diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm/src/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/Branch.java b/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm/src/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/Branch.java
index b1c825462..5fb4a963e 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm/src/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/Branch.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm/src/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/Branch.java
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ class Branch extends TextBuiltin {
 					startBranch = startRef.getName();
 				else
 					startBranch = startAt.name();
-				startBranch = db.shortenRefName(startBranch);
+				startBranch = Repository.shortenRefName(startBranch);
 				String newRefName = newHead;
 				if (!newRefName.startsWith(Constants.R_HEADS))
 					newRefName = Constants.R_HEADS + newRefName;
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/RefRename.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/RefRename.java
index 2ff5c614b..3cfb75a60 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/RefRename.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/RefRename.java
@@ -77,14 +77,13 @@ public abstract class RefRename {
 		source = src;
 		destination = dst;
 
-		Repository repo = destination.getRepository();
 		String cmd = "";
 		if (source.getName().startsWith(Constants.R_HEADS)
 				&& destination.getName().startsWith(Constants.R_HEADS))
 			cmd = "Branch: ";
 		setRefLogMessage(cmd + "renamed "
-				+ repo.shortenRefName(source.getName()) + " to "
-				+ repo.shortenRefName(destination.getName()));
+				+ Repository.shortenRefName(source.getName()) + " to "
+				+ Repository.shortenRefName(destination.getName()));
 	}
 
 	/** @return identity of the user making the change in the reflog. */
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/Repository.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/Repository.java
index 5c8b15f5a..8ba6ba5b9 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/Repository.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/Repository.java
@@ -1119,7 +1119,7 @@ public abstract class Repository {
 	 *
 	 * @return a more user friendly ref name
 	 */
-	public String shortenRefName(String refName) {
+	public static String shortenRefName(String refName) {
 		if (refName.startsWith(Constants.R_HEADS))
 			return refName.substring(Constants.R_HEADS.length());
 		if (refName.startsWith(Constants.R_TAGS))