diff --git a/refs.c b/refs.c
index 4398a4c0257..08101a13318 100644
--- a/refs.c
+++ b/refs.c
@@ -289,20 +289,17 @@ struct ref_filter {
 	void *cb_data;
 };
 
-int refs_read_ref_full(struct ref_store *refs, const char *refname,
-		       int resolve_flags, struct object_id *oid, int *flags)
+int read_ref_full(const char *refname, int resolve_flags, struct object_id *oid, int *flags)
 {
-	if (refs_resolve_ref_unsafe(refs, refname, resolve_flags, oid, flags))
+	int ignore_errno;
+	struct ref_store *refs = get_main_ref_store(the_repository);
+
+	if (refs_werrres_ref_unsafe(refs, refname, resolve_flags,
+				    oid, flags, &ignore_errno))
 		return 0;
 	return -1;
 }
 
-int read_ref_full(const char *refname, int resolve_flags, struct object_id *oid, int *flags)
-{
-	return refs_read_ref_full(get_main_ref_store(the_repository), refname,
-				  resolve_flags, oid, flags);
-}
-
 int read_ref(const char *refname, struct object_id *oid)
 {
 	return read_ref_full(refname, RESOLVE_REF_READING, oid, NULL);
@@ -1375,9 +1372,10 @@ int refs_head_ref(struct ref_store *refs, each_ref_fn fn, void *cb_data)
 {
 	struct object_id oid;
 	int flag;
+	int ignore_errno;
 
-	if (!refs_read_ref_full(refs, "HEAD", RESOLVE_REF_READING,
-				&oid, &flag))
+	if (refs_werrres_ref_unsafe(refs, "HEAD", RESOLVE_REF_READING,
+				    &oid, &flag, &ignore_errno))
 		return fn("HEAD", &oid, flag, cb_data);
 
 	return 0;
diff --git a/refs.h b/refs.h
index c8afde6bb50..3938f99c902 100644
--- a/refs.h
+++ b/refs.h
@@ -89,8 +89,6 @@ char *refs_resolve_refdup(struct ref_store *refs,
 char *resolve_refdup(const char *refname, int resolve_flags,
 		     struct object_id *oid, int *flags);
 
-int refs_read_ref_full(struct ref_store *refs, const char *refname,
-		       int resolve_flags, struct object_id *oid, int *flags);
 int read_ref_full(const char *refname, int resolve_flags,
 		  struct object_id *oid, int *flags);
 int read_ref(const char *refname, struct object_id *oid);
diff --git a/refs/files-backend.c b/refs/files-backend.c
index 0dd21b2e205..be27823d099 100644
--- a/refs/files-backend.c
+++ b/refs/files-backend.c
@@ -1006,6 +1006,7 @@ static struct ref_lock *lock_ref_oid_basic(struct files_ref_store *refs,
 {
 	struct strbuf ref_file = STRBUF_INIT;
 	struct ref_lock *lock;
+	int ignore_errno;
 
 	files_assert_main_repository(refs, "lock_ref_oid_basic");
 	assert(err);
@@ -1032,9 +1033,8 @@ static struct ref_lock *lock_ref_oid_basic(struct files_ref_store *refs,
 		goto error_return;
 	}
 
-	if (refs_read_ref_full(&refs->base, lock->ref_name,
-			       0,
-			       &lock->old_oid, NULL))
+	if (!refs_werrres_ref_unsafe(&refs->base, lock->ref_name, 0,
+				     &lock->old_oid, NULL, &ignore_errno))
 		oidclr(&lock->old_oid);
 	goto out;
 
