diff --git a/ref-filter.c b/ref-filter.c
index 93ce2a6ef2e..e59bb4cf9ce 100644
--- a/ref-filter.c
+++ b/ref-filter.c
@@ -2405,13 +2405,10 @@ int filter_refs(struct ref_array *array, struct ref_filter *filter, unsigned int
 {
 	struct ref_filter_cbdata ref_cbdata;
 	int ret = 0;
-	unsigned int broken = 0;
 
 	ref_cbdata.array = array;
 	ref_cbdata.filter = filter;
 
-	if (type & FILTER_REFS_INCLUDE_BROKEN)
-		broken = 1;
 	filter->kind = type & FILTER_REFS_KIND_MASK;
 
 	init_contains_cache(&ref_cbdata.contains_cache);
@@ -2428,13 +2425,13 @@ int filter_refs(struct ref_array *array, struct ref_filter *filter, unsigned int
 		 * of filter_ref_kind().
 		 */
 		if (filter->kind == FILTER_REFS_BRANCHES)
-			ret = for_each_fullref_in("refs/heads/", ref_filter_handler, &ref_cbdata, broken);
+			ret = for_each_fullref_in("refs/heads/", ref_filter_handler, &ref_cbdata, 0);
 		else if (filter->kind == FILTER_REFS_REMOTES)
-			ret = for_each_fullref_in("refs/remotes/", ref_filter_handler, &ref_cbdata, broken);
+			ret = for_each_fullref_in("refs/remotes/", ref_filter_handler, &ref_cbdata, 0);
 		else if (filter->kind == FILTER_REFS_TAGS)
-			ret = for_each_fullref_in("refs/tags/", ref_filter_handler, &ref_cbdata, broken);
+			ret = for_each_fullref_in("refs/tags/", ref_filter_handler, &ref_cbdata, 0);
 		else if (filter->kind & FILTER_REFS_ALL)
-			ret = for_each_fullref_in_pattern(filter, ref_filter_handler, &ref_cbdata, broken);
+			ret = for_each_fullref_in_pattern(filter, ref_filter_handler, &ref_cbdata, 0);
 		if (!ret && (filter->kind & FILTER_REFS_DETACHED_HEAD))
 			head_ref(ref_filter_handler, &ref_cbdata);
 	}
diff --git a/ref-filter.h b/ref-filter.h
index c15dee8d6b9..b636f4389d0 100644
--- a/ref-filter.h
+++ b/ref-filter.h
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@
 #define QUOTE_PYTHON 4
 #define QUOTE_TCL 8
 
-#define FILTER_REFS_INCLUDE_BROKEN 0x0001
 #define FILTER_REFS_TAGS           0x0002
 #define FILTER_REFS_BRANCHES       0x0004
 #define FILTER_REFS_REMOTES        0x0008