diff --git a/ref-filter.c b/ref-filter.c
index 79bb520678..b1812cb69a 100644
--- a/ref-filter.c
+++ b/ref-filter.c
@@ -1459,12 +1459,10 @@ static void fill_remote_ref_details(struct used_atom *atom, const char *refname,
 			remote_for_branch(branch, &explicit);
 		*s = xstrdup(explicit ? remote : "");
 	} else if (atom->u.remote_ref.option == RR_REMOTE_REF) {
-		int explicit;
 		const char *merge;
 
-		merge = remote_ref_for_branch(branch, atom->u.remote_ref.push,
-					      &explicit);
-		*s = xstrdup(explicit ? merge : "");
+		merge = remote_ref_for_branch(branch, atom->u.remote_ref.push);
+		*s = xstrdup(merge ? merge : "");
 	} else
 		BUG("unhandled RR_* enum");
 }
diff --git a/remote.c b/remote.c
index 593ce297ed..c43196ec06 100644
--- a/remote.c
+++ b/remote.c
@@ -516,14 +516,11 @@ const char *pushremote_for_branch(struct branch *branch, int *explicit)
 	return remote_for_branch(branch, explicit);
 }
 
-const char *remote_ref_for_branch(struct branch *branch, int for_push,
-				  int *explicit)
+const char *remote_ref_for_branch(struct branch *branch, int for_push)
 {
 	if (branch) {
 		if (!for_push) {
 			if (branch->merge_nr) {
-				if (explicit)
-					*explicit = 1;
 				return branch->merge_name[0];
 			}
 		} else {
@@ -534,15 +531,11 @@ const char *remote_ref_for_branch(struct branch *branch, int for_push,
 			if (remote && remote->push.nr &&
 			    (dst = apply_refspecs(&remote->push,
 						  branch->refname))) {
-				if (explicit)
-					*explicit = 1;
 				return dst;
 			}
 		}
 	}
-	if (explicit)
-		*explicit = 0;
-	return "";
+	return NULL;
 }
 
 static struct remote *remote_get_1(const char *name,
diff --git a/remote.h b/remote.h
index b134cc21be..11d8719b58 100644
--- a/remote.h
+++ b/remote.h
@@ -261,8 +261,7 @@ struct branch {
 struct branch *branch_get(const char *name);
 const char *remote_for_branch(struct branch *branch, int *explicit);
 const char *pushremote_for_branch(struct branch *branch, int *explicit);
-const char *remote_ref_for_branch(struct branch *branch, int for_push,
-				  int *explicit);
+const char *remote_ref_for_branch(struct branch *branch, int for_push);
 
 /* returns true if the given branch has merge configuration given. */
 int branch_has_merge_config(struct branch *branch);