diff --git a/Documentation/user-manual.adoc b/Documentation/user-manual.adoc
index d2b478ad23..e86b2ad9f8 100644
--- a/Documentation/user-manual.adoc
+++ b/Documentation/user-manual.adoc
@@ -4301,11 +4301,11 @@ Now, for the meat:
 
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
         case 0:
-                buf = read_object_with_reference(sha1, argv[1], &size, NULL);
+                buf = odb_read_object_peeled(r->objects, sha1, argv[1], &size, NULL);
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 This is how you read a blob (actually, not only a blob, but any type of
-object).  To know how the function `read_object_with_reference()` actually
+object).  To know how the function `odb_read_object_peeled()` actually
 works, find the source code for it (something like `git grep
 read_object_with | grep ":[a-z]"` in the Git repository), and read
 the source.
diff --git a/builtin/cat-file.c b/builtin/cat-file.c
index 01672ec74b..08afecbf57 100644
--- a/builtin/cat-file.c
+++ b/builtin/cat-file.c
@@ -246,8 +246,8 @@ static int cat_one_file(int opt, const char *exp_type, const char *obj_name)
 			 * fall-back to the usual case.
 			 */
 		}
-		buf = read_object_with_reference(the_repository, &oid,
-						 exp_type_id, &size, NULL);
+		buf = odb_read_object_peeled(the_repository->objects, &oid,
+					     exp_type_id, &size, NULL);
 
 		if (use_mailmap) {
 			size_t s = size;
diff --git a/builtin/fast-import.c b/builtin/fast-import.c
index 1973c504e2..b1389c5921 100644
--- a/builtin/fast-import.c
+++ b/builtin/fast-import.c
@@ -2535,10 +2535,9 @@ static void note_change_n(const char *p, struct branch *b, unsigned char *old_fa
 		oidcpy(&commit_oid, &commit_oe->idx.oid);
 	} else if (!repo_get_oid(the_repository, p, &commit_oid)) {
 		unsigned long size;
-		char *buf = read_object_with_reference(the_repository,
-						       &commit_oid,
-						       OBJ_COMMIT, &size,
-						       &commit_oid);
+		char *buf = odb_read_object_peeled(the_repository->objects,
+						   &commit_oid, OBJ_COMMIT, &size,
+						   &commit_oid);
 		if (!buf || size < the_hash_algo->hexsz + 6)
 			die("Not a valid commit: %s", p);
 		free(buf);
@@ -2604,9 +2603,8 @@ static void parse_from_existing(struct branch *b)
 		unsigned long size;
 		char *buf;
 
-		buf = read_object_with_reference(the_repository,
-						 &b->oid, OBJ_COMMIT, &size,
-						 &b->oid);
+		buf = odb_read_object_peeled(the_repository->objects, &b->oid,
+					     OBJ_COMMIT, &size, &b->oid);
 		parse_from_commit(b, buf, size);
 		free(buf);
 	}
@@ -2699,10 +2697,9 @@ static struct hash_list *parse_merge(unsigned int *count)
 			oidcpy(&n->oid, &oe->idx.oid);
 		} else if (!repo_get_oid(the_repository, from, &n->oid)) {
 			unsigned long size;
-			char *buf = read_object_with_reference(the_repository,
-							       &n->oid,
-							       OBJ_COMMIT,
-							       &size, &n->oid);
+			char *buf = odb_read_object_peeled(the_repository->objects,
+							   &n->oid, OBJ_COMMIT,
+							   &size, &n->oid);
 			if (!buf || size < the_hash_algo->hexsz + 6)
 				die("Not a valid commit: %s", from);
 			free(buf);
diff --git a/builtin/grep.c b/builtin/grep.c
index 5de61dfffe..39273d9c0f 100644
--- a/builtin/grep.c
+++ b/builtin/grep.c
@@ -522,9 +522,7 @@ static int grep_submodule(struct grep_opt *opt,
 		obj_read_lock();
 		object_type = odb_read_object_info(subrepo->objects, oid, NULL);
 		obj_read_unlock();
-		data = read_object_with_reference(subrepo,
-						  oid, OBJ_TREE,
-						  &size, NULL);
+		data = odb_read_object_peeled(subrepo->objects, oid, OBJ_TREE, &size, NULL);
 		if (!data)
 			die(_("unable to read tree (%s)"), oid_to_hex(oid));
 
@@ -705,9 +703,8 @@ static int grep_object(struct grep_opt *opt, const struct pathspec *pathspec,
 		struct strbuf base;
 		int hit, len;
 
-		data = read_object_with_reference(opt->repo,
-						  &obj->oid, OBJ_TREE,
-						  &size, NULL);
+		data = odb_read_object_peeled(opt->repo->objects, &obj->oid,
+					      OBJ_TREE, &size, NULL);
 		if (!data)
 			die(_("unable to read tree (%s)"), oid_to_hex(&obj->oid));
 
diff --git a/builtin/pack-objects.c b/builtin/pack-objects.c
index 06bdeb4223..e88a13dbb9 100644
--- a/builtin/pack-objects.c
+++ b/builtin/pack-objects.c
@@ -2055,8 +2055,8 @@ static void add_preferred_base(struct object_id *oid)
 	if (window <= num_preferred_base++)
 		return;
 
