diff --git a/grep.c b/grep.c
index 14fe8a0fd2..6f8bc95703 100644
--- a/grep.c
+++ b/grep.c
@@ -944,10 +944,10 @@ static struct {
 	{ "reflog ", 7 },
 };
 
-static int match_one_pattern(struct grep_pat *p,
-			     const char *bol, const char *eol,
-			     enum grep_context ctx,
-			     regmatch_t *pmatch, int eflags)
+static int headerless_match_one_pattern(struct grep_pat *p,
+					const char *bol, const char *eol,
+					enum grep_context ctx,
+					regmatch_t *pmatch, int eflags)
 {
 	int hit = 0;
 	const char *start = bol;
@@ -956,25 +956,6 @@ static int match_one_pattern(struct grep_pat *p,
 	    ((p->token == GREP_PATTERN_HEAD) != (ctx == GREP_CONTEXT_HEAD)))
 		return 0;
 
-	if (p->token == GREP_PATTERN_HEAD) {
-		const char *field;
-		size_t len;
-		assert(p->field < ARRAY_SIZE(header_field));
-		field = header_field[p->field].field;
-		len = header_field[p->field].len;
-		if (strncmp(bol, field, len))
-			return 0;
-		bol += len;
-		switch (p->field) {
-		case GREP_HEADER_AUTHOR:
-		case GREP_HEADER_COMMITTER:
-			strip_timestamp(bol, &eol);
-			break;
-		default:
-			break;
-		}
-	}
-
  again:
 	hit = patmatch(p, bol, eol, pmatch, eflags);
 
@@ -1025,6 +1006,36 @@ static int match_one_pattern(struct grep_pat *p,
 	return hit;
 }
 
+static int match_one_pattern(struct grep_pat *p,
+			     const char *bol, const char *eol,
+			     enum grep_context ctx, regmatch_t *pmatch,
+			     int eflags)
+{
+	const char *field;
+	size_t len;
+
+	if (p->token == GREP_PATTERN_HEAD) {
+		assert(p->field < ARRAY_SIZE(header_field));
+		field = header_field[p->field].field;
+		len = header_field[p->field].len;
+		if (strncmp(bol, field, len))
+			return 0;
+		bol += len;
+
+		switch (p->field) {
+		case GREP_HEADER_AUTHOR:
+		case GREP_HEADER_COMMITTER:
+			strip_timestamp(bol, &eol);
+			break;
+		default:
+			break;
+		}
+	}
+
+	return headerless_match_one_pattern(p, bol, eol, ctx, pmatch, eflags);
+}
+
+
 static int match_expr_eval(struct grep_opt *opt, struct grep_expr *x,
 			   const char *bol, const char *eol,
 			   enum grep_context ctx, ssize_t *col,
@@ -1143,7 +1154,7 @@ static int match_next_pattern(struct grep_pat *p,
 {
 	regmatch_t match;
 
-	if (!match_one_pattern(p, bol, eol, ctx, &match, eflags))
+	if (!headerless_match_one_pattern(p, bol, eol, ctx, &match, eflags))
 		return 0;
 	if (match.rm_so < 0 || match.rm_eo < 0)
 		return 0;
@@ -1158,19 +1169,25 @@ static int match_next_pattern(struct grep_pat *p,
 	return 1;
 }
 
-static int next_match(struct grep_opt *opt,
-		      const char *bol, const char *eol,
-		      enum grep_context ctx, regmatch_t *pmatch, int eflags)
+int grep_next_match(struct grep_opt *opt,
+		    const char *bol, const char *eol,
+		    enum grep_context ctx, regmatch_t *pmatch,
+		    enum grep_header_field field, int eflags)
 {
 	struct grep_pat *p;
 	int hit = 0;
 
 	pmatch->rm_so = pmatch->rm_eo = -1;
 	if (bol < eol) {
-		for (p = opt->pattern_list; p; p = p->next) {
+		for (p = ((ctx == GREP_CONTEXT_HEAD)
+			   ? opt->header_list : opt->pattern_list);
+			  p; p = p->next) {
 			switch (p->token) {
-			case GREP_PATTERN: /* atom */
 			case GREP_PATTERN_HEAD:
+				if ((field != GREP_HEADER_FIELD_MAX) &&
+				    (p->field != field))
+					continue;
+			case GREP_PATTERN: /* atom */
 			case GREP_PATTERN_BODY:
 				hit |= match_next_pattern(p, bol, eol, ctx,
 							  pmatch, eflags);
@@ -1261,7 +1278,8 @@ static void show_line(struct grep_opt *opt,
 			else if (sign == '=')
 				line_color = opt->colors[GREP_COLOR_FUNCTION];
 		}
-		while (next_match(opt, bol, eol, ctx, &match, eflags)) {
+		while (grep_next_match(opt, bol, eol, ctx, &match,
+				       GREP_HEADER_FIELD_MAX, eflags)) {
 			if (match.rm_so == match.rm_eo)
 				break;
 
diff --git a/grep.h b/grep.h
index 3cb8a83ae8..808ad76f0c 100644
--- a/grep.h
+++ b/grep.h
@@ -191,6 +191,15 @@ void compile_grep_patterns(struct grep_opt *opt);
 void free_grep_patterns(struct grep_opt *opt);
 int grep_buffer(struct grep_opt *opt, const char *buf, unsigned long size);
 
+/* The field parameter is only used to filter header patterns
+ * (where appropriate). If filtering isn't desirable
+ * GREP_HEADER_FIELD_MAX should be supplied.
+ */
+int grep_next_match(struct grep_opt *opt,
+		    const char *bol, const char *eol,
+		    enum grep_context ctx, regmatch_t *pmatch,
+		    enum grep_header_field field, int eflags);
+
 struct grep_source {
 	char *name;
 
