diff --git a/builtin/branch.c b/builtin/branch.c
index b23b1d1752a..e361f8cc661 100644
--- a/builtin/branch.c
+++ b/builtin/branch.c
@@ -459,6 +459,7 @@ static void print_ref_list(struct ref_filter *filter, struct ref_sorting *sortin
 	strbuf_release(&err);
 	strbuf_release(&out);
 	ref_array_clear(&array);
+	clear_parsed_atom_list(&format->parsed_atom_head);
 	free(to_free);
 }
 
@@ -678,6 +679,7 @@ int cmd_branch(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	memset(&filter, 0, sizeof(filter));
 	filter.kind = FILTER_REFS_BRANCHES;
 	filter.abbrev = -1;
+	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&format.parsed_atom_head);
 
 	if (argc == 2 && !strcmp(argv[1], "-h"))
 		usage_with_options(builtin_branch_usage, options);
diff --git a/builtin/for-each-ref.c b/builtin/for-each-ref.c
index 89cb6307d46..6e22d80d5b5 100644
--- a/builtin/for-each-ref.c
+++ b/builtin/for-each-ref.c
@@ -53,8 +53,8 @@ int cmd_for_each_ref(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 
 	memset(&array, 0, sizeof(array));
 	memset(&filter, 0, sizeof(filter));
-
 	format.format = "%(objectname) %(objecttype)\t%(refname)";
+	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&format.parsed_atom_head);
 
 	git_config(git_default_config, NULL);
 
@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@ int cmd_for_each_ref(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	ref_array_clear(&array);
 	free_commit_list(filter.with_commit);
 	free_commit_list(filter.no_commit);
+	clear_parsed_atom_list(&format.parsed_atom_head);
 	UNLEAK(sorting);
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/builtin/tag.c b/builtin/tag.c
index 452558ec957..549339cbbe4 100644
--- a/builtin/tag.c
+++ b/builtin/tag.c
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ static int list_tags(struct ref_filter *filter, struct ref_sorting *sorting,
 	strbuf_release(&output);
 	ref_array_clear(&array);
 	free(to_free);
+	clear_parsed_atom_list(&format->parsed_atom_head);
 
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -493,6 +494,7 @@ int cmd_tag(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	memset(&filter, 0, sizeof(filter));
 	filter.lines = -1;
 	opt.sign = -1;
+	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&format.parsed_atom_head);
 
 	argc = parse_options(argc, argv, prefix, options, git_tag_usage, 0);
 
diff --git a/builtin/verify-tag.c b/builtin/verify-tag.c
index f45136a06ba..8b0a2b2587c 100644
--- a/builtin/verify-tag.c
+++ b/builtin/verify-tag.c
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ int cmd_verify_tag(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		OPT_END()
 	};
 
+	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&format.parsed_atom_head);
 	git_config(git_verify_tag_config, NULL);
 
 	argc = parse_options(argc, argv, prefix, verify_tag_options,
@@ -73,5 +74,6 @@ int cmd_verify_tag(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		if (format.format)
 			pretty_print_ref(name, &oid, &format);
 	}
+	clear_parsed_atom_list(&format.parsed_atom_head);
 	return had_error;
 }
diff --git a/ref-filter.c b/ref-filter.c
index 65ba00633dc..76a31fb79b1 100644
--- a/ref-filter.c
+++ b/ref-filter.c
@@ -1035,6 +1035,7 @@ int verify_ref_format(struct ref_format *format)
 	for (cp = format->format; *cp && (sp = find_next(cp)); ) {
 		struct strbuf err = STRBUF_INIT;
 		const char *color, *ep = strchr(sp, ')');
+		struct parsed_atom_list *e;
 		int at;
 
 		if (!ep)
@@ -1043,6 +1044,12 @@ int verify_ref_format(struct ref_format *format)
 		at = parse_ref_filter_atom(format, sp + 2, ep, &err);
 		if (at < 0)
 			die("%s", err.buf);
+		e = xmalloc(sizeof(*e));
+		e->beg = sp + 2;
+		e->end = ep;
+		e->at = at;
+		list_add_tail(&e->list, &format->parsed_atom_head);
+
 		if (need_parse_buffer(used_atom[at].atom_type))
 			format->can_skip_parse_buffer = 0;
 		if (reject_atom(used_atom[at].atom_type))
@@ -2615,25 +2622,31 @@ int format_ref_array_item(struct ref_array_item *info,
 			  struct strbuf *final_buf,
 			  struct strbuf *error_buf)
 {
-	const char *cp, *sp, *ep;
+	const char *cp, *sp;
+	struct list_head *item;
 	struct ref_formatting_state state = REF_FORMATTING_STATE_INIT;
 
