diff --git a/include/git2/refspec.h b/include/git2/refspec.h
index 9e84aad99..1100e9022 100644
--- a/include/git2/refspec.h
+++ b/include/git2/refspec.h
@@ -19,14 +19,6 @@
  */
 GIT_BEGIN_DECL
 
-/**
- * Parse a refspec string and create a refspec object
- *
- * @param refspec pointer to the refspec structure to be used
- * @param str the refspec as a string
- */
-GIT_EXTERN(int) git_refspec_parse(git_refspec *refspec, const char *str);
-
 /**
  * Get the source specifier
  *
diff --git a/src/refspec.c b/src/refspec.c
index 1265c566c..cd3a528bd 100644
--- a/src/refspec.c
+++ b/src/refspec.c
@@ -125,35 +125,10 @@ int git_refspec__parse(git_refspec *refspec, const char *input, bool is_fetch)
 	return -1;
 }
 
-int git_refspec_parse(git_refspec *refspec, const char *str)
+void git_refspec__free(git_refspec *refspec)
 {
-	char *delim;
-
-	memset(refspec, 0x0, sizeof(git_refspec));
-
-	if (*str == '+') {
-		refspec->force = 1;
-		str++;
-	}
-
-	delim = strchr(str, ':');
-	if (delim == NULL) {
-		refspec->src = git__strdup(str);
-		GITERR_CHECK_ALLOC(refspec->src);
-		return 0;
-	}
-
-	refspec->src = git__strndup(str, delim - str);
-	GITERR_CHECK_ALLOC(refspec->src);
-
-	refspec->dst = git__strdup(delim + 1);
-	if (refspec->dst == NULL) {
-		git__free(refspec->src);
-		refspec->src = NULL;
-		return -1;
-	}
-
-	return 0;
+	git__free(refspec->src);
+	git__free(refspec->dst);
 }
 
 const char *git_refspec_src(const git_refspec *refspec)
diff --git a/src/refspec.h b/src/refspec.h
index 2f46b3e59..83078151b 100644
--- a/src/refspec.h
+++ b/src/refspec.h
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ int git_refspec__parse(
 	const char *str,
 	bool is_fetch);
 
+void git_refspec__free(git_refspec *refspec);
+
 /**
  * Transform a reference to its target following the refspec's rules,
  * and writes the results into a git_buf.
diff --git a/src/remote.c b/src/remote.c
index 7bc631d45..0ae47c364 100644
--- a/src/remote.c
+++ b/src/remote.c
@@ -536,10 +536,8 @@ void git_remote_free(git_remote *remote)
 
 	git_vector_free(&remote->refs);
 
-	git__free(remote->fetch.src);
-	git__free(remote->fetch.dst);
-	git__free(remote->push.src);
-	git__free(remote->push.dst);
+	git_refspec__free(&remote->fetch);
+	git_refspec__free(&remote->push);
 	git__free(remote->url);
 	git__free(remote->pushurl);
 	git__free(remote->name);
diff --git a/tests-clar/network/refspecs.c b/tests-clar/network/refspecs.c
index bfe0af48c..3b1281722 100644
--- a/tests-clar/network/refspecs.c
+++ b/tests-clar/network/refspecs.c
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ static void assert_refspec(unsigned int direction, const char *input, bool is_ex
 	int error;
 
 	error = git_refspec__parse(&refspec, input, direction == GIT_DIR_FETCH);
+	git_refspec__free(&refspec);
 
 	if (is_expected_to_be_valid)
 		cl_assert_equal_i(0, error);