diff --git a/tests-clar/refs/branches/tracking.c b/tests-clar/refs/branches/tracking.c
index 9378ecad5..10a4fe38e 100644
--- a/tests-clar/refs/branches/tracking.c
+++ b/tests-clar/refs/branches/tracking.c
@@ -2,17 +2,19 @@
 #include "refs.h"
 
 static git_repository *repo;
-static git_reference *branch;
+static git_reference *branch, *tracking;
 
 void test_refs_branches_tracking__initialize(void)
 {
 	cl_git_pass(git_repository_open(&repo, cl_fixture("testrepo.git")));
 
 	branch = NULL;
+	tracking = NULL;
 }
 
 void test_refs_branches_tracking__cleanup(void)
 {
+	git_reference_free(tracking);
 	git_reference_free(branch);
 	branch = NULL;
 
@@ -22,61 +24,39 @@ void test_refs_branches_tracking__cleanup(void)
 
 void test_refs_branches_tracking__can_retrieve_the_remote_tracking_reference_of_a_local_branch(void)
 {
-	git_reference *branch, *tracking;
-
 	cl_git_pass(git_reference_lookup(&branch, repo, "refs/heads/master"));
 
 	cl_git_pass(git_branch_tracking(&tracking, branch));
 
 	cl_assert_equal_s("refs/remotes/test/master", git_reference_name(tracking));
-
-	git_reference_free(branch);
-	git_reference_free(tracking);
 }
 
 void test_refs_branches_tracking__can_retrieve_the_local_tracking_reference_of_a_local_branch(void)
 {
-	git_reference *branch, *tracking;
-
 	cl_git_pass(git_reference_lookup(&branch, repo, "refs/heads/track-local"));
 
 	cl_git_pass(git_branch_tracking(&tracking, branch));
 
 	cl_assert_equal_s("refs/heads/master", git_reference_name(tracking));
-
-	git_reference_free(branch);
-	git_reference_free(tracking);
 }
 
 void test_refs_branches_tracking__cannot_retrieve_a_remote_tracking_reference_from_a_non_branch(void)
 {
-	git_reference *branch, *tracking;
-
 	cl_git_pass(git_reference_lookup(&branch, repo, "refs/tags/e90810b"));
 
 	cl_git_fail(git_branch_tracking(&tracking, branch));
-
-	git_reference_free(branch);
 }
 
 void test_refs_branches_tracking__trying_to_retrieve_a_remote_tracking_reference_from_a_plain_local_branch_returns_GIT_ENOTFOUND(void)
 {
-	git_reference *branch, *tracking;
-
 	cl_git_pass(git_reference_lookup(&branch, repo, "refs/heads/subtrees"));
 
 	cl_assert_equal_i(GIT_ENOTFOUND, git_branch_tracking(&tracking, branch));
-
-	git_reference_free(branch);
 }
 
 void test_refs_branches_tracking__trying_to_retrieve_a_remote_tracking_reference_from_a_branch_with_no_fetchspec_returns_GIT_ENOTFOUND(void)
 {
-	git_reference *branch, *tracking;
-
 	cl_git_pass(git_reference_lookup(&branch, repo, "refs/heads/cannot-fetch"));
 
 	cl_assert_equal_i(GIT_ENOTFOUND, git_branch_tracking(&tracking, branch));
-
-	git_reference_free(branch);
 }