diff --git a/src/object.c b/src/object.c
index 53666ffe4..3fc984b45 100644
--- a/src/object.c
+++ b/src/object.c
@@ -374,27 +374,26 @@ int git_object_lookup_bypath(
 	int error = -1;
 	git_tree *tree = NULL;
 	git_tree_entry *entry = NULL;
-	git_object *tmpobj = NULL;
 
 	assert(out && treeish && path);
 
-	if (((error = git_object_peel((git_object**)&tree, treeish, GIT_OBJ_TREE)) < 0) ||
-		 ((error = git_tree_entry_bypath(&entry, tree, path)) < 0) ||
-		 ((error = git_tree_entry_to_object(&tmpobj, git_object_owner(treeish), entry)) < 0))
+	if ((error = git_object_peel((git_object**)&tree, treeish, GIT_OBJ_TREE) < 0) ||
+		 (error = git_tree_entry_bypath(&entry, tree, path)) < 0)
 	{
 		goto cleanup;
 	}
 
-	if (type == GIT_OBJ_ANY || git_object_type(tmpobj) == type) {
-		*out = tmpobj;
-	} else {
+	if (type != GIT_OBJ_ANY && git_tree_entry_type(entry) != type)
+	{
 		giterr_set(GITERR_OBJECT,
 				"object at path '%s' is not of the asked-for type %d",
 				path, type);
 		error = GIT_EINVALIDSPEC;
-		git_object_free(tmpobj);
+		goto cleanup;
 	}
 
+	error = git_tree_entry_to_object(out, git_object_owner(treeish), entry);
+
 cleanup:
 	git_tree_entry_free(entry);
 	git_tree_free(tree);