diff --git a/refs.c b/refs.c
index aeef257ee3c..2d198a1add5 100644
--- a/refs.c
+++ b/refs.c
@@ -647,19 +647,24 @@ int for_each_ref(each_ref_fn fn, void *cb_data)
 	return do_for_each_ref("refs/", fn, 0, 0, cb_data);
 }
 
+int for_each_ref_in(const char *prefix, each_ref_fn fn, void *cb_data)
+{
+	return do_for_each_ref(prefix, fn, strlen(prefix), 0, cb_data);
+}
+
 int for_each_tag_ref(each_ref_fn fn, void *cb_data)
 {
-	return do_for_each_ref("refs/tags/", fn, 10, 0, cb_data);
+	return for_each_ref_in("refs/tags/", fn, cb_data);
 }
 
 int for_each_branch_ref(each_ref_fn fn, void *cb_data)
 {
-	return do_for_each_ref("refs/heads/", fn, 11, 0, cb_data);
+	return for_each_ref_in("refs/heads/", fn, cb_data);
 }
 
 int for_each_remote_ref(each_ref_fn fn, void *cb_data)
 {
-	return do_for_each_ref("refs/remotes/", fn, 13, 0, cb_data);
+	return for_each_ref_in("refs/remotes/", fn, cb_data);
 }
 
 int for_each_rawref(each_ref_fn fn, void *cb_data)
diff --git a/refs.h b/refs.h
index 29bdcecd4ed..abb125754d7 100644
--- a/refs.h
+++ b/refs.h
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ struct ref_lock {
 typedef int each_ref_fn(const char *refname, const unsigned char *sha1, int flags, void *cb_data);
 extern int head_ref(each_ref_fn, void *);
 extern int for_each_ref(each_ref_fn, void *);
+extern int for_each_ref_in(const char *, each_ref_fn, void *);
 extern int for_each_tag_ref(each_ref_fn, void *);
 extern int for_each_branch_ref(each_ref_fn, void *);
 extern int for_each_remote_ref(each_ref_fn, void *);