diff --git a/refs.c b/refs.c
index 46e3c785016..acc5d5fa578 100644
--- a/refs.c
+++ b/refs.c
@@ -1665,17 +1665,18 @@ static int refs_read_special_head(struct ref_store *ref_store,
 	return result;
 }
 
-int refs_read_raw_ref(struct ref_store *ref_store,
-		      const char *refname, struct object_id *oid,
-		      struct strbuf *referent, unsigned int *type)
+int refs_read_raw_ref(struct ref_store *ref_store, const char *refname,
+		      struct object_id *oid, struct strbuf *referent,
+		      unsigned int *type, int *failure_errno)
 {
+	assert(failure_errno);
 	if (!strcmp(refname, "FETCH_HEAD") || !strcmp(refname, "MERGE_HEAD")) {
 		return refs_read_special_head(ref_store, refname, oid, referent,
 					      type);
 	}
 
 	return ref_store->be->read_raw_ref(ref_store, refname, oid, referent,
-					   type, &errno);
+					   type, failure_errno);
 }
 
 const char *refs_werrres_ref_unsafe(struct ref_store *refs,
@@ -1719,9 +1720,8 @@ const char *refs_werrres_ref_unsafe(struct ref_store *refs,
 	for (symref_count = 0; symref_count < SYMREF_MAXDEPTH; symref_count++) {
 		unsigned int read_flags = 0;
 
-		errno = 0;
-		if (refs_read_raw_ref(refs, refname,
-				      oid, &sb_refname, &read_flags)) {
+		if (refs_read_raw_ref(refs, refname, oid, &sb_refname,
+				      &read_flags, failure_errno)) {
 			*flags |= read_flags;
 			if (errno)
 				*failure_errno = errno;
@@ -2239,6 +2239,13 @@ int refs_verify_refname_available(struct ref_store *refs,
 
 	strbuf_grow(&dirname, strlen(refname) + 1);
 	for (slash = strchr(refname, '/'); slash; slash = strchr(slash + 1, '/')) {
+		/*
+		 * Just saying "Is a directory" when we e.g. can't
+		 * lock some multi-level ref isn't very informative,
+		 * the user won't be told *what* is a directory, so
+		 * let's not use strerror() below.
+		 */
+		int ignore_errno;
 		/* Expand dirname to the new prefix, not including the trailing slash: */
 		strbuf_add(&dirname, refname + dirname.len, slash - refname - dirname.len);
 
@@ -2250,7 +2257,8 @@ int refs_verify_refname_available(struct ref_store *refs,
 		if (skip && string_list_has_string(skip, dirname.buf))
 			continue;
 
-		if (!refs_read_raw_ref(refs, dirname.buf, &oid, &referent, &type)) {
+		if (!refs_read_raw_ref(refs, dirname.buf, &oid, &referent,
+				       &type, &ignore_errno)) {
 			strbuf_addf(err, _("'%s' exists; cannot create '%s'"),
 				    dirname.buf, refname);
 			goto cleanup;
diff --git a/refs/files-backend.c b/refs/files-backend.c
index 6a6ead0b99b..94c194665ed 100644
--- a/refs/files-backend.c
+++ b/refs/files-backend.c
@@ -381,10 +381,11 @@ static int files_read_raw_ref(struct ref_store *ref_store, const char *refname,
 		goto out;
 
 	if (lstat(path, &st) < 0) {
+		int ignore_errno;
 		if (errno != ENOENT)
 			goto out;
-		if (refs_read_raw_ref(refs->packed_ref_store, refname,
-				      oid, referent, type)) {
+		if (refs_read_raw_ref(refs->packed_ref_store, refname, oid,
+				      referent, type, &ignore_errno)) {
 			errno = ENOENT;
 			goto out;
 		}
@@ -418,13 +419,14 @@ static int files_read_raw_ref(struct ref_store *ref_store, const char *refname,
 
 	/* Is it a directory? */
 	if (S_ISDIR(st.st_mode)) {
+		int ignore_errno;
 		/*
 		 * Even though there is a directory where the loose
 		 * ref is supposed to be, there could still be a
 		 * packed ref:
 		 */
-		if (refs_read_raw_ref(refs->packed_ref_store, refname,
-				      oid, referent, type)) {
+		if (refs_read_raw_ref(refs->packed_ref_store, refname, oid,
+				      referent, type, &ignore_errno)) {
 			errno = EISDIR;
 			goto out;
 		}
diff --git a/refs/packed-backend.c b/refs/packed-backend.c
index 47247a14917..52cdc94a26e 100644
--- a/refs/packed-backend.c
+++ b/refs/packed-backend.c
@@ -1347,6 +1347,7 @@ int is_packed_transaction_needed(struct ref_store *ref_store,
 	ret = 0;
 	for (i = 0; i < transaction->nr; i++) {
 		struct ref_update *update = transaction->updates[i];
+		int failure_errno;
 		unsigned int type;
 		struct object_id oid;
 
@@ -1357,9 +1358,9 @@ int is_packed_transaction_needed(struct ref_store *ref_store,
 			 */
 			continue;
 
-		if (!refs_read_raw_ref(ref_store, update->refname,
-				       &oid, &referent, &type) ||
-		    errno != ENOENT) {
+		if (!refs_read_raw_ref(ref_store, update->refname, &oid,
+				       &referent, &type, &failure_errno) ||
+		    failure_errno != ENOENT) {
 			/*
 			 * We have to actually delete that reference
 			 * -> this transaction is needed.
diff --git a/refs/refs-internal.h b/refs/refs-internal.h
index 72746407fc3..c87f1135e5b 100644
--- a/refs/refs-internal.h
+++ b/refs/refs-internal.h
@@ -149,9 +149,9 @@ struct ref_update {
 	const char refname[FLEX_ARRAY];
 };
 
-int refs_read_raw_ref(struct ref_store *ref_store,
-		      const char *refname, struct object_id *oid,
-		      struct strbuf *referent, unsigned int *type);
+int refs_read_raw_ref(struct ref_store *ref_store, const char *refname,
+		      struct object_id *oid, struct strbuf *referent,
+		      unsigned int *type, int *failure_errno);
 
 /*
  * Write an error to `err` and return a nonzero value iff the same
