if (!new)
                        return error("git-checkout-index: unable to read sha1 file of %s (%s)",
                                path, sha1_to_hex(ce->sha1));
+
+               /*
+                * Convert from git internal format to working tree format
+                */
+               buf = convert_to_working_tree(ce->name, new, &size);
+               if (buf) {
+                       free(new);
+                       new = buf;
+               }
+
                if (to_tempfile) {
                        strcpy(path, ".merge_file_XXXXXX");
                        fd = mkstemp(path);
                                path, strerror(errno));
                }
 
-               /*
-                * Convert from git internal format to working tree format
-                */
-               buf = convert_to_working_tree(ce->name, new, &size);
-               if (buf) {
-                       free(new);
-                       new = buf;
-               }
-
                wrote = write_in_full(fd, new, size);
                close(fd);
                free(new);