struct refspec *rs)
-{
-	int i;
-
-	for (i = 0; i < rs->nr; i++) {
-		if (rs->items[i].negative && refspec_match(&rs->items[i], name))
-			return 1;
-	}
-	return 0;
-}
-
 struct ref *apply_negative_refspecs(struct ref *ref_map, struct refspec *rs)
 {
 	struct ref **tail;
diff --git a/remote.h b/remote.h
index bda10dd5c8..0d109fa9c9 100644
--- a/remote.h
+++ b/remote.h
@@ -261,12 +261,6 @@ int resolve_remote_symref(struct ref *ref, struct ref *list);
  */
 struct ref *ref_remove_duplicates(struct ref *ref_map);
 
-/*
- * Check whether a name matches any negative refspec in rs. Returns 1 if the
- * name matches at least one negative refspec, and 0 otherwise.
- */
-int omit_name_by_refspec(const char *name, struct refspec *rs);
-
 /*
  * Remove all entries in the input list which match any negative refspec in
  * the refspec list.
