diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 35117fcf43..0ebf9dd95c 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -980,10 +980,7 @@ else
 	else
 		CURL_LIBCURL = -lcurl
 	endif
-	BUILTIN_OBJS += builtin-http-fetch.o
 	PROGRAMS += git-remote-http$X git-remote-https$X git-remote-ftp$X git-http-fetch$X
-	EXTLIBS += $(CURL_LIBCURL)
-	LIB_OBJS += http.o http-walker.o
 	curl_check := $(shell (echo 070908; curl-config --vernum) | sort -r | sed -ne 2p)
 	ifeq "$(curl_check)" "070908"
 		ifndef NO_EXPAT
@@ -1486,8 +1483,13 @@ git-imap-send$X: imap-send.o $(GITLIBS)
 	$(QUIET_LINK)$(CC) $(ALL_CFLAGS) -o $@ $(ALL_LDFLAGS) $(filter %.o,$^) \
 		$(LIBS) $(OPENSSL_LINK) $(OPENSSL_LIBSSL)
 
-http.o http-walker.o http-push.o transport.o: http.h
+http.o http-walker.o http-push.o: http.h
 
+http.o http-walker.o: $(LIB_H)
+
+git-http-fetch$X: revision.o http.o http-push.o $(GITLIBS)
+	$(QUIET_LINK)$(CC) $(ALL_CFLAGS) -o $@ $(ALL_LDFLAGS) $(filter %.o,$^) \
+		$(LIBS) $(CURL_LIBCURL) $(EXPAT_LIBEXPAT)
 git-http-push$X: revision.o http.o http-push.o $(GITLIBS)
 	$(QUIET_LINK)$(CC) $(ALL_CFLAGS) -o $@ $(ALL_LDFLAGS) $(filter %.o,$^) \
 		$(LIBS) $(CURL_LIBCURL) $(EXPAT_LIBEXPAT)
diff --git a/git.c b/git.c
index 807d875ae0..c1e8f05e5f 100644
--- a/git.c
+++ b/git.c
@@ -309,9 +309,6 @@ static void handle_internal_command(int argc, const char **argv)
 		{ "get-tar-commit-id", cmd_get_tar_commit_id },
 		{ "grep", cmd_grep, RUN_SETUP | USE_PAGER },
 		{ "help", cmd_help },
-#ifndef NO_CURL
-		{ "http-fetch", cmd_http_fetch, RUN_SETUP },
-#endif
 		{ "init", cmd_init_db },
 		{ "init-db", cmd_init_db },
 		{ "log", cmd_log, RUN_SETUP | USE_PAGER },
diff --git a/builtin-http-fetch.c b/http-fetch.c
similarity index 95%
rename from builtin-http-fetch.c
rename to http-fetch.c
index f3e63d7206..e8f44babd9 100644
--- a/builtin-http-fetch.c
+++ b/http-fetch.c
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 #include "cache.h"
 #include "walker.h"
 
-int cmd_http_fetch(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
+int main(int argc, const char **argv)
 {
+	const char *prefix;
 	struct walker *walker;
 	int commits_on_stdin = 0;
 	int commits;
@@ -18,6 +19,8 @@ int cmd_http_fetch(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	int get_verbosely = 0;
 	int get_recover = 0;
 
+	prefix = setup_git_directory();
+
 	git_config(git_default_config, NULL);
 
 	while (arg < argc && argv[arg][0] == '-') {
diff --git a/transport-helper.c b/transport-helper.c
index c982bb2575..43fdc0a434 100644
--- a/transport-helper.c
+++ b/transport-helper.c
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ static int fetch_with_fetch(struct transport *transport,
 	struct strbuf buf = STRBUF_INIT;
 
 	for (i = 0; i < nr_heads; i++) {
-		struct ref *posn = to_fetch[i];
+		const struct ref *posn = to_fetch[i];
 		if (posn->status & REF_STATUS_UPTODATE)
 			continue;
 		write_in_full(helper->in, "fetch ", 6);