diff --git a/R/github.R b/R/github.R
index 880dbbc6..78a8a04d 100644
--- a/R/github.R
+++ b/R/github.R
@@ -4,18 +4,13 @@ github_GET <- function(path, ..., host = "api.github.com", pat = github_pat(), u
   url <- build_url(host, path)
 
   if (isTRUE(use_curl)) {
-    h <- curl::new_handle()
     headers <- c(
       if (!is.null(pat)) {
         c("Authorization" = paste0("token ", pat))
       }
     )
-    curl::handle_setheaders(h, .list = headers)
-    res <- curl::curl_fetch_memory(url, handle = h)
 
-    if (res$status_code >= 300) {
-      stop(github_error(res))
-    }
+    res <- github_curl_fetch_memory(url, headers)
     json$parse(raw_to_char_utf8(res$content))
   } else {
     tmp <- tempfile()
@@ -31,25 +26,21 @@ github_commit <- function(username, repo, ref = "HEAD",
   url <- build_url(host, "repos", username, repo, "commits", utils::URLencode(ref, reserved = TRUE))
 
   if (isTRUE(use_curl)) {
-    h <- curl::new_handle()
     headers <- c(
       "Accept" = "application/vnd.github.v3.sha",
       if (!is.null(pat)) {
         c("Authorization" = paste0("token ", pat))
+      },
+      if (!is.null(current_sha)) {
+        c("If-None-Match" = paste0('"', current_sha, '"'))
       }
     )
 
-    if (!is.null(current_sha)) {
-      headers <- c(headers, "If-None-Match" = paste0('"', current_sha, '"'))
-    }
-    curl::handle_setheaders(h, .list = headers)
-    res <- curl::curl_fetch_memory(url, handle = h)
+    res <- github_curl_fetch_memory(url, headers, accept = 304)
+
     if (res$status_code == 304) {
       return(current_sha)
     }
-    if (res$status_code >= 300) {
-      stop(github_error(res))
-    }
 
     raw_to_char_utf8(res$content)
   } else {
@@ -116,7 +107,6 @@ github_DESCRIPTION <- function(username, repo, subdir = NULL, ref = "HEAD", host
   url <- paste0(url, "?ref=", utils::URLencode(ref))
 
   if (isTRUE(use_curl)) {
-    h <- curl::new_handle()
     headers <- c(
       "Accept" = "application/vnd.github.v3.raw",
       if (!is.null(pat)) {
@@ -124,11 +114,8 @@ github_DESCRIPTION <- function(username, repo, subdir = NULL, ref = "HEAD", host
       }
     )
 
-    curl::handle_setheaders(h, .list = headers)
-    res <- curl::curl_fetch_memory(url, handle = h)
-    if (res$status_code >= 300) {
-      stop(github_error(res))
-    }
+    res <- github_curl_fetch_memory(url, headers)
+
     raw_to_char_utf8(res$content)
   } else {
     tmp <- tempfile()
@@ -141,6 +128,20 @@ github_DESCRIPTION <- function(username, repo, subdir = NULL, ref = "HEAD", host
   }
 }
 
+github_curl_fetch_memory <- function(url, headers, accept = NULL) {
+  h <- curl::new_handle()
+  curl::handle_setheaders(h, .list = headers)
+  res <- curl::curl_fetch_memory(url, handle = h)
+
+  if (!(res$status_code %in% accept)) {
+    if (res$status_code >= 300) {
+      stop(github_error(res))
+    }
+  }
+
+  res
+}
+
 github_error <- function(res) {
   res_headers <- curl::parse_headers_list(res$headers)
 
diff --git a/inst/install-github.R b/inst/install-github.R
index ee08f07a..e0d92297 100644
--- a/inst/install-github.R
+++ b/inst/install-github.R
@@ -1687,18 +1687,13 @@ function(...) {
     url <- build_url(host, path)
   
     if (isTRUE(use_curl)) {
-      h <- curl::new_handle()
       headers <- c(
         if (!is.null(pat)) {
           c("Authorization" = paste0("token ", pat))
         }
       )
-      curl::handle_setheaders(h, .list = headers)
-      res <- curl::curl_fetch_memory(url, handle = h)
   
-      if (res$status_code >= 300) {
-        stop(github_error(res))
-      }
+      res <- github_curl_fetch_memory(url, headers)
       json$parse(raw_to_char_utf8(res$content))
     } else {
       tmp <- tempfile()
@@ -1714,25 +1709,21 @@ function(...) {
     url <- build_url(host, "repos", username, repo, "commits", utils::URLencode(ref, reserved = TRUE))
   
     if (isTRUE(use_curl)) {
-      h <- curl::new_handle()
       headers <- c(
         "Accept" = "application/vnd.github.v3.sha",
         if (!is.null(pat)) {
           c("Authorization" = paste0("token ", pat))
+        },
+        if (!is.null(current_sha)) {
+          c("If-None-Match" = paste0('"', current_sha, '"'))
         }
       )
   
