diff --git a/pathspec.c b/pathspec.c
index 5df364bc69..af7f2d01d5 100644
--- a/pathspec.c
+++ b/pathspec.c
@@ -74,13 +74,12 @@ static struct pathspec_magic {
 	{ PATHSPEC_EXCLUDE, '!', "exclude" },
 };
 
-static void prefix_short_magic(struct strbuf *sb, int prefixlen,
-			       unsigned short_magic)
+static void prefix_magic(struct strbuf *sb, int prefixlen, unsigned magic)
 {
 	int i;
 	strbuf_addstr(sb, ":(");
 	for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(pathspec_magic); i++)
-		if (short_magic & pathspec_magic[i].bit) {
+		if (magic & pathspec_magic[i].bit) {
 			if (sb->buf[sb->len - 1] != '(')
 				strbuf_addch(sb, ',');
 			strbuf_addstr(sb, pathspec_magic[i].name);
@@ -109,8 +108,8 @@ static unsigned prefix_pathspec(struct pathspec_item *item, unsigned flags,
 	static int glob_global = -1;
 	static int noglob_global = -1;
 	static int icase_global = -1;
-	unsigned magic = 0, short_magic = 0, global_magic = 0;
-	const char *copyfrom = elt, *long_magic_end = NULL;
+	unsigned magic = 0, element_magic = 0, global_magic = 0;
+	const char *copyfrom = elt;
 	char *match;
 	int i, pathspec_prefix = -1;
 
@@ -164,7 +163,7 @@ static unsigned prefix_pathspec(struct pathspec_item *item, unsigned flags,
 			for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(pathspec_magic); i++) {
 				if (strlen(pathspec_magic[i].name) == len &&
 				    !strncmp(pathspec_magic[i].name, copyfrom, len)) {
-					magic |= pathspec_magic[i].bit;
+					element_magic |= pathspec_magic[i].bit;
 					break;
 				}
 				if (starts_with(copyfrom, "prefix:")) {
@@ -183,7 +182,6 @@ static unsigned prefix_pathspec(struct pathspec_item *item, unsigned flags,
 		}
 		if (*copyfrom != ')')
 			die(_("Missing ')' at the end of pathspec magic in '%s'"), elt);
-		long_magic_end = copyfrom;
 		copyfrom++;
 	} else {
 		/* shorthand */
@@ -196,7 +194,7 @@ static unsigned prefix_pathspec(struct pathspec_item *item, unsigned flags,
 				break;
 			for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(pathspec_magic); i++)
 				if (pathspec_magic[i].mnemonic == ch) {
-					short_magic |= pathspec_magic[i].bit;
+					element_magic |= pathspec_magic[i].bit;
 					break;
 				}
 			if (ARRAY_SIZE(pathspec_magic) <= i)
@@ -207,7 +205,7 @@ static unsigned prefix_pathspec(struct pathspec_item *item, unsigned flags,
 			copyfrom++;
 	}
 
-	magic |= short_magic;
+	magic |= element_magic;
 
 	/* --noglob-pathspec adds :(literal) _unless_ :(glob) is specified */
 	if (noglob_global && !(magic & PATHSPEC_GLOB))
@@ -242,18 +240,13 @@ static unsigned prefix_pathspec(struct pathspec_item *item, unsigned flags,
 	 * Prefix the pathspec (keep all magic) and assign to
 	 * original. Useful for passing to another command.
 	 */
-	if (flags & PATHSPEC_PREFIX_ORIGIN) {
+	if ((flags & PATHSPEC_PREFIX_ORIGIN) &&
+	    prefixlen && !literal_global) {
 		struct strbuf sb = STRBUF_INIT;
-		if (prefixlen && !literal_global) {
-			/* Preserve the actual prefix length of each pattern */
-			if (short_magic)
-				prefix_short_magic(&sb, prefixlen, short_magic);
-			else if (long_magic_end) {
-				strbuf_add(&sb, elt, long_magic_end - elt);
-				strbuf_addf(&sb, ",prefix:%d)", prefixlen);
-			} else
-				strbuf_addf(&sb, ":(prefix:%d)", prefixlen);
-		}
+
+		/* Preserve the actual prefix length of each pattern */
+		prefix_magic(&sb, prefixlen, element_magic);
+
 		strbuf_addstr(&sb, match);
 		item->original = strbuf_detach(&sb, NULL);
 	} else {