diff --git a/builtin/branch.c b/builtin/branch.c
index 3f870741bf..c98601c6fe 100644
--- a/builtin/branch.c
+++ b/builtin/branch.c
@@ -878,6 +878,7 @@ int cmd_branch(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		string_list_clear(&output, 0);
 		ref_sorting_release(sorting);
 		ref_filter_clear(&filter);
+		ref_format_clear(&format);
 		return 0;
 	} else if (edit_description) {
 		const char *branch_name;
diff --git a/builtin/for-each-ref.c b/builtin/for-each-ref.c
index 5517a4a1c0..c72fa05bcb 100644
--- a/builtin/for-each-ref.c
+++ b/builtin/for-each-ref.c
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ int cmd_for_each_ref(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	filter_and_format_refs(&filter, flags, sorting, &format);
 
 	ref_filter_clear(&filter);
+	ref_format_clear(&format);
 	ref_sorting_release(sorting);
 	strvec_clear(&vec);
 	return 0;
diff --git a/builtin/tag.c b/builtin/tag.c
index a1fb218512..607e48e311 100644
--- a/builtin/tag.c
+++ b/builtin/tag.c
@@ -702,6 +702,7 @@ int cmd_tag(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 cleanup:
 	ref_sorting_release(sorting);
 	ref_filter_clear(&filter);
+	ref_format_clear(&format);
 	strbuf_release(&buf);
 	strbuf_release(&ref);
 	strbuf_release(&reflog_msg);
diff --git a/builtin/verify-tag.c b/builtin/verify-tag.c
index c731e2f87b..77becf7e75 100644
--- a/builtin/verify-tag.c
+++ b/builtin/verify-tag.c
@@ -65,5 +65,6 @@ int cmd_verify_tag(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		if (format.format)
 			pretty_print_ref(name, &oid, &format);
 	}
+	ref_format_clear(&format);
 	return had_error;
 }
diff --git a/ref-filter.c b/ref-filter.c
index 0f51095bbd..ce1bcfad85 100644
--- a/ref-filter.c
+++ b/ref-filter.c
@@ -3621,3 +3621,16 @@ void ref_filter_clear(struct ref_filter *filter)
 	free_commit_list(filter->unreachable_from);
 	ref_filter_init(filter);
 }
+
+void ref_format_init(struct ref_format *format)
+{
+	struct ref_format blank = REF_FORMAT_INIT;
+	memcpy(format, &blank, sizeof(blank));
+}
+
+void ref_format_clear(struct ref_format *format)
+{
+	string_list_clear(&format->bases, 0);
+	string_list_clear(&format->is_base_tips, 0);
+	ref_format_init(format);
+}
diff --git a/ref-filter.h b/ref-filter.h
index e794b8a676..754038ab07 100644
--- a/ref-filter.h
+++ b/ref-filter.h
@@ -221,4 +221,7 @@ void filter_is_base(struct repository *r,
 void ref_filter_init(struct ref_filter *filter);
 void ref_filter_clear(struct ref_filter *filter);
 
+void ref_format_init(struct ref_format *format);
+void ref_format_clear(struct ref_format *format);
+
 #endif /*  REF_FILTER_H  */
diff --git a/t/t6300-for-each-ref.sh b/t/t6300-for-each-ref.sh
index e8db612f95..b3163629c5 100755
--- a/t/t6300-for-each-ref.sh
+++ b/t/t6300-for-each-ref.sh
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 
 test_description='for-each-ref test'
 
+TEST_PASSES_SANITIZE_LEAK=true
 . ./test-lib.sh
 GNUPGHOME_NOT_USED=$GNUPGHOME
 . "$TEST_DIRECTORY"/lib-gpg.sh