diff --git a/list-objects.c b/list-objects.c
index 3595ee7a22c..fad6808aad8 100644
--- a/list-objects.c
+++ b/list-objects.c
@@ -228,11 +228,6 @@ void traverse_commit_list(struct rev_info *revs,
 		die("unknown pending object %s (%s)",
 		    sha1_to_hex(obj->sha1), name);
 	}
-	if (revs->pending.nr) {
-		free(revs->pending.objects);
-		revs->pending.nr = 0;
-		revs->pending.alloc = 0;
-		revs->pending.objects = NULL;
-	}
+	object_array_clear(&revs->pending);
 	strbuf_release(&base);
 }
diff --git a/object.c b/object.c
index 60f48646328..6aeb1bbbe35 100644
--- a/object.c
+++ b/object.c
@@ -383,6 +383,16 @@ void object_array_filter(struct object_array *array,
 	array->nr = dst;
 }
 
+void object_array_clear(struct object_array *array)
+{
+	int i;
+	for (i = 0; i < array->nr; i++)
+		object_array_release_entry(&array->objects[i]);
+	free(array->objects);
+	array->objects = NULL;
+	array->nr = array->alloc = 0;
+}
+
 /*
  * Return true iff array already contains an entry with name.
  */
diff --git a/object.h b/object.h
index e028ced74c6..2a755a23734 100644
--- a/object.h
+++ b/object.h
@@ -133,6 +133,12 @@ void object_array_filter(struct object_array *array,
  */
 void object_array_remove_duplicates(struct object_array *array);
 
+/*
+ * Remove any objects from the array, freeing all used memory; afterwards
+ * the array is ready to store more objects with add_object_array().
+ */
+void object_array_clear(struct object_array *array);
+
 void clear_object_flags(unsigned flags);
 
 #endif /* OBJECT_H */