diff --git a/diffcore-rename.c b/diffcore-rename.c
index 73d884099e..5bc559f79e 100644
--- a/diffcore-rename.c
+++ b/diffcore-rename.c
@@ -1328,6 +1328,47 @@ static void handle_early_known_dir_renames(struct dir_rename_info *info,
 	rename_src_nr = new_num_src;
 }
 
+static void free_filespec_data(struct diff_filespec *spec)
+{
+	if (!--spec->count)
+		diff_free_filespec_data(spec);
+}
+
+MAYBE_UNUSED
+static void pool_free_filespec(struct mem_pool *pool,
+			       struct diff_filespec *spec)
+{
+	if (!pool) {
+		free_filespec(spec);
+		return;
+	}
+
+	/*
+	 * Similar to free_filespec(), but only frees the data.  The spec
+	 * itself was allocated in the pool and should not be individually
+	 * freed.
+	 */
+	free_filespec_data(spec);
+}
+
+MAYBE_UNUSED
+void pool_diff_free_filepair(struct mem_pool *pool,
+			     struct diff_filepair *p)
+{
+	if (!pool) {
+		diff_free_filepair(p);
+		return;
+	}
+
+	/*
+	 * Similar to diff_free_filepair() but only frees the data from the
+	 * filespecs; not the filespecs or the filepair which were
+	 * allocated from the pool.
+	 */
+	free_filespec_data(p->one);
+	free_filespec_data(p->two);
+}
+
 void diffcore_rename_extended(struct diff_options *options,
 			      struct strintmap *relevant_sources,
 			      struct strintmap *dirs_removed,
diff --git a/diffcore.h b/diffcore.h
index 533b30e21e..b58ee6b193 100644
--- a/diffcore.h
+++ b/diffcore.h
@@ -127,6 +127,8 @@ struct diff_filepair {
 #define DIFF_PAIR_MODE_CHANGED(p) ((p)->one->mode != (p)->two->mode)
 
 void diff_free_filepair(struct diff_filepair *);
+void pool_diff_free_filepair(struct mem_pool *pool,
+			     struct diff_filepair *p);
 
 int diff_unmodified_pair(struct diff_filepair *);
 
diff --git a/merge-ort.c b/merge-ort.c
index 99c7569085..e79830f918 100644
--- a/merge-ort.c
+++ b/merge-ort.c
@@ -690,6 +690,48 @@ static void path_msg(struct merge_options *opt,
 	strbuf_addch(sb, '\n');
 }
 
+MAYBE_UNUSED
+static struct diff_filespec *pool_alloc_filespec(struct mem_pool *pool,
+						 const char *path)
+{
+	struct diff_filespec *spec;
+	size_t len;
+
+	if (!pool)
+		return alloc_filespec(path);
+
+	/* Same code as alloc_filespec, except allocate from pool */
+	len = strlen(path);
+
+	spec = mem_pool_calloc(pool, 1, st_add3(sizeof(*spec), len, 1));
+	memcpy(spec+1, path, len);
+	spec->path = (void*)(spec+1);
+
+	spec->count = 1;
+	spec->is_binary = -1;
+	return spec;
+}
+
+MAYBE_UNUSED
+static struct diff_filepair *pool_diff_queue(struct mem_pool *pool,
+					     struct diff_queue_struct *queue,
+					     struct diff_filespec *one,
+					     struct diff_filespec *two)
+{
+	struct diff_filepair *dp;
+
+	if (!pool)
+		return diff_queue(queue, one, two);
+
+	/* Same code as diff_queue, except allocate from pool */
+	dp = mem_pool_calloc(pool, 1, sizeof(*dp));
+	dp->one = one;
+	dp->two = two;
+	if (queue)
+		diff_q(queue, dp);
+	return dp;
+}
+
 static void *pool_calloc(struct mem_pool *pool, size_t count, size_t size)
 {
 	if (!pool)