diff --git a/refs.c b/refs.c
index 2be0d0f057..6f7b3447a7 100644
--- a/refs.c
+++ b/refs.c
@@ -1414,6 +1414,7 @@ int head_ref(each_ref_fn fn, void *cb_data)
 struct ref_iterator *refs_ref_iterator_begin(
 		struct ref_store *refs,
 		const char *prefix, int trim,
+		struct repository *repo,
 		enum do_for_each_ref_flags flags)
 {
 	struct ref_iterator *iter;
@@ -1429,7 +1430,7 @@ struct ref_iterator *refs_ref_iterator_begin(
 		}
 	}
 
-	iter = refs->be->iterator_begin(refs, prefix, flags);
+	iter = refs->be->iterator_begin(refs, prefix, repo, flags);
 
 	/*
 	 * `iterator_begin()` already takes care of prefix, but we
@@ -1464,7 +1465,7 @@ static int do_for_each_repo_ref(struct repository *r, const char *prefix,
 	if (!refs)
 		return 0;
 
-	iter = refs_ref_iterator_begin(refs, prefix, trim, flags);
+	iter = refs_ref_iterator_begin(refs, prefix, trim, r, flags);
 
 	return do_for_each_repo_ref_iterator(r, iter, fn, cb_data);
 }
@@ -1495,7 +1496,7 @@ static int do_for_each_ref(struct ref_store *refs, const char *prefix,
 	if (!refs)
 		return 0;
 
-	iter = refs_ref_iterator_begin(refs, prefix, trim, flags);
+	iter = refs_ref_iterator_begin(refs, prefix, trim, the_repository, flags);
 
 	return do_for_each_repo_ref_iterator(the_repository, iter,
 					do_for_each_ref_helper, &hp);
@@ -2260,7 +2261,7 @@ int refs_verify_refname_available(struct ref_store *refs,
 	strbuf_addstr(&dirname, refname + dirname.len);
 	strbuf_addch(&dirname, '/');
 
-	iter = refs_ref_iterator_begin(refs, dirname.buf, 0,
+	iter = refs_ref_iterator_begin(refs, dirname.buf, 0, the_repository,
 				       DO_FOR_EACH_INCLUDE_BROKEN);
 	while ((ok = ref_iterator_advance(iter)) == ITER_OK) {
 		if (skip &&
diff --git a/refs/debug.c b/refs/debug.c
index 1a7a9e11cf..753d5da893 100644
--- a/refs/debug.c
+++ b/refs/debug.c
@@ -224,11 +224,11 @@ static struct ref_iterator_vtable debug_ref_iterator_vtable = {
 
 static struct ref_iterator *
 debug_ref_iterator_begin(struct ref_store *ref_store, const char *prefix,
-			 unsigned int flags)
+			 struct repository *repo, unsigned int flags)
 {
 	struct debug_ref_store *drefs = (struct debug_ref_store *)ref_store;
 	struct ref_iterator *res =
-		drefs->refs->be->iterator_begin(drefs->refs, prefix, flags);
+		drefs->refs->be->iterator_begin(drefs->refs, prefix, repo, flags);
 	struct debug_ref_iterator *diter = xcalloc(1, sizeof(*diter));
 	base_ref_iterator_init(&diter->base, &debug_ref_iterator_vtable, 1);
 	diter->iter = res;
diff --git a/refs/files-backend.c b/refs/files-backend.c
index 1148c0cf09..f0cbea41c9 100644
--- a/refs/files-backend.c
+++ b/refs/files-backend.c
@@ -798,7 +798,7 @@ static struct ref_iterator_vtable files_ref_iterator_vtable = {
 
 static struct ref_iterator *files_ref_iterator_begin(
 		struct ref_store *ref_store,
-		const char *prefix, unsigned int flags)
+		const char *prefix, struct repository *repo, unsigned int flags)
 {
 	struct files_ref_store *refs;
 	struct ref_iterator *loose_iter, *packed_iter, *overlay_iter;
@@ -844,6 +844,7 @@ static struct ref_iterator *files_ref_iterator_begin(
 	 */
 	packed_iter = refs_ref_iterator_begin(
 			refs->packed_ref_store, prefix, 0,
+			repo,
 			DO_FOR_EACH_INCLUDE_BROKEN);
 
 	overlay_iter = overlay_ref_iterator_begin(loose_iter, packed_iter);
diff --git a/refs/packed-backend.c b/refs/packed-backend.c
index f8aa97d799..94fb1042a2 100644
--- a/refs/packed-backend.c
+++ b/refs/packed-backend.c
@@ -913,7 +913,7 @@ static struct ref_iterator_vtable packed_ref_iterator_vtable = {
 
 static struct ref_iterator *packed_ref_iterator_begin(
 		struct ref_store *ref_store,
-		const char *prefix, unsigned int flags)
+		const char *prefix, struct repository *repo, unsigned int flags)
 {
 	struct packed_ref_store *refs;
 	struct snapshot *snapshot;
@@ -1135,8 +1135,14 @@ static int write_with_updates(struct packed_ref_store *refs,
 	 * of the lists each time through the loop. When the current
 	 * list of refs is exhausted, set iter to NULL. When the list
 	 * of updates is exhausted, leave i set to updates->nr.
+	 *
+	 * Note that the repository does not matter since
+	 * DO_FOR_EACH_INCLUDE_BROKEN means that we do not access any objects,
+	 * but the_repository here makes the most sense because we only support
+	 * writing refs to the main repository.
 	 */
 	iter = packed_ref_iterator_begin(&refs->base, "",
+					 the_repository,
 					 DO_FOR_EACH_INCLUDE_BROKEN);
 	if ((ok = ref_iterator_advance(iter)) != ITER_OK)
 		iter = NULL;
diff --git a/refs/refs-internal.h b/refs/refs-internal.h
index 96911fb26e..9440be51da 100644
--- a/refs/refs-internal.h
+++ b/refs/refs-internal.h
@@ -382,6 +382,7 @@ int is_empty_ref_iterator(struct ref_iterator *ref_iterator);
 struct ref_iterator *refs_ref_iterator_begin(
 		struct ref_store *refs,
 		const char *prefix, int trim,
+		struct repository *repo,
 		enum do_for_each_ref_flags flags);
 
 /*
@@ -583,7 +584,7 @@ typedef int copy_ref_fn(struct ref_store *ref_store,
  */
 typedef struct ref_iterator *ref_iterator_begin_fn(
 		struct ref_store *ref_store,
-		const char *prefix, unsigned int flags);
+		const char *prefix, struct repository *repo, unsigned int flags);
 
 /* reflog functions */
 
