diff --git a/include/git2/index.h b/include/git2/index.h
index 4d33f13d2..05e58a632 100644
--- a/include/git2/index.h
+++ b/include/git2/index.h
@@ -575,8 +575,7 @@ GIT_EXTERN(int) git_index_update_all(
  * @param at_pos the address to which the position of the index entry is written (optional)
  * @param index an existing index object
  * @param path path to search
- * @return a zero-based position in the index if found;
- * GIT_ENOTFOUND otherwise
+ * @return a zero-based position in the index if found; GIT_ENOTFOUND otherwise
  */
 GIT_EXTERN(int) git_index_find(size_t *at_pos, git_index *index, const char *path);
 
@@ -620,6 +619,7 @@ GIT_EXTERN(int) git_index_conflict_add(
  * @param their_out Pointer to store the their entry
  * @param index an existing index object
  * @param path path to search
+ * @return 0 or an error code
  */
 GIT_EXTERN(int) git_index_conflict_get(
 	const git_index_entry **ancestor_out,
@@ -632,16 +632,18 @@ GIT_EXTERN(int) git_index_conflict_get(
  * Removes the index entries that represent a conflict of a single file.
  *
  * @param index an existing index object
- * @param path to search
+ * @param path path to remove conflicts for
+ * @return 0 or an error code
  */
 GIT_EXTERN(int) git_index_conflict_remove(git_index *index, const char *path);
 
 /**
- * Remove all conflicts in the index (entries with a stage greater than 0.)
+ * Remove all conflicts in the index (entries with a stage greater than 0).
  *
  * @param index an existing index object
+ * @return 0 or an error code
  */
-GIT_EXTERN(void) git_index_conflict_cleanup(git_index *index);
+GIT_EXTERN(int) git_index_conflict_cleanup(git_index *index);
 
 /**
  * Determine if the index contains entries representing file conflicts.
@@ -651,9 +653,12 @@ GIT_EXTERN(void) git_index_conflict_cleanup(git_index *index);
 GIT_EXTERN(int) git_index_has_conflicts(const git_index *index);
 
 /**
- * Create an iterator for the conflicts in the index.  You may not modify the
- * index while iterating, the results are undefined.
+ * Create an iterator for the conflicts in the index.
  *
+ * The index must not be modified while iterating; the results are undefined.
+ *
+ * @param iterator_out The newly created conflict iterator
+ * @param index The index to scan
  * @return 0 or an error code
  */
 GIT_EXTERN(int) git_index_conflict_iterator_new(
diff --git a/src/index.c b/src/index.c
index 10fb1fea7..27a557cfb 100644
--- a/src/index.c
+++ b/src/index.c
@@ -1317,15 +1317,13 @@ int git_index_conflict_get(
 	return 0;
 }
 
-int git_index_conflict_remove(git_index *index, const char *path)
+static int index_conflict_remove(git_index *index, const char *path)
 {
-	size_t pos;
+	size_t pos = 0;
 	git_index_entry *conflict_entry;
 	int error = 0;
 
-	assert(index && path);
-
-	if (git_index_find(&pos, index, path) < 0)
+	if (path != NULL && git_index_find(&pos, index, path) < 0)
 		return GIT_ENOTFOUND;
 
 	if (git_mutex_lock(&index->lock) < 0) {
@@ -1335,7 +1333,8 @@ int git_index_conflict_remove(git_index *index, const char *path)
 
 	while ((conflict_entry = git_vector_get(&index->entries, pos)) != NULL) {
 
-		if (index->entries_cmp_path(conflict_entry->path, path) != 0)
+		if (path != NULL &&
+			index->entries_cmp_path(conflict_entry->path, path) != 0)
 			break;
 
 		if (GIT_IDXENTRY_STAGE(conflict_entry) == 0) {
@@ -1352,27 +1351,16 @@ int git_index_conflict_remove(git_index *index, const char *path)
 	return error;
 }
 
-static int index_conflicts_match(const git_vector *v, size_t idx, void *p)
+int git_index_conflict_remove(git_index *index, const char *path)
 {
-	git_index *index = p;
-	git_index_entry *entry = git_vector_get(v, idx);
-
-	if (GIT_IDXENTRY_STAGE(entry) > 0 &&
-		!index_remove_entry(index, idx))
-		return 1;
-
-	return 0;
+	assert(index && path);
+	return index_conflict_remove(index, path);
 }
 
-void git_index_conflict_cleanup(git_index *index)
+int git_index_conflict_cleanup(git_index *index)
 {
 	assert(index);
-
-	if (git_mutex_lock(&index->lock) < 0)
-		return;
-	git_vector_remove_matching(&index->entries, index_conflicts_match, index);
-	index_free_deleted(index);
-	git_mutex_unlock(&index->lock);
+	return index_conflict_remove(index, NULL);
 }
 
 int git_index_has_conflicts(const git_index *index)