diff --git a/builtin/init-db.c b/builtin/init-db.c
index c9b7946bade..68ff4ad75ac 100644
--- a/builtin/init-db.c
+++ b/builtin/init-db.c
@@ -24,11 +24,11 @@ static int init_is_bare_repository = 0;
 static int init_shared_repository = -1;
 static const char *init_db_template_dir;
 
-static void copy_templates_1(struct strbuf *path, struct strbuf *template,
+static void copy_templates_1(struct strbuf *path, struct strbuf *template_path,
 			     DIR *dir)
 {
 	size_t path_baselen = path->len;
-	size_t template_baselen = template->len;
+	size_t template_baselen = template_path->len;
 	struct dirent *de;
 
 	/* Note: if ".git/hooks" file exists in the repository being
@@ -44,12 +44,12 @@ static void copy_templates_1(struct strbuf *path, struct strbuf *template,
 		int exists = 0;
 
 		strbuf_setlen(path, path_baselen);
-		strbuf_setlen(template, template_baselen);
+		strbuf_setlen(template_path, template_baselen);
 
 		if (de->d_name[0] == '.')
 			continue;
 		strbuf_addstr(path, de->d_name);
-		strbuf_addstr(template, de->d_name);
+		strbuf_addstr(template_path, de->d_name);
 		if (lstat(path->buf, &st_git)) {
 			if (errno != ENOENT)
 				die_errno(_("cannot stat '%s'"), path->buf);
@@ -57,36 +57,36 @@ static void copy_templates_1(struct strbuf *path, struct strbuf *template,
 		else
 			exists = 1;
 
-		if (lstat(template->buf, &st_template))
-			die_errno(_("cannot stat template '%s'"), template->buf);
+		if (lstat(template_path->buf, &st_template))
+			die_errno(_("cannot stat template '%s'"), template_path->buf);
 
 		if (S_ISDIR(st_template.st_mode)) {
-			DIR *subdir = opendir(template->buf);
+			DIR *subdir = opendir(template_path->buf);
 			if (!subdir)
-				die_errno(_("cannot opendir '%s'"), template->buf);
+				die_errno(_("cannot opendir '%s'"), template_path->buf);
 			strbuf_addch(path, '/');
-			strbuf_addch(template, '/');
-			copy_templates_1(path, template, subdir);
+			strbuf_addch(template_path, '/');
+			copy_templates_1(path, template_path, subdir);
 			closedir(subdir);
 		}
 		else if (exists)
 			continue;
 		else if (S_ISLNK(st_template.st_mode)) {
 			struct strbuf lnk = STRBUF_INIT;
-			if (strbuf_readlink(&lnk, template->buf, 0) < 0)
-				die_errno(_("cannot readlink '%s'"), template->buf);
+			if (strbuf_readlink(&lnk, template_path->buf, 0) < 0)
+				die_errno(_("cannot readlink '%s'"), template_path->buf);
 			if (symlink(lnk.buf, path->buf))
 				die_errno(_("cannot symlink '%s' '%s'"),
 					  lnk.buf, path->buf);
 			strbuf_release(&lnk);
 		}
 		else if (S_ISREG(st_template.st_mode)) {
-			if (copy_file(path->buf, template->buf, st_template.st_mode))
+			if (copy_file(path->buf, template_path->buf, st_template.st_mode))
 				die_errno(_("cannot copy '%s' to '%s'"),
-					  template->buf, path->buf);
+					  template_path->buf, path->buf);
 		}
 		else
-			error(_("ignoring template %s"), template->buf);
+			error(_("ignoring template %s"), template_path->buf);
 	}
 }