diff --git a/src/reference.c b/src/reference.c
index 582fddb1..c9a64c28 100644
--- a/src/reference.c
+++ b/src/reference.c
@@ -216,21 +216,22 @@ Reference_rename(Reference *self, PyObject *py_name)
 {
     CHECK_REFERENCE(self);
 
-    /* Get the C name */
+    // Get the C name
     char *c_name = pgit_encode_fsdefault(py_name);
     if (c_name == NULL)
         return NULL;
 
-    /* Rename */
+    // Rename
     git_reference *new_reference;
     int err = git_reference_rename(&new_reference, self->reference, c_name, 0, NULL);
     free(c_name);
-
-    git_reference_free(self->reference);
     if (err)
         return Error_set(err);
 
+    // Upadate reference
+    git_reference_free(self->reference);
     self->reference = new_reference;
+
     Py_RETURN_NONE;
 }
 
diff --git a/test/test_refs.py b/test/test_refs.py
index 6220141a..334612c0 100644
--- a/test/test_refs.py
+++ b/test/test_refs.py
@@ -142,12 +142,17 @@ def test_refs_delete(testrepo):
 
 def test_refs_rename(testrepo):
     # We add a tag as a new reference that points to "origin/master"
-    reference = testrepo.references.create('refs/tags/version1',
-                                            LAST_COMMIT)
+    reference = testrepo.references.create('refs/tags/version1', LAST_COMMIT)
     assert reference.name == 'refs/tags/version1'
     reference.rename('refs/tags/version2')
     assert reference.name == 'refs/tags/version2'
 
+    with pytest.raises(AlreadyExistsError):
+        reference.rename('refs/tags/version2')
+
+    with pytest.raises(InvalidSpecError):
+        reference.rename('b1')
+
 #def test_reload(testrepo):
 #    name = 'refs/tags/version1'
 #    ref = testrepo.create_reference(name, "refs/heads/master", symbolic=True)