/* IO helper functions */
 extern void maybe_flush_or_die(FILE *, const char *);
+__attribute__((format (printf, 2, 3)))
+extern void fprintf_or_die(FILE *, const char *fmt, ...);
 extern int copy_fd(int ifd, int ofd);
 extern int copy_file(const char *dst, const char *src, int mode);
 extern int copy_file_with_time(const char *dst, const char *src, int mode);
 
  * Write an entry to the packed-refs file for the specified refname.
  * If peeled is non-NULL, write it as the entry's peeled value.
  */
-static void write_packed_entry(int fd, char *refname, unsigned char *sha1,
+static void write_packed_entry(FILE *fh, char *refname, unsigned char *sha1,
                               unsigned char *peeled)
 {
-       char line[PATH_MAX + 100];
-       int len;
-
-       len = snprintf(line, sizeof(line), "%s %s\n",
-                      sha1_to_hex(sha1), refname);
-       /* this should not happen but just being defensive */
-       if (len > sizeof(line))
-               die("too long a refname '%s'", refname);
-       write_or_die(fd, line, len);
-
-       if (peeled) {
-               if (snprintf(line, sizeof(line), "^%s\n",
-                            sha1_to_hex(peeled)) != PEELED_LINE_LENGTH)
-                       die("internal error");
-               write_or_die(fd, line, PEELED_LINE_LENGTH);
-       }
+       fprintf_or_die(fh, "%s %s\n", sha1_to_hex(sha1), refname);
+       if (peeled)
+               fprintf_or_die(fh, "^%s\n", sha1_to_hex(peeled));
 }
 
 /*
  */
 static int write_packed_entry_fn(struct ref_entry *entry, void *cb_data)
 {
-       int *fd = cb_data;
        enum peel_status peel_status = peel_entry(entry, 0);
 
        if (peel_status != PEEL_PEELED && peel_status != PEEL_NON_TAG)
                error("internal error: %s is not a valid packed reference!",
                      entry->name);
-       write_packed_entry(*fd, entry->name, entry->u.value.sha1,
+       write_packed_entry(cb_data, entry->name, entry->u.value.sha1,
                           peel_status == PEEL_PEELED ?
                           entry->u.value.peeled : NULL);
        return 0;
                get_packed_ref_cache(&ref_cache);
        int error = 0;
        int save_errno = 0;
+       FILE *out;
 
        if (!packed_ref_cache->lock)
                die("internal error: packed-refs not locked");
-       write_or_die(packed_ref_cache->lock->fd,
-                    PACKED_REFS_HEADER, strlen(PACKED_REFS_HEADER));
 
+       out = fdopen(packed_ref_cache->lock->fd, "w");
+       if (!out)
+               die_errno("unable to fdopen packed-refs descriptor");
+
+       fprintf_or_die(out, "%s", PACKED_REFS_HEADER);
        do_for_each_entry_in_dir(get_packed_ref_dir(packed_ref_cache),
-                                0, write_packed_entry_fn,
-                                &packed_ref_cache->lock->fd);
+                                0, write_packed_entry_fn, out);
+       if (fclose(out))
+               die_errno("write error");
+       packed_ref_cache->lock->fd = -1;
+
        if (commit_lock_file(packed_ref_cache->lock)) {
                save_errno = errno;
                error = -1;