diff --git a/mercurial/hg.py b/mercurial/hg.py
--- a/mercurial/hg.py
+++ b/mercurial/hg.py
@@ -672,8 +672,8 @@
     """
 
     if isinstance(source, bytes):
-        origsource = ui.expandpath(source)
-        source, branches = urlutil.parseurl(origsource, branch)
+        src = urlutil.get_clone_path(ui, source, branch)
+        origsource, source, branches = src
         srcpeer = peer(ui, peeropts, source)
     else:
         srcpeer = source.peer()  # in case we were called with a localrepo
diff --git a/mercurial/utils/urlutil.py b/mercurial/utils/urlutil.py
--- a/mercurial/utils/urlutil.py
+++ b/mercurial/utils/urlutil.py
@@ -471,6 +471,13 @@
         yield parseurl(url, default_branches)
 
 
+def get_clone_path(ui, source, default_branches=()):
+    """return the `(origsource, path, branch)` selected as clone source"""
+    url = ui.expandpath(source)
+    path, branch = parseurl(url, default_branches)
+    return url, path, branch
+
+
 def parseurl(path, branches=None):
     '''parse url#branch, returning (url, (branch, branches))'''
     u = url(path)