 	state.quote_style = format->quote_style;
 	push_stack_element(&state.stack);
 	info->can_skip_parse_buffer = format->can_skip_parse_buffer;
-	for (cp = format->format; *cp && (sp = find_next(cp)); cp = ep + 1) {
+
+	cp = format->format;
+
+	list_for_each(item, &format->parsed_atom_head) {
 		struct atom_value *atomv;
-		int pos;
+		struct parsed_atom_list *e =
+			list_entry(item, struct parsed_atom_list, list);
 
-		ep = strchr(sp, ')');
-		if (cp < sp)
-			append_literal(cp, sp, &state);
-		pos = parse_ref_filter_atom(format, sp + 2, ep, error_buf);
-		if (pos < 0 || get_ref_atom_value(info, pos, &atomv, error_buf) ||
+		if (cp < e->beg - 2)
+			append_literal(cp, e->beg - 2, &state);
+		if (get_ref_atom_value(info, e->at, &atomv, error_buf) ||
 		    atomv->handler(atomv, &state, error_buf)) {
 			pop_stack_element(&state.stack);
 			return -1;
 		}
+		cp = e->end + 1;
+		if (!*cp)
+			break;
 	}
 	if (*cp) {
 		sp = cp + strlen(cp);
@@ -2681,10 +2694,12 @@ static int parse_sorting_atom(const char *atom)
 	 * This parses an atom using a dummy ref_format, since we don't
 	 * actually care about the formatting details.
 	 */
+	int res;
 	struct ref_format dummy = REF_FORMAT_INIT;
 	const char *end = atom + strlen(atom);
 	struct strbuf err = STRBUF_INIT;
-	int res = parse_ref_filter_atom(&dummy, atom, end, &err);
+
+	res = parse_ref_filter_atom(&dummy, atom, end, &err);
 	if (res < 0)
 		die("%s", err.buf);
 	strbuf_release(&err);
@@ -2757,3 +2772,15 @@ int parse_opt_merge_filter(const struct option *opt, const char *arg, int unset)
 
 	return 0;
 }
+
+void clear_parsed_atom_list(struct list_head *parsed_atom_head)
+{
+	struct list_head *pos, *tmp;
+	struct parsed_atom_list *item;
+
+	list_for_each_safe(pos, tmp, parsed_atom_head) {
+		item = list_entry(pos, struct parsed_atom_list, list);
+		list_del(pos);
+		free(item);
+	}
+}
diff --git a/ref-filter.h b/ref-filter.h
index 5bceae1dac9..df54836a643 100644
--- a/ref-filter.h
+++ b/ref-filter.h
@@ -72,6 +72,13 @@ struct ref_filter {
 		verbose;
 };
 
+struct parsed_atom_list {
+	const char *beg;
+	const char *end;
+	int at;
+	struct list_head list;
+};
+
 struct ref_format {
 	/*
 	 * Set these to define the format; make sure you call
@@ -85,6 +92,7 @@ struct ref_format {
 	int can_skip_parse_buffer;
 	/* Internal state to ref-filter */
 	int need_color_reset_at_eol;
+	struct list_head parsed_atom_head;
 };
 
 #define REF_FORMAT_INIT { .use_color = -1, .can_skip_parse_buffer = 1 }
@@ -112,6 +120,9 @@ struct ref_format {
 int filter_refs(struct ref_array *array, struct ref_filter *filter, unsigned int type);
 /*  Clear all memory allocated to ref_array */
 void ref_array_clear(struct ref_array *array);
+/* Clear the parsed_atom_list in ref_format*/
+void clear_parsed_atom_list(struct list_head *parsed_atom_head);
+
 /*  Used to verify if the given format is correct and to parse out the used atoms */
 int verify_ref_format(struct ref_format *format);
 /*  Sort the given ref_array as per the ref_sorting provided */
