static const char *argv_checkout[] = {"checkout", "-q", NULL, "--", NULL};
 static const char *argv_show_branch[] = {"show-branch", NULL, NULL};
-static const char *argv_update_ref[] = {"update-ref", "--no-deref", "BISECT_HEAD", NULL, NULL};
 
 static const char *term_bad;
 static const char *term_good;
        b = (struct commit_dist *)b_;
        if (a->distance != b->distance)
                return b->distance - a->distance; /* desc sort */
-       return hashcmp(a->commit->object.sha1, b->commit->object.sha1);
+       return oidcmp(&a->commit->object.oid, &b->commit->object.oid);
 }
 
 static struct commit_list *best_bisection_sorted(struct commit_list *list, int nr)
        return for_each_ref_in("refs/bisect/", register_ref, NULL);
 }
 
+static GIT_PATH_FUNC(git_path_bisect_names, "BISECT_NAMES")
+static GIT_PATH_FUNC(git_path_bisect_expected_rev, "BISECT_EXPECTED_REV")
+
 static void read_bisect_paths(struct argv_array *array)
 {
        struct strbuf str = STRBUF_INIT;
-       const char *filename = git_path("BISECT_NAMES");
+       const char *filename = git_path_bisect_names();
        FILE *fp = fopen(filename, "r");
 
        if (!fp)
                die_errno("Could not open file '%s'", filename);
 
-       while (strbuf_getline(&str, fp, '\n') != EOF) {
+       while (strbuf_getline_lf(&str, fp) != EOF) {
                strbuf_trim(&str);
                if (sq_dequote_to_argv_array(str.buf, array))
                        die("Badly quoted content in file '%s': %s",
                struct commit_list *next = list->next;
                list->next = NULL;
                if (0 <= sha1_array_lookup(&skipped_revs,
-                                          list->item->object.sha1)) {
+                                          list->item->object.oid.hash)) {
                        if (skipped_first && !*skipped_first)
                                *skipped_first = 1;
                        /* Move current to tried list */
 
        for (i = 0; cur; cur = cur->next, i++) {
                if (i == index) {
-                       if (hashcmp(cur->item->object.sha1, current_bad_oid->hash))
+                       if (oidcmp(&cur->item->object.oid, current_bad_oid))
                                return cur;
                        if (previous)
                                return previous;
 
 static int is_expected_rev(const struct object_id *oid)
 {
-       const char *filename = git_path("BISECT_EXPECTED_REV");
+       const char *filename = git_path_bisect_expected_rev();
        struct stat st;
        struct strbuf str = STRBUF_INIT;
        FILE *fp;
        if (!fp)
                return 0;
 
-       if (strbuf_getline(&str, fp, '\n') != EOF)
+       if (strbuf_getline_lf(&str, fp) != EOF)
                res = !strcmp(str.buf, oid_to_hex(oid));
 
        strbuf_release(&str);
        return res;
 }
 
-static void mark_expected_rev(char *bisect_rev_hex)
-{
-       int len = strlen(bisect_rev_hex);
-       const char *filename = git_path("BISECT_EXPECTED_REV");
-       int fd = open(filename, O_CREAT | O_TRUNC | O_WRONLY, 0600);
-
-       if (fd < 0)
-               die_errno("could not create file '%s'", filename);
-
-       bisect_rev_hex[len] = '\n';
-       write_or_die(fd, bisect_rev_hex, len + 1);
-       bisect_rev_hex[len] = '\0';
-
-       if (close(fd) < 0)
-               die("closing file %s: %s", filename, strerror(errno));
-}
-
-static int bisect_checkout(char *bisect_rev_hex, int no_checkout)
+static int bisect_checkout(const unsigned char *bisect_rev, int no_checkout)
 {
+       char bisect_rev_hex[GIT_SHA1_HEXSZ + 1];
 
-       mark_expected_rev(bisect_rev_hex);
+       memcpy(bisect_rev_hex, sha1_to_hex(bisect_rev), GIT_SHA1_HEXSZ + 1);
+       update_ref(NULL, "BISECT_EXPECTED_REV", bisect_rev, NULL, 0, UPDATE_REFS_DIE_ON_ERR);
 
        argv_checkout[2] = bisect_rev_hex;
        if (no_checkout) {
-               argv_update_ref[3] = bisect_rev_hex;
-               if (run_command_v_opt(argv_update_ref, RUN_GIT_CMD))
-                       die("update-ref --no-deref HEAD failed on %s",
-                           bisect_rev_hex);
+               update_ref(NULL, "BISECT_HEAD", bisect_rev, NULL, 0, UPDATE_REFS_DIE_ON_ERR);
        } else {
                int res;
                res = run_command_v_opt(argv_checkout, RUN_GIT_CMD);
 
 static struct commit **get_bad_and_good_commits(int *rev_nr)
 {
-       int len = 1 + good_revs.nr;
-       struct commit **rev = xmalloc(len * sizeof(*rev));
+       struct commit **rev;
        int i, n = 0;
 
+       ALLOC_ARRAY(rev, 1 + good_revs.nr);
        rev[n++] = get_commit_reference(current_bad_oid->hash);
        for (i = 0; i < good_revs.nr; i++)
                rev[n++] = get_commit_reference(good_revs.sha1[i]);
        result = get_merge_bases_many(rev[0], rev_nr - 1, rev + 1);
 
        for (; result; result = result->next) {
-               const unsigned char *mb = result->item->object.sha1;
+               const unsigned char *mb = result->item->object.oid.hash;
                if (!hashcmp(mb, current_bad_oid->hash)) {
                        handle_bad_merge_base();
                } else if (0 <= sha1_array_lookup(&good_revs, mb)) {
                        handle_skipped_merge_base(mb);
                } else {
                        printf("Bisecting: a merge base must be tested\n");
-                       exit(bisect_checkout(sha1_to_hex(mb), no_checkout));
+                       exit(bisect_checkout(mb, no_checkout));
                }
        }
 
                                strerror(errno));
                }
        } else {
-               strbuf_getline(&str, fp, '\n');
+               strbuf_getline_lf(&str, fp);
                *read_bad = strbuf_detach(&str, NULL);
-               strbuf_getline(&str, fp, '\n');
+               strbuf_getline_lf(&str, fp);
                *read_good = strbuf_detach(&str, NULL);
        }
        strbuf_release(&str);
        struct commit_list *tried;
        int reaches = 0, all = 0, nr, steps;
        const unsigned char *bisect_rev;
-       char bisect_rev_hex[GIT_SHA1_HEXSZ + 1];
 
        read_bisect_terms(&term_bad, &term_good);
        if (read_bisect_refs())
                exit(4);
        }
 
-       bisect_rev = revs.commits->item->object.sha1;
-       memcpy(bisect_rev_hex, sha1_to_hex(bisect_rev), GIT_SHA1_HEXSZ + 1);
+       bisect_rev = revs.commits->item->object.oid.hash;
 
        if (!hashcmp(bisect_rev, current_bad_oid->hash)) {
                exit_if_skipped_commits(tried, current_bad_oid);
-               printf("%s is the first %s commit\n", bisect_rev_hex,
+               printf("%s is the first %s commit\n", sha1_to_hex(bisect_rev),
                        term_bad);
                show_diff_tree(prefix, revs.commits->item);
                /* This means the bisection process succeeded. */
               "(roughly %d step%s)\n", nr, (nr == 1 ? "" : "s"),
               steps, (steps == 1 ? "" : "s"));
 
-       return bisect_checkout(bisect_rev_hex, no_checkout);
+       return bisect_checkout(bisect_rev, no_checkout);
 }
 
 static inline int log2i(int n)