diff --git a/refs.c b/refs.c
index 2d5c827..2fd3db2 100644
--- a/refs.c
+++ b/refs.c
@@ -457,7 +457,6 @@ static int is_dup_ref(const struct ref_entry *ref1, const struct ref_entry *ref2
  */
 static void sort_ref_dir(struct ref_entry *direntry)
 {
-	int i, j;
 	struct ref_entry *last = NULL;
 	struct ref_dir *dir;
 	assert(direntry->flag & REF_DIR);
@@ -468,19 +467,24 @@ static void sort_ref_dir(struct ref_entry *direntry)
 
 	qsort(dir->entries, dir->nr, sizeof(*dir->entries), ref_entry_cmp);
 
-	/* Remove any duplicates: */
-	for (i = 0, j = 0; j < dir->nr; j++) {
-		struct ref_entry *entry = dir->entries[j];
-		if (last && is_dup_ref(last, entry)) {
-			free_ref_entry(entry);
-		} else if (entry->flag & REF_DIR) {
-			dir->entries[i++] = entry;
-			last = NULL;
-		} else {
-			last = dir->entries[i++] = entry;
+	/* Remove any duplicates, but not for extra_refs: */
+	if (dir->ref_cache != NULL) {
+		int i, j;
+		for (i = 0, j = 0; j < dir->nr; j++) {
+			struct ref_entry *entry = dir->entries[j];
+			if (last && is_dup_ref(last, entry)) {
+				free_ref_entry(entry);
+			} else if (entry->flag & REF_DIR) {
+				dir->entries[i++] = entry;
+				last = NULL;
+			} else {
+				last = dir->entries[i++] = entry;
+			}
 		}
+		dir->nr = i;
 	}
-	dir->sorted = dir->nr = i;
+
+	dir->sorted = dir->nr;
 }
 
 #define DO_FOR_EACH_INCLUDE_BROKEN 01