diff --git a/include/git2/refspec.h b/include/git2/refspec.h
index ec7830b7c..3e1b502ef 100644
--- a/include/git2/refspec.h
+++ b/include/git2/refspec.h
@@ -35,6 +35,14 @@ GIT_EXTERN(const char *) git_refspec_src(const git_refspec *refspec);
  */
 GIT_EXTERN(const char *) git_refspec_dst(const git_refspec *refspec);
 
+/**
+ * Get the refspec's string
+ *
+ * @param refspec the refspec
+ * @returns the refspec's original string
+ */
+GIT_EXTERN(const char *) git_refspec_string(const git_refspec *refspec);
+
 /**
  * Get the force update setting
  *
diff --git a/src/refspec.c b/src/refspec.c
index 0ed02f48b..fbdea9d93 100644
--- a/src/refspec.c
+++ b/src/refspec.c
@@ -120,6 +120,9 @@ int git_refspec__parse(git_refspec *refspec, const char *input, bool is_fetch)
 		}
 	}
 
+	refspec->string = git__strdup(input);
+	GITERR_CHECK_ALLOC(refspec->string);
+
 	return 0;
 
  invalid:
@@ -133,6 +136,7 @@ void git_refspec__free(git_refspec *refspec)
 
 	git__free(refspec->src);
 	git__free(refspec->dst);
+	git__free(refspec->string);
 }
 
 const char *git_refspec_src(const git_refspec *refspec)
@@ -145,6 +149,11 @@ const char *git_refspec_dst(const git_refspec *refspec)
 	return refspec == NULL ? NULL : refspec->dst;
 }
 
+const char *git_refspec_string(const git_refspec *refspec)
+{
+	return refspec == NULL ? NULL : refspec->string;
+}
+
 int git_refspec_force(const git_refspec *refspec)
 {
 	assert(refspec);
diff --git a/src/refspec.h b/src/refspec.h
index 339d10eb2..29f4d5354 100644
--- a/src/refspec.h
+++ b/src/refspec.h
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 #include "buffer.h"
 
 struct git_refspec {
+	char *string;
 	char *src;
 	char *dst;
 	unsigned int force :1,
diff --git a/src/remote.c b/src/remote.c
index 8b7e66e53..ffce2b6e2 100644
--- a/src/remote.c
+++ b/src/remote.c
@@ -21,32 +21,24 @@
 
 static int add_refspec(git_remote *remote, const char *string, bool is_fetch)
 {
-	char *name_dup;
 	git_refspec *spec;
 
 	spec = git__calloc(1, sizeof(git_refspec));
 	GITERR_CHECK_ALLOC(spec);
 
-	name_dup = git__strdup(string);
-	if (!name_dup)
-		goto on_error;
-
-	if (git_refspec__parse(spec, string, is_fetch) < 0)
-		goto on_error;
+	if (git_refspec__parse(spec, string, is_fetch) < 0) {
+		git__free(spec);
+		return -1;
+	}
 
 	spec->push = !is_fetch;
-	if (git_vector_insert(&remote->refspec_strings, name_dup) < 0)
-		goto on_error;
-
-	if (git_vector_insert(&remote->refspecs, spec) < 0)
-		goto on_error;
+	if (git_vector_insert(&remote->refspecs, spec) < 0) {
+		git_refspec__free(spec);
+		git__free(spec);
+		return -1;
+	}
 
 	return 0;
-
-on_error:
-	git__free(spec);
-	git__free(name_dup);
-	return -1;
 }
 
 static int download_tags_value(git_remote *remote, git_config *cfg)
@@ -245,8 +237,7 @@ int git_remote_load(git_remote **out, git_repository *repo, const char *name)
 	GITERR_CHECK_ALLOC(remote->name);
 
 	if ((git_vector_init(&remote->refs, 32, NULL) < 0) ||
-	    (git_vector_init(&remote->refspecs, 2, NULL)) ||
-	    (git_vector_init(&remote->refspec_strings, 2, NULL))) {
+	    (git_vector_init(&remote->refspecs, 2, NULL))) {
 		error = -1;
 		goto cleanup;
 	}
@@ -360,15 +351,13 @@ static int update_config_refspec(const git_remote *remote, git_config *config, i
 	if (error != GIT_ENOTFOUND)
 		return error;
 
-	for (i = 0; i < remote->refspec_strings.length; i++) {
+	for (i = 0; i < remote->refspecs.length; i++) {
 		git_refspec *spec = git_vector_get(&remote->refspecs, i);
-		const char *str = git_vector_get(&remote->refspec_strings, i);
-		assert(spec && str);
 
 		if (spec->push != push)
 			continue;
 
-		if ((error = git_config_set_multivar(config, git_buf_cstr(&name), "", str)) < 0) {
+		if ((error = git_config_set_multivar(config, git_buf_cstr(&name), "", spec->string)) < 0) {
 			goto cleanup;
 		}
 	}
@@ -947,7 +936,6 @@ void git_remote_disconnect(git_remote *remote)
 void git_remote_free(git_remote *remote)
 {
 	git_refspec *spec;
-	char *str;
 	size_t i;
 
 	if (remote == NULL)
@@ -968,10 +956,6 @@ void git_remote_free(git_remote *remote)
 	}
 	git_vector_free(&remote->refspecs);
 
