-#!/bin/bash
+#!/bin/sh
 #
 # git-subtree.sh: split/join git repositories in subdirectories of this one
 #
 fi
 OPTS_SPEC="\
 git subtree add   --prefix=<prefix> <commit>
-git subtree add   --prefix=<prefix> <repository> <commit>
+git subtree add   --prefix=<prefix> <repository> <ref>
 git subtree merge --prefix=<prefix> <commit>
-git subtree pull  --prefix=<prefix> <repository> <refspec...>
-git subtree push  --prefix=<prefix> <repository> <refspec...>
+git subtree pull  --prefix=<prefix> <repository> <ref>
+git subtree push  --prefix=<prefix> <repository> <ref>
 git subtree split --prefix=<prefix> <commit...>
 --
 h,help        show the help
 annotate=
 squash=
 message=
+prefix=
 
 debug()
 {
                        GIT_COMMITTER_NAME \
                        GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL \
                        GIT_COMMITTER_DATE
-               (echo -n "$annotate"; cat ) |
+               (printf "%s" "$annotate"; cat ) |
                git commit-tree "$2" $3  # reads the rest of stdin
        ) || die "Can't copy commit $1"
 }
        fi
 }
 
+ensure_valid_ref_format()
+{
+       git check-ref-format "refs/heads/$1" ||
+           die "'$1' does not look like a ref"
+}
+
 cmd_add()
 {
        if [ -e "$dir" ]; then
            # specified directory.  Allowing a refspec might be
            # misleading because we won't do anything with any other
            # branches fetched via the refspec.
-           git rev-parse -q --verify "$2^{commit}" >/dev/null ||
-           die "'$2' does not refer to a commit"
+           ensure_valid_ref_format "$2"
 
            "cmd_add_repository" "$@"
        else
                commit=$(add_squashed_msg "$rev" "$dir" |
                         git commit-tree $tree $headp -p "$rev") || exit $?
        else
+               revp=$(peel_committish "$rev") &&
                commit=$(add_msg "$dir" "$headrev" "$rev" |
-                        git commit-tree $tree $headp -p "$rev") || exit $?
+                        git commit-tree $tree $headp -p "$revp") || exit $?
        fi
        git reset "$commit" || exit $?
        
 
 cmd_pull()
 {
+       if [ $# -ne 2 ]; then
+           die "You must provide <repository> <ref>"
+       fi
        ensure_clean
+       ensure_valid_ref_format "$2"
        git fetch "$@" || exit $?
        revs=FETCH_HEAD
        set -- $revs
 cmd_push()
 {
        if [ $# -ne 2 ]; then
-           die "You must provide <repository> <refspec>"
+           die "You must provide <repository> <ref>"
        fi
+       ensure_valid_ref_format "$2"
        if [ -e "$dir" ]; then
            repository=$1
            refspec=$2