diff --git a/http-push.c b/http-push.c
index f18da2a263..c5642b5d4d 100644
--- a/http-push.c
+++ b/http-push.c
@@ -2004,29 +2004,22 @@ static void update_remote_info_refs(struct remote_lock *lock)
 static int remote_exists(const char *path)
 {
 	char *url = xmalloc(strlen(repo->url) + strlen(path) + 1);
-	struct active_request_slot *slot;
-	struct slot_results results;
-	int ret = -1;
+	int ret;
 
 	sprintf(url, "%s%s", repo->url, path);
 
-	slot = get_active_slot();
-	slot->results = &results;
-	curl_easy_setopt(slot->curl, CURLOPT_URL, url);
-	curl_easy_setopt(slot->curl, CURLOPT_NOBODY, 1);
-
-	if (start_active_slot(slot)) {
-		run_active_slot(slot);
-		if (results.http_code == 404)
-			ret = 0;
-		else if (results.curl_result == CURLE_OK)
-			ret = 1;
-		else
-			fprintf(stderr, "HEAD HTTP error %ld\n", results.http_code);
-	} else {
-		fprintf(stderr, "Unable to start HEAD request\n");
+	switch (http_get_strbuf(url, NULL, 0)) {
+	case HTTP_OK:
+		ret = 1;
+		break;
+	case HTTP_MISSING_TARGET:
+		ret = 0;
+		break;
+	case HTTP_ERROR:
+		http_error(url, HTTP_ERROR);
+	default:
+		ret = -1;
 	}
-
 	free(url);
 	return ret;
 }