diff --git a/apply.c b/apply.c
index 88d2a3206b..ea6fb4c880 100644
--- a/apply.c
+++ b/apply.c
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 //
 static const char *prefix;
 static int prefix_length = -1;
+static int newfd = -1;
 
 static int p_value = 1;
 static int allow_binary_replacement = 0;
@@ -2051,7 +2052,6 @@ static int use_patch(struct patch *p)
 
 static int apply_patch(int fd, const char *filename)
 {
-	int newfd;
 	unsigned long offset, size;
 	char *buffer = read_patch_file(fd, &size);
 	struct patch *list = NULL, **listp = &list;
@@ -2082,12 +2082,11 @@ static int apply_patch(int fd, const char *filename)
 		size -= nr;
 	}
 
-	newfd = -1;
 	if (whitespace_error && (new_whitespace == error_on_whitespace))
 		apply = 0;
 
 	write_index = check_index && apply;
-	if (write_index)
+	if (write_index && newfd < 0)
 		newfd = hold_index_file_for_update(&cache_file, get_index_file());
 	if (check_index) {
 		if (read_cache() < 0)
@@ -2100,12 +2099,6 @@ static int apply_patch(int fd, const char *filename)
 	if (apply)
 		write_out_results(list, skipped_patch);
 
-	if (write_index) {
-		if (write_cache(newfd, active_cache, active_nr) ||
-		    commit_index_file(&cache_file))
-			die("Unable to write new cachefile");
-	}
-
 	if (show_index_info)
 		show_index_list(list);
 
@@ -2264,5 +2257,12 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 				whitespace_error == 1 ? "" : "s",
 				whitespace_error == 1 ? "s" : "");
 	}
+
+	if (write_index) {
+		if (write_cache(newfd, active_cache, active_nr) ||
+		    commit_index_file(&cache_file))
+			die("Unable to write new cachefile");
+	}
+
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/git-checkout.sh b/git-checkout.sh
index 463ed2eaff..a11c939c30 100755
--- a/git-checkout.sh
+++ b/git-checkout.sh
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ else
 	work=`git write-tree` &&
 	git read-tree --reset $new &&
 	git checkout-index -f -u -q -a &&
-	git read-tree -m -u $old $new $work || exit
+	git read-tree -m -u --aggressive $old $new $work || exit
 
 	if result=`git write-tree 2>/dev/null`
 	then
diff --git a/git-revert.sh b/git-revert.sh
index c19d3a6916..de8b5f0f0f 100755
--- a/git-revert.sh
+++ b/git-revert.sh
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ esac >.msg
 # $prev and $commit on top of us (when cherry-picking or replaying).
 
 echo >&2 "First trying simple merge strategy to $me."
-git-read-tree -m -u $base $head $next &&
+git-read-tree -m -u --aggressive $base $head $next &&
 result=$(git-write-tree 2>/dev/null) || {
     echo >&2 "Simple $me fails; trying Automatic $me."
     git-merge-index -o git-merge-one-file -a || {
diff --git a/read-cache.c b/read-cache.c
index 1f71d12578..ed0da38e07 100644
--- a/read-cache.c
+++ b/read-cache.c
@@ -583,7 +583,7 @@ int read_cache(void)
 
 	active_nr = ntohl(hdr->hdr_entries);
 	active_alloc = alloc_nr(active_nr);
-	active_cache = calloc(active_alloc, sizeof(struct cache_entry *));
+	active_cache = xcalloc(active_alloc, sizeof(struct cache_entry *));
 
 	offset = sizeof(*hdr);
 	for (i = 0; i < active_nr; i++) {