-	git_vector_foreach(&remote->refspec_strings, i, str)
-		git__free(str);
-	git_vector_free(&remote->refspec_strings);
-
 	git__free(remote->url);
 	git__free(remote->pushurl);
 	git__free(remote->name);
@@ -1263,23 +1247,20 @@ static int rename_fetch_refspecs(
 {
 	git_config *config;
 	git_buf base = GIT_BUF_INIT, var = GIT_BUF_INIT, val = GIT_BUF_INIT;
-	const char *refspec;
+	const git_refspec *spec;
 	size_t i;
 	int error = -1;
 
 	if (git_buf_printf(&base, "+refs/heads/*:refs/remotes/%s/*", remote->name) < 0)
 		goto cleanup;
 
-	git_vector_foreach(&remote->refspec_strings, i, refspec) {
-		git_refspec *spec = git_vector_get(&remote->refspecs, i);
-		assert(spec);
-
+	git_vector_foreach(&remote->refspecs, i, spec) {
 		if (spec->push)
 			continue;
 
 		/* Every refspec is a problem refspec for an in-memory remote */
 		if (!remote->name) {
-			if (callback(refspec, payload) < 0) {
+			if (callback(spec->string, payload) < 0) {
 				error = GIT_EUSER;
 				goto cleanup;
 			}
@@ -1288,8 +1269,8 @@ static int rename_fetch_refspecs(
 		}
 
 		/* Does the dst part of the refspec follow the extected standard format? */
-		if (strcmp(git_buf_cstr(&base), refspec)) {
-			if (callback(refspec, payload) < 0) {
+		if (strcmp(git_buf_cstr(&base), spec->string)) {
+			if (callback(spec->string, payload) < 0) {
 				error = GIT_EUSER;
 				goto cleanup;
 			}
@@ -1453,18 +1434,13 @@ git_refspec *git_remote__matching_dst_refspec(git_remote *remote, const char *re
 void git_remote_clear_refspecs(git_remote *remote)
 {
 	git_refspec *spec;
-	char *str;
 	size_t i;
 
 	git_vector_foreach(&remote->refspecs, i, spec) {
 		git_refspec__free(spec);
+		git__free(spec);
 	}
 	git_vector_clear(&remote->refspecs);
-
-	git_vector_foreach(&remote->refspec_strings, i, str) {
-		git__free(str);
-	}
-	git_vector_clear(&remote->refspec_strings);
 }
 
 int git_remote_add_fetch(git_remote *remote, const char *refspec)
@@ -1491,10 +1467,8 @@ static int copy_refspecs(git_strarray *array, git_remote *remote, int push)
 		if (spec->push != push)
 			continue;
 
-		dup = git__strdup(git_vector_get(&remote->refspec_strings, i));
-		if (!dup) {
+		if ((dup = git__strdup(spec->string)) == NULL)
 			goto on_error;
-		}
 
 		if (git_vector_insert(&refspecs, dup) < 0) {
 			git__free(dup);
diff --git a/src/remote.h b/src/remote.h
index b1f33f0e7..c9c26b77d 100644
--- a/src/remote.h
+++ b/src/remote.h
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ struct git_remote {
 	char *pushurl;
 	git_vector refs;
 	git_vector refspecs;
-	git_vector refspec_strings;
 	git_cred_acquire_cb cred_acquire_cb;
 	void *cred_acquire_payload;
 	git_transport *transport;
diff --git a/tests-clar/network/remote/remotes.c b/tests-clar/network/remote/remotes.c
index 7b6e6aa85..908e17d96 100644
--- a/tests-clar/network/remote/remotes.c
+++ b/tests-clar/network/remote/remotes.c
@@ -114,17 +114,17 @@ void test_network_remote_remotes__add_fetchspec(void)
 	size_t size;
 
 	size = _remote->refspecs.length;
-	cl_assert_equal_i(size, _remote->refspec_strings.length);
+	cl_assert_equal_i(size, _remote->refspecs.length);
 
 	cl_git_pass(git_remote_add_fetch(_remote, "refs/*:refs/*"));
 
 	size++;
-	cl_assert_equal_i(size, _remote->refspec_strings.length);
 	cl_assert_equal_i(size, _remote->refspecs.length);
 
 	_refspec = git_vector_get(&_remote->refspecs, size-1);
 	cl_assert_equal_s(git_refspec_src(_refspec), "refs/*");
 	cl_assert_equal_s(git_refspec_dst(_refspec), "refs/*");
+	cl_assert_equal_s(git_refspec_string(_refspec), "refs/*:refs/*");
 	cl_assert_equal_i(_refspec->push, false);
 }
 
@@ -136,12 +136,12 @@ void test_network_remote_remotes__add_pushspec(void)
 
 	cl_git_pass(git_remote_add_push(_remote, "refs/*:refs/*"));
 	size++;
-	cl_assert_equal_i(size, _remote->refspec_strings.length);
 	cl_assert_equal_i(size, _remote->refspecs.length);
 
 	_refspec = git_vector_get(&_remote->refspecs, size-1);
 	cl_assert_equal_s(git_refspec_src(_refspec), "refs/*");
 	cl_assert_equal_s(git_refspec_dst(_refspec), "refs/*");
+	cl_assert_equal_s(git_refspec_string(_refspec), "refs/*:refs/*");
 
 	cl_assert_equal_i(_refspec->push, true);
 }