diff --git a/odb.c b/odb.c
index 29cf6496c5..ccc6e999e7 100644
--- a/odb.c
+++ b/odb.c
@@ -360,7 +360,7 @@ struct odb_source *odb_set_temporary_primary_source(struct object_database *odb,
 	 * Disable ref updates while a temporary odb is active, since
 	 * the objects in the database may roll back.
 	 */
-	source->disable_ref_updates = 1;
+	odb->repo->disable_ref_updates = true;
 	source->will_destroy = will_destroy;
 	source->next = odb->sources;
 	odb->sources = source;
@@ -387,6 +387,7 @@ void odb_restore_primary_source(struct object_database *odb,
 	if (cur_source->next != restore_source)
 		BUG("we expect the old primary object store to be the first alternate");
 
+	odb->repo->disable_ref_updates = false;
 	odb->sources = restore_source;
 	odb_source_free(cur_source);
 }
diff --git a/odb.h b/odb.h
index 77b313b784..99c4d48972 100644
--- a/odb.h
+++ b/odb.h
@@ -66,13 +66,6 @@ struct odb_source {
 	 */
 	bool local;
 
-	/*
-	 * This is a temporary object store created by the tmp_objdir
-	 * facility. Disable ref updates since the objects in the store
-	 * might be discarded on rollback.
-	 */
-	int disable_ref_updates;
-
 	/*
 	 * This object store is ephemeral, so there is no need to fsync.
 	 */
diff --git a/refs.c b/refs.c
index 965381367e..6c7283d9eb 100644
--- a/refs.c
+++ b/refs.c
@@ -2491,7 +2491,7 @@ int ref_transaction_prepare(struct ref_transaction *transaction,
 		break;
 	}
 
-	if (refs->repo->objects->sources->disable_ref_updates) {
+	if (refs->repo->disable_ref_updates) {
 		strbuf_addstr(err,
 			      _("ref updates forbidden inside quarantine environment"));
 		return -1;
diff --git a/repository.c b/repository.c
index 3c8b3813b0..455c2d279f 100644
--- a/repository.c
+++ b/repository.c
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ void repo_set_gitdir(struct repository *repo,
 		repo->objects->sources->path = objects_path;
 	}
 
-	repo->objects->sources->disable_ref_updates = o->disable_ref_updates;
+	repo->disable_ref_updates = o->disable_ref_updates;
 
 	free(repo->objects->alternate_db);
 	repo->objects->alternate_db = xstrdup_or_null(o->alternate_db);
diff --git a/repository.h b/repository.h
index 5808a5d610..614649413b 100644
--- a/repository.h
+++ b/repository.h
@@ -71,6 +71,13 @@ struct repository {
 	 */
 	struct ref_store *refs_private;
 
+	/*
+	 * Disable ref updates. This is especially used in contexts where
+	 * transactions may still be rolled back so that we don't start to
+	 * reference objects that may vanish.
+	 */
+	bool disable_ref_updates;
+
 	/*
 	 * A strmap of ref_stores, stored by submodule name, accessible via
 	 * `repo_get_submodule_ref_store()`.
@@ -187,7 +194,7 @@ struct set_gitdir_args {
 	const char *graft_file;
 	const char *index_file;
 	const char *alternate_db;
-	int disable_ref_updates;
+	bool disable_ref_updates;
 };
 
 void repo_set_gitdir(struct repository *repo, const char *root,
diff --git a/setup.c b/setup.c
index 8bf52df716..a752e9fc84 100644
--- a/setup.c
+++ b/setup.c
@@ -1682,7 +1682,7 @@ void setup_git_env(const char *git_dir)
 	args.index_file = getenv_safe(&to_free, INDEX_ENVIRONMENT);
 	args.alternate_db = getenv_safe(&to_free, ALTERNATE_DB_ENVIRONMENT);
 	if (getenv(GIT_QUARANTINE_ENVIRONMENT)) {
-		args.disable_ref_updates = 1;
+		args.disable_ref_updates = true;
 	}
 
 	repo_set_gitdir(the_repository, git_dir, &args);