static struct strbuf path = STRBUF_INIT;
        struct stat st;
 
+       if (ce->ce_flags & CE_WT_REMOVE) {
+               if (topath)
+                       /*
+                        * No content and thus no path to create, so we have
+                        * no pathname to return.
+                        */
+                       BUG("Can't remove entry to a path");
+               unlink_entry(ce);
+               return 0;
+       }
+
        if (topath)
                return write_entry(ce, topath, state, 1);
 
                (*nr_checkouts)++;
        return write_entry(ce, path.buf, state, 0);
 }
+
+void unlink_entry(const struct cache_entry *ce)
+{
+       const struct submodule *sub = submodule_from_ce(ce);
+       if (sub) {
+               /* state.force is set at the caller. */
+               submodule_move_head(ce->name, "HEAD", NULL,
+                                   SUBMODULE_MOVE_HEAD_FORCE);
+       }
+       if (!check_leading_path(ce->name, ce_namelen(ce)))
+               return;
+       if (remove_or_warn(ce->ce_mode, ce->name))
+               return;
+       schedule_dir_for_removal(ce->name, ce_namelen(ce));
+}