diff --git a/git-flow-feature b/git-flow-feature
index 6f3a0bb..058a832 100644
--- a/git-flow-feature
+++ b/git-flow-feature
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@
 # Copyright (c) 2010 by Benedikt Böhm
 #
 
+PREFIX=$(git config --get gitflow.prefix.feature || echo feature/)
+
 usage() {
 	echo "usage: git flow feature"
 	echo "       git flow feature start <name> [<base>]"
@@ -42,13 +44,10 @@
 		usage
 		exit 1
 	fi
-	PREFIX=$(git config --get gitflow.prefix.feature || echo feature/)
 	BRANCH=$PREFIX$NAME
 }
 
 cmd_default() {
-	# TODO: Refactor getting this prefix into a general function
-	PREFIX=$(git config --get gitflow.prefix.feature || echo feature/)
 	FEATURE_BRANCHES="$(echo "$LOCAL_BRANCHES" | grep "^$PREFIX")"
 	if [ -z "$FEATURE_BRANCHES" ]; then
 		warn "No feature branches exist."
diff --git a/git-flow-hotfix b/git-flow-hotfix
index d921762..8134605 100644
--- a/git-flow-hotfix
+++ b/git-flow-hotfix
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@
 # Copyright (c) 2010 by Benedikt Böhm
 #
 
+PREFIX=$(git config --get gitflow.prefix.hotfix || echo hotfix/)
+
 usage() {
 	echo "usage: git flow hotfix"
 	echo "       git flow hotfix start <version> [<base>]"
@@ -36,13 +38,10 @@
 		usage
 		exit 1
 	fi
-	PREFIX=$(git config --get gitflow.prefix.hotfix || echo hotfix/)
 	BRANCH=$PREFIX$VERSION
 }
 
 cmd_default() {
-	# TODO: Refactor getting this prefix into a general function
-	PREFIX=$(git config --get gitflow.prefix.hotfix || echo hotfix/)
 	HOTFIX_BRANCHES="$(echo "$LOCAL_BRANCHES" | grep "^$PREFIX")"
 	if [ -z "$HOTFIX_BRANCHES" ]; then
 		warn "No hotfix branches exist."
diff --git a/git-flow-release b/git-flow-release
index 1fec600..7e088c8 100644
--- a/git-flow-release
+++ b/git-flow-release
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@
 # Copyright (c) 2010 by Benedikt Böhm
 #
 
+VERSION_PREFIX=$(git config --get gitflow.prefix.versiontag)
+PREFIX=$(git config --get gitflow.prefix.release || echo release/)
+
 usage() {
 	echo "usage: git flow release"
 	echo "       git flow release start <version>"
@@ -30,20 +33,16 @@
 }
 
 parse_args() {
-	VERSION_PREFIX=$(git config --get gitflow.prefix.versiontag)
 	VERSION="$1"
 	if [ "$VERSION" = "" ]; then
 		echo "Missing argument <version>."
 		usage
 		exit 1
 	fi
-	PREFIX=$(git config --get gitflow.prefix.release || echo release/)
 	BRANCH=$PREFIX$VERSION
 }
 
 cmd_default() {
-	# TODO: Refactor getting this prefix into a general function
-	PREFIX=$(git config --get gitflow.prefix.release || echo release/)
 	RELEASE_BRANCHES="$(echo "$LOCAL_BRANCHES" | grep "^$PREFIX")"
 	if [ -z "$RELEASE_BRANCHES" ]; then
 		warn "No release branches exist."
diff --git a/git-flow-support b/git-flow-support
index adb336d..739ddfd 100644
--- a/git-flow-support
+++ b/git-flow-support
@@ -12,13 +12,15 @@
 # Copyright (c) 2010 by Benedikt Böhm
 #
 
+VERSION_PREFIX=$(git config --get gitflow.prefix.versiontag)
+PREFIX=$(git config --get gitflow.prefix.support || echo support/)
+
 usage() {
 	echo "usage: git flow support"
 	echo "       git flow support start <version> [<base>]"
 }
 
 parse_args() {
-	VERSION_PREFIX=$(git config --get gitflow.prefix.versiontag)
 	VERSION="$1"
 	BASE="${2:-${VERSION_PREFIX}${VERSION}}"
 	if [ "$VERSION" = "" ]; then
@@ -26,13 +28,10 @@
 		usage
 		exit 1
 	fi
-	PREFIX=$(git config --get gitflow.prefix.support || echo support/)
 	BRANCH=$PREFIX$VERSION
 }
 
 cmd_default() {
-	# TODO: Refactor getting this prefix into a general function
-	PREFIX=$(git config --get gitflow.prefix.support || echo support/)
 	SUPPORT_BRANCHES="$(echo "$LOCAL_BRANCHES" | grep "^$PREFIX")"
 	if [ -z "$SUPPORT_BRANCHES" ]; then
 		warn "No support branches exist."