diff --git a/cache.h b/cache.h
index 4cad61ffa4..4f16a57ba4 100644
--- a/cache.h
+++ b/cache.h
@@ -1557,21 +1557,25 @@ int parse_oid_hex_any(const char *hex, struct object_id *oid, const char **end);
  *
  * If the input was ok but there are not N branch switches in the
  * reflog, it returns 0.
- *
- * If "allowed" is non-zero, it is a treated as a bitfield of allowable
- * expansions: local branches ("refs/heads/"), remote branches
- * ("refs/remotes/"), or "HEAD". If no "allowed" bits are set, any expansion is
- * allowed, even ones to refs outside of those namespaces.
  */
 #define INTERPRET_BRANCH_LOCAL (1<<0)
 #define INTERPRET_BRANCH_REMOTE (1<<1)
 #define INTERPRET_BRANCH_HEAD (1<<2)
+struct interpret_branch_name_options {
+	/*
+	 * If "allowed" is non-zero, it is a treated as a bitfield of allowable
+	 * expansions: local branches ("refs/heads/"), remote branches
+	 * ("refs/remotes/"), or "HEAD". If no "allowed" bits are set, any expansion is
+	 * allowed, even ones to refs outside of those namespaces.
+	 */
+	unsigned allowed;
+};
 int repo_interpret_branch_name(struct repository *r,
 			       const char *str, int len,
 			       struct strbuf *buf,
-			       unsigned allowed);
-#define interpret_branch_name(str, len, buf, allowed) \
-	repo_interpret_branch_name(the_repository, str, len, buf, allowed)
+			       const struct interpret_branch_name_options *options);
+#define interpret_branch_name(str, len, buf, options) \
+	repo_interpret_branch_name(the_repository, str, len, buf, options)
 
 int validate_headref(const char *ref);
 
diff --git a/refs.c b/refs.c
index 3ee3afaf41..cf09cd039f 100644
--- a/refs.c
+++ b/refs.c
@@ -601,7 +601,8 @@ static char *substitute_branch_name(struct repository *r,
 				    const char **string, int *len)
 {
 	struct strbuf buf = STRBUF_INIT;
-	int ret = repo_interpret_branch_name(r, *string, *len, &buf, 0);
+	struct interpret_branch_name_options options = { 0 } ;
+	int ret = repo_interpret_branch_name(r, *string, *len, &buf, &options);
 
 	if (ret == *len) {
 		size_t size;
diff --git a/revision.c b/revision.c
index 96630e3186..1247ee4ec8 100644
--- a/revision.c
+++ b/revision.c
@@ -315,13 +315,14 @@ static void add_pending_object_with_path(struct rev_info *revs,
 					 const char *name, unsigned mode,
 					 const char *path)
 {
+	struct interpret_branch_name_options options = { 0 };
 	if (!obj)
 		return;
 	if (revs->no_walk && (obj->flags & UNINTERESTING))
 		revs->no_walk = 0;
 	if (revs->reflog_info && obj->type == OBJ_COMMIT) {
 		struct strbuf buf = STRBUF_INIT;
-		int len = interpret_branch_name(name, 0, &buf, 0);
+		int len = interpret_branch_name(name, 0, &buf, &options);
 
 		if (0 < len && name[len] && buf.len)
 			strbuf_addstr(&buf, name + len);
diff --git a/sha1-name.c b/sha1-name.c
index 0b8cb5247a..a7a9de66c4 100644
--- a/sha1-name.c
+++ b/sha1-name.c
@@ -1427,9 +1427,12 @@ static int reinterpret(struct repository *r,
 	struct strbuf tmp = STRBUF_INIT;
 	int used = buf->len;
 	int ret;
+	struct interpret_branch_name_options options = {
+		.allowed = allowed
+	};
 
 	strbuf_add(buf, name + len, namelen - len);
-	ret = repo_interpret_branch_name(r, buf->buf, buf->len, &tmp, allowed);
+	ret = repo_interpret_branch_name(r, buf->buf, buf->len, &tmp, &options);
 	/* that data was not interpreted, remove our cruft */
 	if (ret < 0) {
 		strbuf_setlen(buf, used);
@@ -1471,7 +1474,7 @@ static int interpret_branch_mark(struct repository *r,
 				 int (*get_mark)(const char *, int),
 				 const char *(*get_data)(struct branch *,
 							 struct strbuf *),
-				 unsigned allowed)
+				 const struct interpret_branch_name_options *options)
 {
 	int len;
 	struct branch *branch;
@@ -1496,7 +1499,7 @@ static int interpret_branch_mark(struct repository *r,
 	if (!value)
 		die("%s", err.buf);
 
-	if (!branch_interpret_allowed(value, allowed))
+	if (!branch_interpret_allowed(value, options->allowed))
 		return -1;
 
 	set_shortened_ref(r, buf, value);
@@ -1506,7 +1509,7 @@ static int interpret_branch_mark(struct repository *r,
 int repo_interpret_branch_name(struct repository *r,
 			       const char *name, int namelen,
 			       struct strbuf *buf,
-			       unsigned allowed)
+			       const struct interpret_branch_name_options *options)
 {
 	char *at;
 	const char *start;
@@ -1515,7 +1518,7 @@ int repo_interpret_branch_name(struct repository *r,
 	if (!namelen)
 		namelen = strlen(name);
 
-	if (!allowed || (allowed & INTERPRET_BRANCH_LOCAL)) {
+	if (!options->allowed || (options->allowed & INTERPRET_BRANCH_LOCAL)) {
 		len = interpret_nth_prior_checkout(r, name, namelen, buf);
 		if (!len) {
 			return len; /* syntax Ok, not enough switches */
@@ -1523,7 +1526,8 @@ int repo_interpret_branch_name(struct repository *r,
 			if (len == namelen)
 				return len; /* consumed all */
 			else
-				return reinterpret(r, name, namelen, len, buf, allowed);
+				return reinterpret(r, name, namelen, len, buf,
+						   options->allowed);
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -1531,22 +1535,22 @@ int repo_interpret_branch_name(struct repository *r,
 	     (at = memchr(start, '@', namelen - (start - name)));
 	     start = at + 1) {
 
-		if (!allowed || (allowed & INTERPRET_BRANCH_HEAD)) {
+		if (!options->allowed || (options->allowed & INTERPRET_BRANCH_HEAD)) {
 			len = interpret_empty_at(name, namelen, at - name, buf);
 			if (len > 0)
 				return reinterpret(r, name, namelen, len, buf,
-						   allowed);
+						   options->allowed);
 		}
 
 		len = interpret_branch_mark(r, name, namelen, at - name, buf,
 					    upstream_mark, branch_get_upstream,
-					    allowed);
+					    options);
 		if (len > 0)
 			return len;
 
 		len = interpret_branch_mark(r, name, namelen, at - name, buf,
 					    push_mark, branch_get_push,
-					    allowed);
+					    options);
 		if (len > 0)
 			return len;
 	}
@@ -1557,7 +1561,10 @@ int repo_interpret_branch_name(struct repository *r,
 void strbuf_branchname(struct strbuf *sb, const char *name, unsigned allowed)
 {
 	int len = strlen(name);
-	int used = interpret_branch_name(name, len, sb, allowed);
+	struct interpret_branch_name_options options = {
+		.allowed = allowed
+	};
+	int used = interpret_branch_name(name, len, sb, &options);
 
 	if (used < 0)
 		used = 0;
