diff --git a/builtin/fast-export.c b/builtin/fast-export.c
index d412c0a8f3..cff8d0fc5b 100644
--- a/builtin/fast-export.c
+++ b/builtin/fast-export.c
@@ -634,11 +634,10 @@ static void handle_tail(struct object_array *commits, struct rev_info *revs)
 {
 	struct commit *commit;
 	while (commits->nr) {
-		commit = (struct commit *)commits->objects[commits->nr - 1].item;
+		commit = (struct commit *)object_array_pop(commits);
 		if (has_unshown_parent(commit))
 			return;
 		handle_commit(commit, revs);
-		commits->nr--;
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/builtin/fsck.c b/builtin/fsck.c
index d18244ab54..7d4ad02733 100644
--- a/builtin/fsck.c
+++ b/builtin/fsck.c
@@ -181,12 +181,7 @@ static int traverse_reachable(void)
 	if (show_progress)
 		progress = start_progress_delay(_("Checking connectivity"), 0, 0, 2);
 	while (pending.nr) {
-		struct object_array_entry *entry;
-		struct object *obj;
-
-		entry = pending.objects + --pending.nr;
-		obj = entry->item;
-		result |= traverse_one_object(obj);
+		result |= traverse_one_object(object_array_pop(&pending));
 		display_progress(progress, ++nr);
 	}
 	stop_progress(&progress);
diff --git a/builtin/reflog.c b/builtin/reflog.c
index 6b34f23e78..2067cca5b1 100644
--- a/builtin/reflog.c
+++ b/builtin/reflog.c
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ static int commit_is_complete(struct commit *commit)
 		struct commit *c;
 		struct commit_list *parent;
 
-		c = (struct commit *)study.objects[--study.nr].item;
+		c = (struct commit *)object_array_pop(&study);
 		if (!c->object.parsed && !parse_object(&c->object.oid))
 			c->object.flags |= INCOMPLETE;
 
diff --git a/object.c b/object.c
index 321d7e9201..b9a4a0e501 100644
--- a/object.c
+++ b/object.c
@@ -353,6 +353,19 @@ static void object_array_release_entry(struct object_array_entry *ent)
 	free(ent->path);
 }
 
+struct object *object_array_pop(struct object_array *array)
+{
+	struct object *ret;
+
+	if (!array->nr)
+		return NULL;
+
+	ret = array->objects[array->nr - 1].item;
+	object_array_release_entry(&array->objects[array->nr - 1]);
+	array->nr--;
+	return ret;
+}
+
 void object_array_filter(struct object_array *array,
 			 object_array_each_func_t want, void *cb_data)
 {
diff --git a/object.h b/object.h
index 0a419ba8da..df8abe96f7 100644
--- a/object.h
+++ b/object.h
@@ -116,6 +116,14 @@ int object_list_contains(struct object_list *list, struct object *obj);
 void add_object_array(struct object *obj, const char *name, struct object_array *array);
 void add_object_array_with_path(struct object *obj, const char *name, struct object_array *array, unsigned mode, const char *path);
 
+/*
+ * Returns NULL if the array is empty. Otherwise, returns the last object
+ * after removing its entry from the array. Other resources associated
+ * with that object are left in an unspecified state and should not be
+ * examined.
+ */
+struct object *object_array_pop(struct object_array *array);
+
 typedef int (*object_array_each_func_t)(struct object_array_entry *, void *);
 
 /*
diff --git a/shallow.c b/shallow.c
index 54359d5490..901ac97917 100644
--- a/shallow.c
+++ b/shallow.c
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ struct commit_list *get_shallow_commits(struct object_array *heads, int depth,
 				cur_depth = 0;
 			} else {
 				commit = (struct commit *)
-					stack.objects[--stack.nr].item;
+					object_array_pop(&stack);
 				cur_depth = *(int *)commit->util;
 			}
 		}