diff --git a/builtin/blame.c b/builtin/blame.c
index cffc626540..f7aa95f4ba 100644
--- a/builtin/blame.c
+++ b/builtin/blame.c
@@ -658,8 +658,11 @@ static struct origin *find_rename(struct scoreboard *sb,
 /*
  * Append a new blame entry to a given output queue.
  */
-static void add_blame_entry(struct blame_entry ***queue, struct blame_entry *e)
+static void add_blame_entry(struct blame_entry ***queue,
+			    const struct blame_entry *src)
 {
+	struct blame_entry *e = xmalloc(sizeof(*e));
+	memcpy(e, src, sizeof(*e));
 	origin_incref(e->suspect);
 
 	e->next = **queue;
@@ -760,21 +763,15 @@ static void split_blame(struct blame_entry ***blamed,
 			struct blame_entry *split,
 			struct blame_entry *e)
 {
-	struct blame_entry *new_entry;
-
 	if (split[0].suspect && split[2].suspect) {
 		/* The first part (reuse storage for the existing entry e) */
 		dup_entry(unblamed, e, &split[0]);
 
 		/* The last part -- me */
-		new_entry = xmalloc(sizeof(*new_entry));
-		memcpy(new_entry, &(split[2]), sizeof(struct blame_entry));
-		add_blame_entry(unblamed, new_entry);
+		add_blame_entry(unblamed, &split[2]);
 
 		/* ... and the middle part -- parent */
-		new_entry = xmalloc(sizeof(*new_entry));
-		memcpy(new_entry, &(split[1]), sizeof(struct blame_entry));
-		add_blame_entry(blamed, new_entry);
+		add_blame_entry(blamed, &split[1]);
 	}
 	else if (!split[0].suspect && !split[2].suspect)
 		/*
@@ -785,18 +782,12 @@ static void split_blame(struct blame_entry ***blamed,
 	else if (split[0].suspect) {
 		/* me and then parent */
 		dup_entry(unblamed, e, &split[0]);
-
-		new_entry = xmalloc(sizeof(*new_entry));
-		memcpy(new_entry, &(split[1]), sizeof(struct blame_entry));
-		add_blame_entry(blamed, new_entry);
+		add_blame_entry(blamed, &split[1]);
 	}
 	else {
 		/* parent and then me */
 		dup_entry(blamed, e, &split[1]);
-
-		new_entry = xmalloc(sizeof(*new_entry));
-		memcpy(new_entry, &(split[2]), sizeof(struct blame_entry));
-		add_blame_entry(unblamed, new_entry);
+		add_blame_entry(unblamed, &split[2]);
 	}
 }