diff --git a/hgext/rebase.py b/hgext/rebase.py
--- a/hgext/rebase.py
+++ b/hgext/rebase.py
@@ -836,27 +836,27 @@
             # and re-run as an on-disk merge.
             overrides = {('rebase', 'singletransaction'): True}
             with ui.configoverride(overrides, 'rebase'):
-                return _origrebase(ui, repo, inmemory=inmemory, **opts)
+                return _dorebase(ui, repo, inmemory=inmemory, **opts)
         except error.InMemoryMergeConflictsError:
             ui.warn(_('hit merge conflicts; re-running rebase without in-memory'
                       ' merge\n'))
-            _origrebase(ui, repo, abort=True)
-            return _origrebase(ui, repo, inmemory=False, **opts)
+            _dorebase(ui, repo, abort=True)
+            return _dorebase(ui, repo, inmemory=False, **opts)
     else:
-        return _origrebase(ui, repo, **opts)
+        return _dorebase(ui, repo, **opts)
 
 def _dryrunrebase(ui, repo, rbsrt, **opts):
     overrides = {('rebase', 'singletransaction'): True}
     with ui.configoverride(overrides, 'rebase'):
-        return _origrebase(ui, repo, inmemory=True, rbsrt=rbsrt,
-                           leaveunfinished=True, **opts)
-
-def _origrebase(ui, repo, inmemory=False, leaveunfinished=False, rbsrt=None,
-                **opts):
+        return _origrebase(ui, repo, rbsrt, inmemory=True, leaveunfinished=True,
+                           **opts)
+
+def _dorebase(ui, repo, inmemory=False, **opts):
     opts = pycompat.byteskwargs(opts)
-    if not rbsrt:
-        rbsrt = rebaseruntime(repo, ui, inmemory, opts)
-
+    rbsrt = rebaseruntime(repo, ui, inmemory, opts)
+    return _origrebase(ui, repo, rbsrt, inmemory=inmemory, **opts)
+
+def _origrebase(ui, repo, rbsrt, inmemory=False, leaveunfinished=False, **opts):
     with repo.wlock(), repo.lock():
         # Validate input and define rebasing points
         destf = opts.get('dest', None)