@@ -1397,6 +1397,7 @@ static int files_copy_or_rename_ref(struct ref_store *ref_store,
 	struct strbuf tmp_renamed_log = STRBUF_INIT;
 	int log, ret;
 	struct strbuf err = STRBUF_INIT;
+	int ignore_errno;
 
 	files_reflog_path(refs, &sb_oldref, oldrefname);
 	files_reflog_path(refs, &sb_newref, newrefname);
@@ -1454,9 +1455,9 @@ static int files_copy_or_rename_ref(struct ref_store *ref_store,
 	 * the safety anyway; we want to delete the reference whatever
 	 * its current value.
 	 */
-	if (!copy && !refs_read_ref_full(&refs->base, newrefname,
-				RESOLVE_REF_READING | RESOLVE_REF_NO_RECURSE,
-				NULL, NULL) &&
+	if (!copy && refs_werrres_ref_unsafe(&refs->base, newrefname,
+					     RESOLVE_REF_READING | RESOLVE_REF_NO_RECURSE,
+					     NULL, NULL, &ignore_errno) &&
 	    refs_delete_ref(&refs->base, NULL, newrefname,
 			    NULL, REF_NO_DEREF)) {
 		if (errno == EISDIR) {
@@ -1868,9 +1869,12 @@ static void update_symref_reflog(struct files_ref_store *refs,
 {
 	struct strbuf err = STRBUF_INIT;
 	struct object_id new_oid;
+	int ignore_errno;
+
 	if (logmsg &&
-	    !refs_read_ref_full(&refs->base, target,
-				RESOLVE_REF_READING, &new_oid, NULL) &&
+	    refs_werrres_ref_unsafe(&refs->base, target,
+				    RESOLVE_REF_READING, &new_oid, NULL,
+				    &ignore_errno) &&
 	    files_log_ref_write(refs, refname, &lock->old_oid,
 				&new_oid, logmsg, 0, &err)) {
 		error("%s", err.buf);
@@ -2144,6 +2148,7 @@ static int files_reflog_iterator_advance(struct ref_iterator *ref_iterator)
 		(struct files_reflog_iterator *)ref_iterator;
 	struct dir_iterator *diter = iter->dir_iterator;
 	int ok;
+	int ignore_errno;
 
 	while ((ok = dir_iterator_advance(diter)) == ITER_OK) {
 		int flags;
@@ -2155,9 +2160,10 @@ static int files_reflog_iterator_advance(struct ref_iterator *ref_iterator)
 		if (ends_with(diter->basename, ".lock"))
 			continue;
 
-		if (refs_read_ref_full(iter->ref_store,
-				       diter->relative_path, 0,
-				       &iter->oid, &flags)) {
+		if (!refs_werrres_ref_unsafe(iter->ref_store,
+					     diter->relative_path, 0,
+					     &iter->oid, &flags,
+					     &ignore_errno)) {
 			error("bad ref for %s", diter->path.buf);
 			continue;
 		}
@@ -2501,9 +2507,11 @@ static int lock_ref_for_update(struct files_ref_store *refs,
 			 * the transaction, so we have to read it here
 			 * to record and possibly check old_oid:
 			 */
-			if (refs_read_ref_full(&refs->base,
-					       referent.buf, 0,
-					       &lock->old_oid, NULL)) {
+			int ignore_errno;
+			if (!refs_werrres_ref_unsafe(&refs->base,
+						     referent.buf, 0,
+						     &lock->old_oid, NULL,
+						     &ignore_errno)) {
 				if (update->flags & REF_HAVE_OLD) {
 					strbuf_addf(err, "cannot lock ref '%s': "
 						    "error reading reference",
diff --git a/worktree.c b/worktree.c
index 092a4f92ad2..cfffcdb62b3 100644
--- a/worktree.c
+++ b/worktree.c
@@ -563,16 +563,17 @@ int other_head_refs(each_ref_fn fn, void *cb_data)
 		struct worktree *wt = *p;
 		struct object_id oid;
 		int flag;
+		int ignore_errno;
 
 		if (wt->is_current)
 			continue;
 
 		strbuf_reset(&refname);
 		strbuf_worktree_ref(wt, &refname, "HEAD");
-		if (!refs_read_ref_full(get_main_ref_store(the_repository),
-					refname.buf,
-					RESOLVE_REF_READING,
-					&oid, &flag))
+		if (refs_werrres_ref_unsafe(get_main_ref_store(the_repository),
+					    refname.buf,
+					    RESOLVE_REF_READING,
+					    &oid, &flag, &ignore_errno))
 			ret = fn(refname.buf, &oid, flag, cb_data);
 		if (ret)
 			break;
