diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 5890e7d1cbb2..870155d48b58 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -2420,6 +2420,7 @@ REFTABLE_OBJS += reftable/zlib-compat.o
 
 REFTABLE_TEST_OBJS += reftable/basics_test.o
 REFTABLE_TEST_OBJS += reftable/block_test.o
+REFTABLE_TEST_OBJS += reftable/dump.o
 REFTABLE_TEST_OBJS += reftable/merged_test.o
 REFTABLE_TEST_OBJS += reftable/pq_test.o
 REFTABLE_TEST_OBJS += reftable/record_test.o
diff --git a/reftable/dump.c b/reftable/dump.c
index 00b444e8c9b8..7d620a3cf0fe 100644
--- a/reftable/dump.c
+++ b/reftable/dump.c
@@ -12,18 +12,25 @@ license that can be found in the LICENSE file or at
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <string.h>
 
-#include "reftable.h"
+#include "reftable-blocksource.h"
+#include "reftable-error.h"
+#include "reftable-merged.h"
+#include "reftable-record.h"
 #include "reftable-tests.h"
+#include "reftable-writer.h"
+#include "reftable-iterator.h"
+#include "reftable-reader.h"
+#include "reftable-stack.h"
 
 static uint32_t hash_id;
 
 static int dump_table(const char *tablename)
 {
-	struct reftable_block_source src = { 0 };
+	struct reftable_block_source src = { NULL };
 	int err = reftable_block_source_from_file(&src, tablename);
-	struct reftable_iterator it = { 0 };
-	struct reftable_ref_record ref = { 0 };
-	struct reftable_log_record log = { 0 };
+	struct reftable_iterator it = { NULL };
+	struct reftable_ref_record ref = { NULL };
+	struct reftable_log_record log = { NULL };
 	struct reftable_reader *r = NULL;
 
 	if (err < 0)
@@ -49,7 +56,7 @@ static int dump_table(const char *tablename)
 		reftable_ref_record_print(&ref, hash_id);
 	}
 	reftable_iterator_destroy(&it);
-	reftable_ref_record_clear(&ref);
+	reftable_ref_record_release(&ref);
 
 	err = reftable_reader_seek_log(r, &it, "");
 	if (err < 0) {
@@ -66,7 +73,7 @@ static int dump_table(const char *tablename)
 		reftable_log_record_print(&log, hash_id);
 	}
 	reftable_iterator_destroy(&it);
-	reftable_log_record_clear(&log);
+	reftable_log_record_release(&log);
 
 	reftable_reader_free(r);
 	return 0;
@@ -75,7 +82,7 @@ static int dump_table(const char *tablename)
 static int compact_stack(const char *stackdir)
 {
 	struct reftable_stack *stack = NULL;
-	struct reftable_write_options cfg = {};
+	struct reftable_write_options cfg = { 0 };
 
 	int err = reftable_new_stack(&stack, stackdir, cfg);
 	if (err < 0)
@@ -94,10 +101,10 @@ static int compact_stack(const char *stackdir)
 static int dump_stack(const char *stackdir)
 {
 	struct reftable_stack *stack = NULL;
-	struct reftable_write_options cfg = {};
-	struct reftable_iterator it = { 0 };
-	struct reftable_ref_record ref = { 0 };
-	struct reftable_log_record log = { 0 };
+	struct reftable_write_options cfg = { 0 };
+	struct reftable_iterator it = { NULL };
+	struct reftable_ref_record ref = { NULL };
+	struct reftable_log_record log = { NULL };
 	struct reftable_merged_table *merged = NULL;
 
 	int err = reftable_new_stack(&stack, stackdir, cfg);
@@ -122,7 +129,7 @@ static int dump_stack(const char *stackdir)
 		reftable_ref_record_print(&ref, hash_id);
 	}
 	reftable_iterator_destroy(&it);
-	reftable_ref_record_clear(&ref);
+	reftable_ref_record_release(&ref);
 
