diff --git a/branch.c b/branch.c
index a5a8dcbd0e..0d459b3cfe 100644
--- a/branch.c
+++ b/branch.c
@@ -228,8 +228,7 @@ N_("\n"
 "will track its remote counterpart, you may want to use\n"
 "\"git push -u\" to set the upstream config as you push.");
 
-void create_branch(const char *head,
-		   const char *name, const char *start_name,
+void create_branch(const char *name, const char *start_name,
 		   int force, int reflog, int clobber_head,
 		   int quiet, enum branch_track track)
 {
diff --git a/branch.h b/branch.h
index b2f9649332..3103eb9add 100644
--- a/branch.h
+++ b/branch.h
@@ -4,15 +4,21 @@
 /* Functions for acting on the information about branches. */
 
 /*
- * Creates a new branch, where head is the branch currently checked
- * out, name is the new branch name, start_name is the name of the
- * existing branch that the new branch should start from, force
- * enables overwriting an existing (non-head) branch, reflog creates a
- * reflog for the branch, and track causes the new branch to be
- * configured to merge the remote branch that start_name is a tracking
- * branch for (if any).
+ * Creates a new branch, where:
+ *
+ *   - name is the new branch name
+ *
+ *   - start_name is the name of the existing branch that the new branch should
+ *     start from
+ *
+ *   - force enables overwriting an existing (non-head) branch
+ *
+ *   - reflog creates a reflog for the branch
+ *
+ *   - track causes the new branch to be configured to merge the remote branch
+ *     that start_name is a tracking branch for (if any).
  */
-void create_branch(const char *head, const char *name, const char *start_name,
+void create_branch(const char *name, const char *start_name,
 		   int force, int reflog,
 		   int clobber_head, int quiet, enum branch_track track);
 
diff --git a/builtin/branch.c b/builtin/branch.c
index 7df05437f1..6810c3ac44 100644
--- a/builtin/branch.c
+++ b/builtin/branch.c
@@ -807,7 +807,7 @@ int cmd_branch(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		 * create_branch takes care of setting up the tracking
 		 * info and making sure new_upstream is correct
 		 */
-		create_branch(head, branch->name, new_upstream, 0, 0, 0, quiet, BRANCH_TRACK_OVERRIDE);
+		create_branch(branch->name, new_upstream, 0, 0, 0, quiet, BRANCH_TRACK_OVERRIDE);
 	} else if (unset_upstream) {
 		struct branch *branch = branch_get(argv[0]);
 		struct strbuf buf = STRBUF_INIT;
@@ -853,7 +853,7 @@ int cmd_branch(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		strbuf_release(&buf);
 
 		branch_existed = ref_exists(branch->refname);
-		create_branch(head, argv[0], (argc == 2) ? argv[1] : head,
+		create_branch(argv[0], (argc == 2) ? argv[1] : head,
 			      force, reflog, 0, quiet, track);
 
 		/*
diff --git a/builtin/checkout.c b/builtin/checkout.c
index 32cf317ec2..899bd8db0b 100644
--- a/builtin/checkout.c
+++ b/builtin/checkout.c
@@ -631,7 +631,7 @@ static void update_refs_for_switch(const struct checkout_opts *opts,
 			}
 		}
 		else
-			create_branch(old->name, opts->new_branch, new->name,
+			create_branch(opts->new_branch, new->name,
 				      opts->new_branch_force ? 1 : 0,
 				      opts->new_branch_log,
 				      opts->new_branch_force ? 1 : 0,