const struct submodule *sub;
 
        if (ce_mode_s_ifmt == S_IFREG) {
-               struct stream_filter *filter = get_stream_filter(ce->name,
+               struct stream_filter *filter = get_stream_filter(state->istate, ce->name,
                                                                 &ce->oid);
                if (filter &&
                    !streaming_write_entry(ce, path, filter,
                 * Convert from git internal format to working tree format
                 */
                if (dco && dco->state != CE_NO_DELAY) {
-                       ret = async_convert_to_working_tree(ce->name, new_blob,
+                       ret = async_convert_to_working_tree(state->istate, ce->name, new_blob,
                                                            size, &buf, dco);
                        if (ret && string_list_has_string(&dco->paths, ce->name)) {
                                free(new_blob);
                                goto delayed;
                        }
                } else
-                       ret = convert_to_working_tree(ce->name, new_blob, size, &buf);
+                       ret = convert_to_working_tree(state->istate, ce->name, new_blob, size, &buf);
 
                if (ret) {
                        free(new_blob);
        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);
 
 
        if (!check_path(path.buf, path.len, &st, state->base_dir_len)) {
                const struct submodule *sub;
-               unsigned changed = ce_match_stat(ce, &st, CE_MATCH_IGNORE_VALID|CE_MATCH_IGNORE_SKIP_WORKTREE);
+               unsigned changed = ie_match_stat(state->istate, ce, &st,
+                                                CE_MATCH_IGNORE_VALID | CE_MATCH_IGNORE_SKIP_WORKTREE);
                /*
                 * Needs to be checked before !changed returns early,
                 * as the possibly empty directory was not changed
        create_directories(path.buf, path.len, state);
        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));
+}