diff --git a/odb.c b/odb.c
index caf1d0f542..1b37b26376 100644
--- a/odb.c
+++ b/odb.c
@@ -547,9 +547,9 @@ static int register_all_submodule_sources(struct object_database *odb)
 	return ret;
 }
 
-static int do_oid_object_info_extended(struct object_database *odb,
-				       const struct object_id *oid,
-				       struct object_info *oi, unsigned flags)
+static enum odb_read_status do_oid_object_info_extended(struct object_database *odb,
+							const struct object_id *oid,
+							struct object_info *oi, unsigned flags)
 {
 	const struct object_id *real = oid;
 	int already_retried = 0;
@@ -696,12 +696,12 @@ static int oid_object_info_convert(struct repository *r,
 	return ret;
 }
 
-int odb_read_object_info_extended(struct object_database *odb,
-				  const struct object_id *oid,
-				  struct object_info *oi,
-				  enum object_info_flags flags)
+enum odb_read_status odb_read_object_info_extended(struct object_database *odb,
+						   const struct object_id *oid,
+						   struct object_info *oi,
+						   enum object_info_flags flags)
 {
-	int ret;
+	enum odb_read_status ret;
 
 	if (oid->algo && (hash_algo_by_ptr(odb->repo->hash_algo) != oid->algo))
 		return oid_object_info_convert(odb->repo, oid, oi, flags);
diff --git a/odb.h b/odb.h
index fca67e8253..43cbcc3aba 100644
--- a/odb.h
+++ b/odb.h
@@ -435,14 +435,21 @@ enum object_info_flags {
 	OBJECT_INFO_FOR_PREFETCH = (OBJECT_INFO_SKIP_FETCH_OBJECT | OBJECT_INFO_QUICK),
 };
 
+enum odb_read_status {
+	/* The read was successful. */
+	ODB_READ_OK = 0,
+	/* The read resulted in a generic error. */
+	ODB_READ_ERROR = -1,
+};
+
 /*
  * Read object info from the object database and populate the `object_info`
  * structure. Returns 0 on success, a negative error code otherwise.
  */
-int odb_read_object_info_extended(struct object_database *odb,
-				  const struct object_id *oid,
-				  struct object_info *oi,
-				  enum object_info_flags flags);
+enum odb_read_status odb_read_object_info_extended(struct object_database *odb,
+						   const struct object_id *oid,
+						   struct object_info *oi,
+						   enum object_info_flags flags);
 
 /*
  * Read a subset of object info for the given object ID. Returns an `enum
diff --git a/odb/source-files.c b/odb/source-files.c
index 5a68af7d84..a28aa5042d 100644
--- a/odb/source-files.c
+++ b/odb/source-files.c
@@ -59,10 +59,10 @@ static void odb_source_files_prepare(struct odb_source *source,
 	odb_source_prepare(&files->packed->base, flags);
 }
 
-static int odb_source_files_read_object_info(struct odb_source *source,
-					     const struct object_id *oid,
-					     struct object_info *oi,
-					     enum object_info_flags flags)
+static enum odb_read_status odb_source_files_read_object_info(struct odb_source *source,
+							      const struct object_id *oid,
+							      struct object_info *oi,
+							      enum object_info_flags flags)
 {
 	struct odb_source_files *files = odb_source_files_downcast(source);
 
diff --git a/odb/source-inmemory.c b/odb/source-inmemory.c
index 3e71611b8e..53d2e3a852 100644
--- a/odb/source-inmemory.c
+++ b/odb/source-inmemory.c
@@ -56,10 +56,10 @@ static void populate_object_info(struct odb_source_inmemory *source,
 		oi->source_infop->source = &source->base;
 }
 
-static int odb_source_inmemory_read_object_info(struct odb_source *source,
-						const struct object_id *oid,
-						struct object_info *oi,
-						enum object_info_flags flags UNUSED)
+static enum odb_read_status odb_source_inmemory_read_object_info(struct odb_source *source,
+								 const struct object_id *oid,
+								 struct object_info *oi,
+								 enum object_info_flags flags UNUSED)
 {
 	struct odb_source_inmemory *inmemory = odb_source_inmemory_downcast(source);
 	const struct inmemory_object *object;
diff --git a/odb/source-loose.c b/odb/source-loose.c
index ef0e919277..ad8662842d 100644
--- a/odb/source-loose.c
+++ b/odb/source-loose.c
@@ -206,10 +206,10 @@ out:
 	return ret;
 }
 
-static int odb_source_loose_read_object_info(struct odb_source *source,
-					     const struct object_id *oid,
-					     struct object_info *oi,
-					     enum object_info_flags flags)
+static enum odb_read_status odb_source_loose_read_object_info(struct odb_source *source,
+							      const struct object_id *oid,
+							      struct object_info *oi,
+							      enum object_info_flags flags)
 {
 	struct odb_source_loose *loose = odb_source_loose_downcast(source);
 	static struct strbuf buf = STRBUF_INIT;
diff --git a/odb/source-packed.c b/odb/source-packed.c
index 16fa4f5769..dce68a57f7 100644
--- a/odb/source-packed.c
+++ b/odb/source-packed.c
@@ -35,10 +35,10 @@ static int find_pack_entry(struct odb_source_packed *store,
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int odb_source_packed_read_object_info(struct odb_source *source,
-					      const struct object_id *oid,
-					      struct object_info *oi,
-					      enum object_info_flags flags)
+static enum odb_read_status odb_source_packed_read_object_info(struct odb_source *source,
+							       const struct object_id *oid,
+							       struct object_info *oi,
+							       enum object_info_flags flags)
 {
 	struct odb_source_packed *packed = odb_source_packed_downcast(source);
 	struct packed_git *bad_pack = NULL;
diff --git a/odb/source.h b/odb/source.h
index d69f8e2d1c..7b8ff3d19d 100644
--- a/odb/source.h
+++ b/odb/source.h
@@ -110,13 +110,13 @@ struct odb_source {
 	 *     second read in case they know that the first read would have
 	 *     already surfaced the object without reloading any on-disk state.
 	 *
-	 * The callback is expected to return a negative error code in case
-	 * reading the object has failed, 0 otherwise.
+	 * The callback is expected to return an `enum odb_read_status`. Please
+	 * refer to the individual values that can be returned.
 	 */
-	int (*read_object_info)(struct odb_source *source,
-				const struct object_id *oid,
-				struct object_info *oi,
-				enum object_info_flags flags);
+	enum odb_read_status (*read_object_info)(struct odb_source *source,
+						 const struct object_id *oid,
+						 struct object_info *oi,
+						 enum object_info_flags flags);
 
 	/*
 	 * This callback is expected to create a new read stream that can be
@@ -340,12 +340,12 @@ static inline void odb_source_prepare(struct odb_source *source,
 
 /*
  * Read an object from the object database source identified by its object ID.
- * Returns 0 on success, a negative error code otherwise.
+ * Please refer to `enum odb_read_status` for the individual error codes.
  */
-static inline int odb_source_read_object_info(struct odb_source *source,
-					      const struct object_id *oid,
-					      struct object_info *oi,
-					      enum object_info_flags flags)
+static inline enum odb_read_status odb_source_read_object_info(struct odb_source *source,
+							       const struct object_id *oid,
+							       struct object_info *oi,
+							       enum object_info_flags flags)
 {
 	return source->read_object_info(source, oid, oi, flags);
 }