-      if (!is.null(current_sha)) {
-        headers <- c(headers, "If-None-Match" = paste0('"', current_sha, '"'))
-      }
-      curl::handle_setheaders(h, .list = headers)
-      res <- curl::curl_fetch_memory(url, handle = h)
+      res <- github_curl_fetch_memory(url, headers, accept = 304)
+  
       if (res$status_code == 304) {
         return(current_sha)
       }
-      if (res$status_code >= 300) {
-        stop(github_error(res))
-      }
   
       raw_to_char_utf8(res$content)
     } else {
@@ -1799,7 +1790,6 @@ function(...) {
     url <- paste0(url, "?ref=", utils::URLencode(ref))
   
     if (isTRUE(use_curl)) {
-      h <- curl::new_handle()
       headers <- c(
         "Accept" = "application/vnd.github.v3.raw",
         if (!is.null(pat)) {
@@ -1807,11 +1797,8 @@ function(...) {
         }
       )
   
-      curl::handle_setheaders(h, .list = headers)
-      res <- curl::curl_fetch_memory(url, handle = h)
-      if (res$status_code >= 300) {
-        stop(github_error(res))
-      }
+      res <- github_curl_fetch_memory(url, headers)
+  
       raw_to_char_utf8(res$content)
     } else {
       tmp <- tempfile()
@@ -1824,6 +1811,20 @@ function(...) {
     }
   }
   
+  github_curl_fetch_memory <- function(url, headers, accept = NULL) {
+    h <- curl::new_handle()
+    curl::handle_setheaders(h, .list = headers)
+    res <- curl::curl_fetch_memory(url, handle = h)
+  
+    if (!(res$status_code %in% accept)) {
+      if (res$status_code >= 300) {
+        stop(github_error(res))
+      }
+    }
+  
+    res
+  }
+  
   github_error <- function(res) {
     res_headers <- curl::parse_headers_list(res$headers)
   
diff --git a/install-github.R b/install-github.R
index ee08f07a..e0d92297 100644
--- a/install-github.R
+++ b/install-github.R
@@ -1687,18 +1687,13 @@ function(...) {
     url <- build_url(host, path)
   
     if (isTRUE(use_curl)) {
-      h <- curl::new_handle()
       headers <- c(
         if (!is.null(pat)) {
           c("Authorization" = paste0("token ", pat))
         }
       )
-      curl::handle_setheaders(h, .list = headers)
-      res <- curl::curl_fetch_memory(url, handle = h)
   
-      if (res$status_code >= 300) {
-        stop(github_error(res))
-      }
+      res <- github_curl_fetch_memory(url, headers)
       json$parse(raw_to_char_utf8(res$content))
     } else {
       tmp <- tempfile()
@@ -1714,25 +1709,21 @@ function(...) {
     url <- build_url(host, "repos", username, repo, "commits", utils::URLencode(ref, reserved = TRUE))
   
     if (isTRUE(use_curl)) {
-      h <- curl::new_handle()
       headers <- c(
         "Accept" = "application/vnd.github.v3.sha",
         if (!is.null(pat)) {
           c("Authorization" = paste0("token ", pat))
+        },
+        if (!is.null(current_sha)) {
+          c("If-None-Match" = paste0('"', current_sha, '"'))
         }
       )
   
-      if (!is.null(current_sha)) {
-        headers <- c(headers, "If-None-Match" = paste0('"', current_sha, '"'))
-      }
-      curl::handle_setheaders(h, .list = headers)
-      res <- curl::curl_fetch_memory(url, handle = h)
+      res <- github_curl_fetch_memory(url, headers, accept = 304)
+  
       if (res$status_code == 304) {
         return(current_sha)
       }
-      if (res$status_code >= 300) {
-        stop(github_error(res))
-      }
   
       raw_to_char_utf8(res$content)
     } else {
@@ -1799,7 +1790,6 @@ function(...) {
     url <- paste0(url, "?ref=", utils::URLencode(ref))
   
     if (isTRUE(use_curl)) {
-      h <- curl::new_handle()
       headers <- c(
         "Accept" = "application/vnd.github.v3.raw",
         if (!is.null(pat)) {
@@ -1807,11 +1797,8 @@ function(...) {
         }
       )
   
-      curl::handle_setheaders(h, .list = headers)
-      res <- curl::curl_fetch_memory(url, handle = h)
-      if (res$status_code >= 300) {
-        stop(github_error(res))
-      }
+      res <- github_curl_fetch_memory(url, headers)
+  
       raw_to_char_utf8(res$content)
     } else {
       tmp <- tempfile()
@@ -1824,6 +1811,20 @@ function(...) {
     }
   }
   
+  github_curl_fetch_memory <- function(url, headers, accept = NULL) {
+    h <- curl::new_handle()
+    curl::handle_setheaders(h, .list = headers)
+    res <- curl::curl_fetch_memory(url, handle = h)
+  
+    if (!(res$status_code %in% accept)) {
+      if (res$status_code >= 300) {
+        stop(github_error(res))
+      }
+    }
+  
+    res
+  }
+  
   github_error <- function(res) {
     res_headers <- curl::parse_headers_list(res$headers)