diff --git a/http.c b/http.c
index 2ec37891f3..7c4a4072f2 100644
--- a/http.c
+++ b/http.c
@@ -744,6 +744,33 @@ char *get_remote_object_url(const char *url, const char *hex,
 	return strbuf_detach(&buf, NULL);
 }
 
+int handle_curl_result(struct active_request_slot *slot)
+{
+	struct slot_results *results = slot->results;
+
+	if (results->curl_result == CURLE_OK) {
+		credential_approve(&http_auth);
+		return HTTP_OK;
+	} else if (missing_target(results))
+		return HTTP_MISSING_TARGET;
+	else if (results->http_code == 401) {
+		if (http_auth.username && http_auth.password) {
+			credential_reject(&http_auth);
+			return HTTP_NOAUTH;
+		} else {
+			credential_fill(&http_auth);
+			init_curl_http_auth(slot->curl);
+			return HTTP_REAUTH;
+		}
+	} else {
+		if (!curl_errorstr[0])
+			strlcpy(curl_errorstr,
+				curl_easy_strerror(results->curl_result),
+				sizeof(curl_errorstr));
+		return HTTP_ERROR;
+	}
+}
+
 /* http_request() targets */
 #define HTTP_REQUEST_STRBUF	0
 #define HTTP_REQUEST_FILE	1
@@ -791,26 +818,7 @@ static int http_request(const char *url, void *result, int target, int options)
 
 	if (start_active_slot(slot)) {
 		run_active_slot(slot);
-		if (results.curl_result == CURLE_OK)
-			ret = HTTP_OK;
-		else if (missing_target(&results))
-			ret = HTTP_MISSING_TARGET;
-		else if (results.http_code == 401) {
-			if (http_auth.username && http_auth.password) {
-				credential_reject(&http_auth);
-				ret = HTTP_NOAUTH;
-			} else {
-				credential_fill(&http_auth);
-				init_curl_http_auth(slot->curl);
-				ret = HTTP_REAUTH;
-			}
-		} else {
-			if (!curl_errorstr[0])
-				strlcpy(curl_errorstr,
-					curl_easy_strerror(results.curl_result),
-					sizeof(curl_errorstr));
-			ret = HTTP_ERROR;
-		}
+		ret = handle_curl_result(slot);
 	} else {
 		error("Unable to start HTTP request for %s", url);
 		ret = HTTP_START_FAILED;
@@ -819,9 +827,6 @@ static int http_request(const char *url, void *result, int target, int options)
 	curl_slist_free_all(headers);
 	strbuf_release(&buf);
 
-	if (ret == HTTP_OK)
-		credential_approve(&http_auth);
-
 	return ret;
 }
 
diff --git a/http.h b/http.h
index 915c2862a6..12de25597d 100644
--- a/http.h
+++ b/http.h
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ extern int start_active_slot(struct active_request_slot *slot);
 extern void run_active_slot(struct active_request_slot *slot);
 extern void finish_active_slot(struct active_request_slot *slot);
 extern void finish_all_active_slots(void);
+extern int handle_curl_result(struct active_request_slot *slot);
 
 #ifdef USE_CURL_MULTI
 extern void fill_active_slots(void);