return object;
 }
 
+void add_pending_sha1(struct rev_info *revs, const char *name,
+                     const unsigned char *sha1, unsigned int flags)
+{
+       struct object *object = get_reference(revs, name, sha1, flags);
+       add_pending_object(revs, object, name);
+}
+
 static struct commit *handle_commit(struct rev_info *revs, struct object *object, const char *name)
 {
        unsigned long flags = object->flags;
        struct object *object = get_reference(cb->all_revs, path, sha1,
                                              cb->all_flags);
        add_rev_cmdline(cb->all_revs, object, path, REV_CMD_REF, cb->all_flags);
-       add_pending_object(cb->all_revs, object, path);
+       add_pending_sha1(cb->all_revs, path, sha1, cb->all_flags);
        return 0;
 }
 
        const char **prune = NULL;
        int i, prune_num = 1; /* counting terminating NULL */
 
-       if (get_sha1("HEAD", sha1) || !(head = lookup_commit(sha1)))
+       if (get_sha1("HEAD", sha1))
                die("--merge without HEAD?");
-       if (get_sha1("MERGE_HEAD", sha1) || !(other = lookup_commit(sha1)))
+       head = lookup_commit_or_die(sha1, "HEAD");
+       if (get_sha1("MERGE_HEAD", sha1))
                die("--merge without MERGE_HEAD?");
+       other = lookup_commit_or_die(sha1, "MERGE_HEAD");
        add_pending_object(revs, &head->object, "HEAD");
        add_pending_object(revs, &other->object, "MERGE_HEAD");
        bases = get_merge_bases(head, other, 1);
                }
                e++;
        }
-       free(list);
+       if (!revs->leak_pending)
+               free(list);
 
        if (revs->no_walk)
                return 0;