free(name);
 
                name = xstrdup(mkpath(fmt, bname.buf));
-               if (!resolve_ref(name, sha1, 1, NULL)) {
+               if (read_ref(name, sha1)) {
                        error(_("%sbranch '%s' not found."),
                                        remote, bname.buf);
                        ret = 1;
 static void rename_branch(const char *oldname, const char *newname, int force)
 {
        struct strbuf oldref = STRBUF_INIT, newref = STRBUF_INIT, logmsg = STRBUF_INIT;
-       unsigned char sha1[20];
        struct strbuf oldsection = STRBUF_INIT, newsection = STRBUF_INIT;
        int recovery = 0;
 
                 * Bad name --- this could be an attempt to rename a
                 * ref that we used to allow to be created by accident.
                 */
-               if (resolve_ref(oldref.buf, sha1, 1, NULL))
+               if (ref_exists(oldref.buf))
                        recovery = 1;
                else
                        die(_("Invalid branch name: '%s'"), oldname);
 
            commit_locked_index(lock_file))
                die(_("unable to write new index file"));
 
-       resolve_ref("HEAD", rev, 0, &flag);
+       read_ref_full("HEAD", rev, 0, &flag);
        head = lookup_commit_reference_gently(rev, 1);
 
        errs |= post_checkout_hook(head, head, 0);
        setup_branch_path(new);
 
        if (!check_refname_format(new->path, 0) &&
-           resolve_ref(new->path, branch_rev, 1, NULL))
+           !read_ref(new->path, branch_rev))
                hashcpy(rev, branch_rev);
        else
                new->path = NULL; /* not an existing branch */
 
 static void merge_name(const char *remote, struct strbuf *msg)
 {
        struct object *remote_head;
-       unsigned char branch_head[20], buf_sha[20];
+       unsigned char branch_head[20];
        struct strbuf buf = STRBUF_INIT;
        struct strbuf bname = STRBUF_INIT;
        const char *ptr;
                strbuf_addstr(&truname, "refs/heads/");
                strbuf_addstr(&truname, remote);
                strbuf_setlen(&truname, truname.len - len);
-               if (resolve_ref(truname.buf, buf_sha, 1, NULL)) {
+               if (ref_exists(truname.buf)) {
                        strbuf_addf(msg,
                                    "%s\t\tbranch '%s'%s of .\n",
                                    sha1_to_hex(remote_head->sha1),
 
        states->tracked.strdup_strings = 1;
        states->stale.strdup_strings = 1;
        for (ref = fetch_map; ref; ref = ref->next) {
-               unsigned char sha1[20];
-               if (!ref->peer_ref || read_ref(ref->peer_ref->name, sha1))
+               if (!ref->peer_ref || !ref_exists(ref->peer_ref->name))
                        string_list_append(&states->new, abbrev_branch(ref->name));
                else
                        string_list_append(&states->tracked, abbrev_branch(ref->name));
                int flag = 0;
                unsigned char sha1[20];
 
-               resolve_ref(item->string, sha1, 1, &flag);
+               read_ref_full(item->string, sha1, 1, &flag);
                if (!(flag & REF_ISSYMREF))
                        continue;
                if (delete_ref(item->string, NULL, REF_NODEREF))
                usage_with_options(builtin_remote_sethead_usage, options);
 
        if (head_name) {
-               unsigned char sha1[20];
                strbuf_addf(&buf2, "refs/remotes/%s/%s", argv[0], head_name);
                /* make sure it's valid */
-               if (!resolve_ref(buf2.buf, sha1, 1, NULL))
+               if (!ref_exists(buf2.buf))
                        result |= error("Not a valid ref: %s", buf2.buf);
                else if (create_symref(buf.buf, buf2.buf, "remote set-head"))
                        result |= error("Could not setup %s", buf.buf);
 
                        had_error = 1;
                        continue;
                }
-               if (!resolve_ref(ref, sha1, 1, NULL)) {
+               if (read_ref(ref, sha1)) {
                        error("replace ref '%s' not found.", *p);
                        had_error = 1;
                        continue;
        if (check_refname_format(ref, 0))
                die("'%s' is not a valid ref name.", ref);
 
-       if (!resolve_ref(ref, prev, 1, NULL))
+       if (read_ref(ref, prev))
                hashclr(prev);
        else if (!force)
                die("replace ref '%s' already exists", ref);
 
                        unsigned char sha1[20];
 
                        if (!prefixcmp(*pattern, "refs/") &&
-                           resolve_ref(*pattern, sha1, 1, NULL)) {
+                           !read_ref(*pattern, sha1)) {
                                if (!quiet)
                                        show_one(*pattern, sha1);
                        }
 
                        had_error = 1;
                        continue;
                }
-               if (!resolve_ref(ref, sha1, 1, NULL)) {
+               if (read_ref(ref, sha1)) {
                        error(_("tag '%s' not found."), *p);
                        had_error = 1;
                        continue;
        if (strbuf_check_tag_ref(&ref, tag))
                die(_("'%s' is not a valid tag name."), tag);
 
-       if (!resolve_ref(ref.buf, prev, 1, NULL))
+       if (read_ref(ref.buf, prev))
                hashclr(prev);
        else if (!force)
                die(_("tag '%s' already exists"), tag);
 
