diff --git a/object-name.c b/object-name.c
index 3a2ef5d680..511f09bc0f 100644
--- a/object-name.c
+++ b/object-name.c
@@ -1034,6 +1034,15 @@ static int get_oid_basic(struct repository *r, const char *str, int len,
 						len, str,
 						show_date(co_time, co_tz, DATE_MODE(RFC2822)));
 				}
+			} else if (nth == co_cnt && !is_null_oid(oid)) {
+				/*
+				 * We were asked for the Nth reflog (counting
+				 * from 0), but there were only N entries.
+				 * read_ref_at() will have returned "1" to tell
+				 * us it did not find an entry, but it did
+				 * still fill in the oid with the "old" value,
+				 * which we can use.
+				 */
 			} else {
 				if (flags & GET_OID_QUIETLY) {
 					exit(128);
diff --git a/refs.c b/refs.c
index ba1a4db754..6b826b002e 100644
--- a/refs.c
+++ b/refs.c
@@ -1083,7 +1083,7 @@ static int read_ref_at_ent_oldest(struct object_id *ooid, struct object_id *noid
 
 	set_read_ref_cutoffs(cb, timestamp, tz, message);
 	oidcpy(cb->oid, ooid);
-	if (is_null_oid(cb->oid))
+	if (cb->at_time && is_null_oid(cb->oid))
 		oidcpy(cb->oid, noid);
 	/* We just want the first entry */
 	return 1;
diff --git a/t/t1508-at-combinations.sh b/t/t1508-at-combinations.sh
index 3e5f32f604..370bf7137e 100755
--- a/t/t1508-at-combinations.sh
+++ b/t/t1508-at-combinations.sh
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ test_expect_success 'create path with @' '
 check "@:normal" blob content
 check "@:fun@ny" blob content
 
-test_expect_failure '@{1} works with only one reflog entry' '
+test_expect_success '@{1} works with only one reflog entry' '
 	git checkout -B newbranch main &&
 	git reflog expire --expire=now refs/heads/newbranch &&
 	git commit --allow-empty -m "first after expiration" &&