-	data = read_object_with_reference(the_repository, oid,
-					  OBJ_TREE, &size, &tree_oid);
+	data = odb_read_object_peeled(the_repository->objects, oid,
+				      OBJ_TREE, &size, &tree_oid);
 	if (!data)
 		return;
 
diff --git a/odb.c b/odb.c
index 217903d7b1..1f48a0448e 100644
--- a/odb.c
+++ b/odb.c
@@ -905,11 +905,11 @@ void *odb_read_object(struct object_database *odb,
 	return data;
 }
 
-void *read_object_with_reference(struct repository *r,
-				 const struct object_id *oid,
-				 enum object_type required_type,
-				 unsigned long *size,
-				 struct object_id *actual_oid_return)
+void *odb_read_object_peeled(struct object_database *odb,
+			     const struct object_id *oid,
+			     enum object_type required_type,
+			     unsigned long *size,
+			     struct object_id *actual_oid_return)
 {
 	enum object_type type;
 	void *buffer;
@@ -921,7 +921,7 @@ void *read_object_with_reference(struct repository *r,
 		int ref_length = -1;
 		const char *ref_type = NULL;
 
-		buffer = odb_read_object(r->objects, &actual_oid, &type, &isize);
+		buffer = odb_read_object(odb, &actual_oid, &type, &isize);
 		if (!buffer)
 			return NULL;
 		if (type == required_type) {
@@ -941,9 +941,10 @@ void *read_object_with_reference(struct repository *r,
 		}
 		ref_length = strlen(ref_type);
 
-		if (ref_length + r->hash_algo->hexsz > isize ||
+		if (ref_length + odb->repo->hash_algo->hexsz > isize ||
 		    memcmp(buffer, ref_type, ref_length) ||
-		    get_oid_hex_algop((char *) buffer + ref_length, &actual_oid, r->hash_algo)) {
+		    get_oid_hex_algop((char *) buffer + ref_length, &actual_oid,
+				      odb->repo->hash_algo)) {
 			free(buffer);
 			return NULL;
 		}
diff --git a/odb.h b/odb.h
index e4c51f8c38..e922f25680 100644
--- a/odb.h
+++ b/odb.h
@@ -274,6 +274,12 @@ void *odb_read_object(struct object_database *odb,
 		      enum object_type *type,
 		      unsigned long *size);
 
+void *odb_read_object_peeled(struct object_database *odb,
+			     const struct object_id *oid,
+			     enum object_type required_type,
+			     unsigned long *size,
+			     struct object_id *oid_ret);
+
 /*
  * Add an object file to the in-memory object store, without writing it
  * to disk.
@@ -382,7 +388,7 @@ void odb_assert_oid_type(struct object_database *odb,
 /*
  * Enabling the object read lock allows multiple threads to safely call the
  * following functions in parallel: odb_read_object(),
- * read_object_with_reference(), odb_read_object_info() and odb().
+ * odb_read_object_peeled(), odb_read_object_info() and odb().
  *
  * obj_read_lock() and obj_read_unlock() may also be used to protect other
  * section which cannot execute in parallel with object reading. Since the used
@@ -431,13 +437,6 @@ enum for_each_object_flags {
 	FOR_EACH_OBJECT_SKIP_ON_DISK_KEPT_PACKS = (1<<4),
 };
 
-
-void *read_object_with_reference(struct repository *r,
-				 const struct object_id *oid,
-				 enum object_type required_type,
-				 unsigned long *size,
-				 struct object_id *oid_ret);
-
 /* Compatibility wrappers, to be removed once Git 2.51 has been released. */
 #include "repository.h"
 
diff --git a/tree-walk.c b/tree-walk.c
index 766af99f46..e449a1320e 100644
--- a/tree-walk.c
+++ b/tree-walk.c
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ void *fill_tree_descriptor(struct repository *r,
 	void *buf = NULL;
 
 	if (oid) {
-		buf = read_object_with_reference(r, oid, OBJ_TREE, &size, NULL);
+		buf = odb_read_object_peeled(r->objects, oid, OBJ_TREE, &size, NULL);
 		if (!buf)
 			die(_("unable to read tree (%s)"), oid_to_hex(oid));
 	}
@@ -611,7 +611,7 @@ int get_tree_entry(struct repository *r,
 	unsigned long size;
 	struct object_id root;
 
-	tree = read_object_with_reference(r, tree_oid, OBJ_TREE, &size, &root);
+	tree = odb_read_object_peeled(r->objects, tree_oid, OBJ_TREE, &size, &root);
 	if (!tree)
 		return -1;
 
@@ -681,10 +681,8 @@ enum get_oid_result get_tree_entry_follow_symlinks(struct repository *r,
 			void *tree;
 			struct object_id root;
 			unsigned long size;
-			tree = read_object_with_reference(r,
-							  &current_tree_oid,
-							  OBJ_TREE, &size,
-							  &root);
+			tree = odb_read_object_peeled(r->objects, &current_tree_oid,
+						      OBJ_TREE, &size, &root);
 			if (!tree)
 				goto done;