                        continue;
                if (dwim_ref(e->name, strlen(e->name), sha1, &ref) != 1)
                        continue;
-               if (!resolve_ref(e->name, sha1, 1, &flag))
+               if (read_ref_full(e->name, sha1, 1, &flag))
                        flag = 0;
                display_ref = (flag & REF_ISSYMREF) ? e->name : ref;
 
 
 extern int get_sha1_hex(const char *hex, unsigned char *sha1);
 
 extern char *sha1_to_hex(const unsigned char *sha1);   /* static buffer result! */
+extern int read_ref_full(const char *filename, unsigned char *sha1,
+                        int reading, int *flags);
 extern int read_ref(const char *filename, unsigned char *sha1);
 
 /*
 
               o->local_ref, o->remote_ref);
 
        /* Dereference o->local_ref into local_sha1 */
-       if (!resolve_ref(o->local_ref, local_sha1, 0, NULL))
+       if (read_ref_full(o->local_ref, local_sha1, 0, NULL))
                die("Failed to resolve local notes ref '%s'", o->local_ref);
        else if (!check_refname_format(o->local_ref, 0) &&
                is_null_sha1(local_sha1))
 
                                        flag |= REF_ISBROKEN;
                                }
                        } else
-                               if (!resolve_ref(ref, sha1, 1, &flag)) {
+                               if (read_ref_full(ref, sha1, 1, &flag)) {
                                        hashclr(sha1);
                                        flag |= REF_ISBROKEN;
                                }
        void *cb_data;
 };
 
-int read_ref(const char *ref, unsigned char *sha1)
+int read_ref_full(const char *ref, unsigned char *sha1, int reading, int *flags)
 {
-       if (resolve_ref(ref, sha1, 1, NULL))
+       if (resolve_ref(ref, sha1, reading, flags))
                return 0;
        return -1;
 }
 
+int read_ref(const char *ref, unsigned char *sha1)
+{
+       return read_ref_full(ref, sha1, 1, NULL);
+}
+
 #define DO_FOR_EACH_INCLUDE_BROKEN 01
 static int do_one_ref(const char *base, each_ref_fn fn, int trim,
                      int flags, void *cb_data, struct ref_entry *entry)
                goto fallback;
        }
 
-       if (!resolve_ref(ref, base, 1, &flag))
+       if (read_ref_full(ref, base, 1, &flag))
                return -1;
 
        if ((flag & REF_ISPACKED)) {
                return 0;
        }
 
-       if (resolve_ref("HEAD", sha1, 1, &flag))
+       if (!read_ref_full("HEAD", sha1, 1, &flag))
                return fn("HEAD", sha1, flag, cb_data);
 
        return 0;
        int flag;
 
        strbuf_addf(&buf, "%sHEAD", get_git_namespace());
-       if (resolve_ref(buf.buf, sha1, 1, &flag))
+       if (!read_ref_full(buf.buf, sha1, 1, &flag))
                ret = fn(buf.buf, sha1, flag, cb_data);
        strbuf_release(&buf);
 
 static struct ref_lock *verify_lock(struct ref_lock *lock,
        const unsigned char *old_sha1, int mustexist)
 {
-       if (!resolve_ref(lock->ref_name, lock->old_sha1, mustexist, NULL)) {
+       if (read_ref_full(lock->ref_name, lock->old_sha1, mustexist, NULL)) {
                error("Can't verify ref %s", lock->ref_name);
                unlock_ref(lock);
                return NULL;
                goto rollback;
        }
 
-       if (resolve_ref(newref, sha1, 1, &flag) && delete_ref(newref, sha1, REF_NODEREF)) {
+       if (!read_ref_full(newref, sha1, 1, &flag) &&
+           delete_ref(newref, sha1, REF_NODEREF)) {
                if (errno==EISDIR) {
                        if (remove_empty_directories(git_path("%s", newref))) {
                                error("Directory not empty: %s", newref);
                                retval = do_for_each_reflog(log, fn, cb_data);
                        } else {
                                unsigned char sha1[20];
-                               if (!resolve_ref(log, sha1, 0, NULL))
+                               if (read_ref_full(log, sha1, 0, NULL))
                                        retval = error("bad ref for %s", log);
                                else
                                        retval = fn(log, sha1, 0, cb_data);
                 */
                for (j = 0; j < rules_to_fail; j++) {
                        const char *rule = ref_rev_parse_rules[j];
-                       unsigned char short_objectname[20];
                        char refname[PATH_MAX];
 
                        /* skip matched rule */
                         */
                        mksnpath(refname, sizeof(refname),
                                 rule, short_name_len, short_name);
-                       if (!read_ref(refname, short_objectname))
+                       if (ref_exists(refname))
                                break;
                }
 
 
         * nothing to report.
         */
        base = branch->merge[0]->dst;
-       if (!resolve_ref(base, sha1, 1, NULL))
+       if (read_ref(base, sha1))
                return 0;
        theirs = lookup_commit_reference(sha1);
        if (!theirs)
                return 0;
 
-       if (!resolve_ref(branch->refname, sha1, 1, NULL))
+       if (read_ref(branch->refname, sha1))
                return 0;
        ours = lookup_commit_reference(sha1);
        if (!ours)