diff --git a/builtin/rebase.c b/builtin/rebase.c
index 670096c065..cb24c98b09 100644
--- a/builtin/rebase.c
+++ b/builtin/rebase.c
@@ -241,21 +241,17 @@ static int edit_todo_file(unsigned flags)
 }
 
 static int get_revision_ranges(struct commit *upstream, struct commit *onto,
-			       const char **head_hash,
+			       struct object_id *orig_head, const char **head_hash,
 			       char **revisions, char **shortrevisions)
 {
 	struct commit *base_rev = upstream ? upstream : onto;
 	const char *shorthead;
-	struct object_id orig_head;
 
-	if (get_oid("HEAD", &orig_head))
-		return error(_("no HEAD?"));
-
-	*head_hash = find_unique_abbrev(&orig_head, GIT_MAX_HEXSZ);
+	*head_hash = find_unique_abbrev(orig_head, GIT_MAX_HEXSZ);
 	*revisions = xstrfmt("%s...%s", oid_to_hex(&base_rev->object.oid),
 						   *head_hash);
 
-	shorthead = find_unique_abbrev(&orig_head, DEFAULT_ABBREV);
+	shorthead = find_unique_abbrev(orig_head, DEFAULT_ABBREV);
 
 	if (upstream) {
 		const char *shortrev;
@@ -309,12 +305,8 @@ static int do_interactive_rebase(struct rebase_options *opts, unsigned flags)
 	struct replay_opts replay = get_replay_opts(opts);
 	struct string_list commands = STRING_LIST_INIT_DUP;
 
-	if (prepare_branch_to_be_rebased(the_repository, &replay,
-					 opts->switch_to))
-		return -1;
-
-	if (get_revision_ranges(opts->upstream, opts->onto, &head_hash,
-				&revisions, &shortrevisions))
+	if (get_revision_ranges(opts->upstream, opts->onto, &opts->orig_head,
+				&head_hash, &revisions, &shortrevisions))
 		return -1;
 
 	if (init_basic_state(&replay,
diff --git a/sequencer.c b/sequencer.c
index 34ebf8ed94..db99808812 100644
--- a/sequencer.c
+++ b/sequencer.c
@@ -3740,20 +3740,6 @@ static int run_git_checkout(struct repository *r, struct replay_opts *opts,
 	return ret;
 }
 
-int prepare_branch_to_be_rebased(struct repository *r, struct replay_opts *opts,
-				 const char *commit)
-{
-	const char *action;
-
-	if (commit && *commit) {
-		action = reflog_message(opts, "start", "checkout %s", commit);
-		if (run_git_checkout(r, opts, commit, action))
-			return error(_("could not checkout %s"), commit);
-	}
-
-	return 0;
-}
-
 static int checkout_onto(struct repository *r, struct replay_opts *opts,
 			 const char *onto_name, const struct object_id *onto,
 			 const char *orig_head)
diff --git a/sequencer.h b/sequencer.h
index 6704acbb9c..0a97a8d277 100644
--- a/sequencer.h
+++ b/sequencer.h
@@ -184,9 +184,6 @@ void commit_post_rewrite(struct repository *r,
 			 const struct commit *current_head,
 			 const struct object_id *new_head);
 
-int prepare_branch_to_be_rebased(struct repository *r, struct replay_opts *opts,
-				 const char *commit);
-
 #define SUMMARY_INITIAL_COMMIT   (1 << 0)
 #define SUMMARY_SHOW_AUTHOR_DATE (1 << 1)
 void print_commit_summary(struct repository *repo,