 	err = reftable_merged_table_seek_log(merged, &it, "");
 	if (err < 0) {
@@ -139,7 +146,7 @@ static int dump_stack(const char *stackdir)
 		reftable_log_record_print(&log, hash_id);
 	}
 	reftable_iterator_destroy(&it);
-	reftable_log_record_clear(&log);
+	reftable_log_record_release(&log);
 
 	reftable_stack_destroy(stack);
 	return 0;
@@ -160,40 +167,34 @@ static void print_help(void)
 int reftable_dump_main(int argc, char *const *argv)
 {
 	int err = 0;
-	int opt;
 	int opt_dump_table = 0;
 	int opt_dump_stack = 0;
 	int opt_compact = 0;
-	const char *arg = NULL;
-	while ((opt = getopt(argc, argv, "2chts")) != -1) {
-		switch (opt) {
-		case '2':
-			hash_id = 0x73323536;
+	const char *arg = NULL, *argv0 = argv[0];
+
+	for (; argc > 1; argv++, argc--)
+		if (*argv[1] != '-')
 			break;
-		case 't':
+		else if (!strcmp("-2", argv[1]))
+			hash_id = 0x73323536;
+		else if (!strcmp("-t", argv[1]))
 			opt_dump_table = 1;
-			break;
-		case 's':
+		else if (!strcmp("-s", argv[1]))
 			opt_dump_stack = 1;
-			break;
-		case 'c':
+		else if (!strcmp("-c", argv[1]))
 			opt_compact = 1;
-			break;
-		case '?':
-		case 'h':
+		else if (!strcmp("-?", argv[1]) || !strcmp("-h", argv[1])) {
 			print_help();
 			return 2;
-			break;
 		}
-	}
 
-	if (argv[optind] == NULL) {
+	if (argc != 2) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "need argument\n");
 		print_help();
 		return 2;
 	}
 
-	arg = argv[optind];
+	arg = argv[1];
 
 	if (opt_dump_table) {
 		err = dump_table(arg);
@@ -204,7 +205,7 @@ int reftable_dump_main(int argc, char *const *argv)
 	}
 
 	if (err < 0) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "%s: %s: %s\n", argv[0], arg,
+		fprintf(stderr, "%s: %s: %s\n", argv0, arg,
 			reftable_error_str(err));
 		return 1;
 	}
diff --git a/t/helper/test-reftable.c b/t/helper/test-reftable.c
index 2efe48b23bbb..09e727721fe9 100644
--- a/t/helper/test-reftable.c
+++ b/t/helper/test-reftable.c
@@ -14,3 +14,8 @@ int cmd__reftable(int argc, const char **argv)
 	tree_test_main(argc, argv);
 	return 0;
 }
+
+int cmd__dump_reftable(int argc, const char **argv)
+{
+	return reftable_dump_main(argc, (char *const *)argv);
+}
diff --git a/t/helper/test-tool.c b/t/helper/test-tool.c
index 814d2606f8ca..bf4958492386 100644
--- a/t/helper/test-tool.c
+++ b/t/helper/test-tool.c
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ static struct test_cmd cmds[] = {
 	{ "read-midx", cmd__read_midx },
 	{ "ref-store", cmd__ref_store },
 	{ "reftable", cmd__reftable },
+	{ "dump-reftable", cmd__dump_reftable },
 	{ "regex", cmd__regex },
 	{ "repository", cmd__repository },
 	{ "revision-walking", cmd__revision_walking },
diff --git a/t/helper/test-tool.h b/t/helper/test-tool.h
index 789c26f302dd..f195a7539cd2 100644
--- a/t/helper/test-tool.h
+++ b/t/helper/test-tool.h
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ int cmd__dump_cache_tree(int argc, const char **argv);
 int cmd__dump_fsmonitor(int argc, const char **argv);
 int cmd__dump_split_index(int argc, const char **argv);
 int cmd__dump_untracked_cache(int argc, const char **argv);
+int cmd__dump_reftable(int argc, const char **argv);
 int cmd__example_decorate(int argc, const char **argv);
 int cmd__fast_rebase(int argc, const char **argv);
 int cmd__genrandom(int argc, const char **argv);
