diff --git a/src/libostree/ostree-core.c b/src/libostree/ostree-core.c
index 929d8345..3fe6d220 100644
--- a/src/libostree/ostree-core.c
+++ b/src/libostree/ostree-core.c
@@ -58,6 +58,29 @@ ostree_validate_checksum_string (const char *sha256,
   return TRUE;
 }
 
+gboolean
+ostree_validate_rev (const char *rev,
+                     GError **error)
+{
+  gboolean ret = FALSE;
+  GPtrArray *components = NULL;
+
+  if (!ot_util_path_split_validate (rev, &components, error))
+    goto out;
+
+  if (components->len == 0)
+    {
+      g_set_error (error, G_IO_ERROR, G_IO_ERROR_FAILED,
+                   "Invalid empty rev");
+      goto out;
+    }
+
+  ret = TRUE;
+ out:
+  g_ptr_array_unref (components);
+  return ret;
+}
+
 GVariant *
 ostree_wrap_metadata_variant (OstreeObjectType  type,
                               GVariant         *metadata)
diff --git a/src/libostree/ostree-core.h b/src/libostree/ostree-core.h
index 0772ca90..24489ce3 100644
--- a/src/libostree/ostree-core.h
+++ b/src/libostree/ostree-core.h
@@ -100,6 +100,8 @@ typedef enum {
 gboolean ostree_validate_checksum_string (const char *sha256,
                                           GError    **error);
 
+gboolean ostree_validate_rev (const char *rev, GError **error);
+
 void ostree_checksum_update_stat (GChecksum *checksum, guint32 uid, guint32 gid, guint32 mode);
 
 const char * ostree_object_type_to_string (OstreeObjectType objtype);
diff --git a/src/libostree/ostree-repo.c b/src/libostree/ostree-repo.c
index 0192b7a1..dc0baef7 100644
--- a/src/libostree/ostree-repo.c
+++ b/src/libostree/ostree-repo.c
@@ -339,20 +339,11 @@ ostree_repo_resolve_rev (OstreeRepo     *self,
   
   g_return_val_if_fail (rev != NULL, FALSE);
 
-  /* This checks for .. and such, but we don't actually walk
-   * the parsed bits below.
-   */
-  if (!ot_util_path_split_validate (rev, &components, error))
+  if (!ostree_validate_rev (rev, error))
     goto out;
 
-  if (components->len == 0)
-    {
-      g_set_error (error, G_IO_ERROR, G_IO_ERROR_FAILED,
-                   "Invalid empty rev");
-      goto out;
-    }
   /* We intentionally don't allow a ref that looks like a checksum */
-  else if (ostree_validate_checksum_string (rev, NULL))
+  if (ostree_validate_checksum_string (rev, NULL))
     {
       ret_rev = g_strdup (rev);
     }