diff --git a/builtin/branch.c b/builtin/branch.c
index 1ab4356188..db7cb01190 100644
--- a/builtin/branch.c
+++ b/builtin/branch.c
@@ -189,16 +189,22 @@ static int branch_merged(int kind, const char *name,
 	return merged;
 }
 
+enum delete_branch_flags {
+	DELETE_BRANCH_FORCE = (1 << 0),
+	DELETE_BRANCH_QUIET = (1 << 1),
+};
+
 static int check_branch_commit(const char *branchname, const char *refname,
 			       const struct object_id *oid, struct commit *head_rev,
-			       int kinds, int force)
+			       int kinds, unsigned int flags)
 {
 	struct commit *rev = lookup_commit_reference(the_repository, oid);
-	if (!force && !rev) {
+	if (!(flags & DELETE_BRANCH_FORCE) && !rev) {
 		error(_("couldn't look up commit object for '%s'"), refname);
 		return -1;
 	}
-	if (!force && !branch_merged(kinds, branchname, rev, head_rev)) {
+	if (!(flags & DELETE_BRANCH_FORCE) &&
+	    !branch_merged(kinds, branchname, rev, head_rev)) {
 		error(_("the branch '%s' is not fully merged"), branchname);
 		advise_if_enabled(ADVICE_FORCE_DELETE_BRANCH,
 				  _("If you are sure you want to delete it, "
@@ -217,8 +223,8 @@ static void delete_branch_config(const char *branchname)
 	strbuf_release(&buf);
 }
 
-static int delete_branches(int argc, const char **argv, int force, int kinds,
-			   int quiet)
+static int delete_branches(int argc, const char **argv, int kinds,
+			   unsigned int flags)
 {
 	struct commit *head_rev = NULL;
 	struct object_id oid;
@@ -241,7 +247,7 @@ static int delete_branches(int argc, const char **argv, int force, int kinds,
 		remote_branch = 1;
 		allowed_interpret = INTERPRET_BRANCH_REMOTE;
 
-		force = 1;
+		flags |= DELETE_BRANCH_FORCE;
 		break;
 	case FILTER_REFS_BRANCHES:
 		fmt = "refs/heads/%s";
@@ -252,12 +258,12 @@ static int delete_branches(int argc, const char **argv, int force, int kinds,
 	}
 	branch_name_pos = strcspn(fmt, "%");
 
-	if (!force)
+	if (!(flags & DELETE_BRANCH_FORCE))
 		head_rev = lookup_commit_reference(the_repository, &head_oid);
 
 	for (i = 0; i < argc; i++, strbuf_reset(&bname)) {
 		char *target = NULL;
-		int flags = 0;
+		int ref_flags = 0;
 
 		copy_branchname(the_repository, &bname,
 				argv[i], allowed_interpret);
@@ -280,7 +286,7 @@ static int delete_branches(int argc, const char **argv, int force, int kinds,
 					     RESOLVE_REF_READING
 					     | RESOLVE_REF_NO_RECURSE
 					     | RESOLVE_REF_ALLOW_BAD_NAME,
-					     &oid, &flags);
+					     &oid, &ref_flags);
 		if (!target) {
 			if (remote_branch) {
 				error(_("remote-tracking branch '%s' not found"), bname.buf);
@@ -292,7 +298,7 @@ static int delete_branches(int argc, const char **argv, int force, int kinds,
 									   | RESOLVE_REF_NO_RECURSE
 									   | RESOLVE_REF_ALLOW_BAD_NAME,
 									   &oid,
-									   &flags);
+									   &ref_flags);
 				FREE_AND_NULL(virtual_name);
 
 				if (virtual_target)
@@ -307,16 +313,16 @@ static int delete_branches(int argc, const char **argv, int force, int kinds,
 			continue;
 		}
 
-		if (!(flags & (REF_ISSYMREF|REF_ISBROKEN)) &&
+		if (!(ref_flags & (REF_ISSYMREF|REF_ISBROKEN)) &&
 		    check_branch_commit(bname.buf, name, &oid, head_rev, kinds,
-					force)) {
+					flags)) {
 			ret = 1;
 			goto next;
 		}
 
 		item = string_list_append(&refs_to_delete, name);
-		item->util = xstrdup((flags & REF_ISBROKEN) ? "broken"
-				    : (flags & REF_ISSYMREF) ? target
+		item->util = xstrdup((ref_flags & REF_ISBROKEN) ? "broken"
+				    : (ref_flags & REF_ISSYMREF) ? target
 				    : repo_find_unique_abbrev(the_repository, &oid, DEFAULT_ABBREV));
 
 	next:
@@ -331,7 +337,7 @@ static int delete_branches(int argc, const char **argv, int force, int kinds,
 		char *name = item->string;
 		if (!refs_ref_exists(get_main_ref_store(the_repository), name)) {
 			char *refname = name + branch_name_pos;
-			if (!quiet)
+			if (!(flags & DELETE_BRANCH_QUIET))
 				printf(remote_branch
 					? _("Deleted remote-tracking branch %s (was %s).\n")
 					: _("Deleted branch %s (was %s).\n"),
@@ -896,7 +902,9 @@ int cmd_branch(int argc,
 	if (delete) {
 		if (!argc)
 			die(_("branch name required"));
-		ret = delete_branches(argc, argv, delete > 1, filter.kind, quiet);
+		ret = delete_branches(argc, argv, filter.kind,
+				      (delete > 1 ? DELETE_BRANCH_FORCE : 0) |
+				      (quiet ? DELETE_BRANCH_QUIET : 0));
 		goto out;
 	} else if (show_current) {
 		print_current_branch_name();