diff --git a/examples/network/ls-remote.c b/examples/network/ls-remote.c
index 252011828..e837654a1 100644
--- a/examples/network/ls-remote.c
+++ b/examples/network/ls-remote.c
@@ -14,31 +14,6 @@ static int show_ref__cb(git_remote_head *head, void *payload)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int use_unnamed(git_repository *repo, const char *url)
-{
-	git_remote *remote = NULL;
-	int error;
-
-	// Create an instance of a remote from the URL. The transport to use
-	// is detected from the URL
-	error = git_remote_create_inmemory(&remote, repo, NULL, url);
-	if (error < 0)
-		goto cleanup;
-
-	// When connecting, the underlying code needs to know wether we
-	// want to push or fetch
-	error = git_remote_connect(remote, GIT_DIRECTION_FETCH);
-	if (error < 0)
-		goto cleanup;
-
-	// With git_remote_ls we can retrieve the advertised heads
-	error = git_remote_ls(remote, &show_ref__cb, NULL);
-
-cleanup:
-	git_remote_free(remote);
-	return error;
-}
-
 static int use_remote(git_repository *repo, char *name)
 {
 	git_remote *remote = NULL;
@@ -46,8 +21,12 @@ static int use_remote(git_repository *repo, char *name)
 
 	// Find the remote by name
 	error = git_remote_load(&remote, repo, name);
-	if (error < 0)
-		goto cleanup;
+	if (error < 0) {
+		error = git_remote_create_inmemory(&remote, repo, NULL, name);
+		if (error < 0)
+			goto cleanup;
+	}
+
 
 	error = git_remote_connect(remote, GIT_DIRECTION_FETCH);
 	if (error < 0)
@@ -72,12 +51,7 @@ int ls_remote(git_repository *repo, int argc, char **argv)
 		return EXIT_FAILURE;
 	}
 
-	/* If there's a ':' in the name, assume it's an URL */
-	if (strchr(argv[1], ':') != NULL) {
-		error = use_unnamed(repo, argv[1]);
-	} else {
-		error = use_remote(repo, argv[1]);
-	}
+	error = use_remote(repo, argv[1]);
 
 	return error;
 }