diff --git a/refspec.c b/refspec.c
index 54b6fe0c6d..597ddf8b52 100644
--- a/refspec.c
+++ b/refspec.c
@@ -122,12 +122,16 @@ static int parse_refspec(struct refspec_item *item, const char *refspec, int fet
 	return 1;
 }
 
-void refspec_item_init_or_die(struct refspec_item *item, const char *refspec,
-			      int fetch)
+int refspec_item_init(struct refspec_item *item, const char *refspec, int fetch)
 {
 	memset(item, 0, sizeof(*item));
+	return parse_refspec(item, refspec, fetch);
+}
 
-	if (!parse_refspec(item, refspec, fetch))
+void refspec_item_init_or_die(struct refspec_item *item, const char *refspec,
+			      int fetch)
+{
+	if (!refspec_item_init(item, refspec, fetch))
 		die("Invalid refspec '%s'", refspec);
 }
 
diff --git a/refspec.h b/refspec.h
index 4caaf1f8e3..9b6e64a824 100644
--- a/refspec.h
+++ b/refspec.h
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@ struct refspec {
 	int fetch;
 };
 
+int refspec_item_init(struct refspec_item *item, const char *refspec,
+		      int fetch);
 void refspec_item_init_or_die(struct refspec_item *item, const char *refspec,
 			      int fetch);
 void refspec_item_clear(struct refspec_item *item);