diff --git a/refs.c b/refs.c
index cf91711968..3ee3afaf41 100644
--- a/refs.c
+++ b/refs.c
@@ -1527,11 +1527,37 @@ int for_each_rawref(each_ref_fn fn, void *cb_data)
 	return refs_for_each_rawref(get_main_ref_store(the_repository), fn, cb_data);
 }
 
+static int refs_read_special_head(struct ref_store *ref_store,
+				  const char *refname, struct object_id *oid,
+				  struct strbuf *referent, unsigned int *type)
+{
+	struct strbuf full_path = STRBUF_INIT;
+	struct strbuf content = STRBUF_INIT;
+	int result = -1;
+	strbuf_addf(&full_path, "%s/%s", ref_store->gitdir, refname);
+
+	if (strbuf_read_file(&content, full_path.buf, 0) < 0)
+		goto done;
+
+	result = parse_loose_ref_contents(content.buf, oid, referent, type);
+
+done:
+	strbuf_release(&full_path);
+	strbuf_release(&content);
+	return result;
+}
+
 int refs_read_raw_ref(struct ref_store *ref_store,
 		      const char *refname, struct object_id *oid,
 		      struct strbuf *referent, unsigned int *type)
 {
-	return ref_store->be->read_raw_ref(ref_store, refname, oid, referent, type);
+	if (!strcmp(refname, "FETCH_HEAD") || !strcmp(refname, "MERGE_HEAD")) {
+		return refs_read_special_head(ref_store, refname, oid, referent,
+					      type);
+	}
+
+	return ref_store->be->read_raw_ref(ref_store, refname, oid, referent,
+					   type);
 }
 
 /* This function needs to return a meaningful errno on failure */
diff --git a/refs/files-backend.c b/refs/files-backend.c
index 985631f33e..dd712e47f4 100644
--- a/refs/files-backend.c
+++ b/refs/files-backend.c
@@ -67,7 +67,6 @@ struct files_ref_store {
 	struct ref_store base;
 	unsigned int store_flags;
 
-	char *gitdir;
 	char *gitcommondir;
 
 	struct ref_cache *loose;
@@ -94,18 +93,17 @@ static struct ref_store *files_ref_store_create(const char *gitdir,
 	struct ref_store *ref_store = (struct ref_store *)refs;
 	struct strbuf sb = STRBUF_INIT;
 
+	ref_store->gitdir = xstrdup(gitdir);
 	base_ref_store_init(ref_store, &refs_be_files);
 	refs->store_flags = flags;
 
-	refs->gitdir = xstrdup(gitdir);
 	get_common_dir_noenv(&sb, gitdir);
 	refs->gitcommondir = strbuf_detach(&sb, NULL);
 	strbuf_addf(&sb, "%s/packed-refs", refs->gitcommondir);
 	refs->packed_ref_store = packed_ref_store_create(sb.buf, flags);
 	strbuf_release(&sb);
 
-	chdir_notify_reparent("files-backend $GIT_DIR",
-			      &refs->gitdir);
+	chdir_notify_reparent("files-backend $GIT_DIR", &refs->base.gitdir);
 	chdir_notify_reparent("files-backend $GIT_COMMONDIR",
 			      &refs->gitcommondir);
 
@@ -176,7 +174,7 @@ static void files_reflog_path(struct files_ref_store *refs,
 	switch (ref_type(refname)) {
 	case REF_TYPE_PER_WORKTREE:
 	case REF_TYPE_PSEUDOREF:
-		strbuf_addf(sb, "%s/logs/%s", refs->gitdir, refname);
+		strbuf_addf(sb, "%s/logs/%s", refs->base.gitdir, refname);
 		break;
 	case REF_TYPE_OTHER_PSEUDOREF:
 	case REF_TYPE_MAIN_PSEUDOREF:
@@ -198,7 +196,7 @@ static void files_ref_path(struct files_ref_store *refs,
 	switch (ref_type(refname)) {
 	case REF_TYPE_PER_WORKTREE:
 	case REF_TYPE_PSEUDOREF:
-		strbuf_addf(sb, "%s/%s", refs->gitdir, refname);
+		strbuf_addf(sb, "%s/%s", refs->base.gitdir, refname);
 		break;
 	case REF_TYPE_MAIN_PSEUDOREF:
 		if (!skip_prefix(refname, "main-worktree/", &refname))
@@ -360,7 +358,6 @@ static int files_read_raw_ref(struct ref_store *ref_store,
 	struct strbuf sb_path = STRBUF_INIT;
 	const char *path;
 	const char *buf;
-	const char *p;
 	struct stat st;
 	int fd;
 	int ret = -1;
@@ -465,29 +462,8 @@ stat_ref:
 	close(fd);
 	strbuf_rtrim(&sb_contents);
 	buf = sb_contents.buf;
-	if (skip_prefix(buf, "ref:", &buf)) {
-		while (isspace(*buf))
-			buf++;
 
-		strbuf_reset(referent);
-		strbuf_addstr(referent, buf);
-		*type |= REF_ISSYMREF;
-		ret = 0;
-		goto out;
-	}
-
-	/*
-	 * Please note that FETCH_HEAD has additional
-	 * data after the sha.
-	 */
-	if (parse_oid_hex(buf, oid, &p) ||
-	    (*p != '\0' && !isspace(*p))) {
-		*type |= REF_ISBROKEN;
-		errno = EINVAL;
-		goto out;
-	}
-
-	ret = 0;
+	ret = parse_loose_ref_contents(buf, oid, referent, type);
 
 out:
 	save_errno = errno;
@@ -497,6 +473,32 @@ out:
 	return ret;
 }
 
+int parse_loose_ref_contents(const char *buf, struct object_id *oid,
+			     struct strbuf *referent, unsigned int *type)
+{
+	const char *p;
+	if (skip_prefix(buf, "ref:", &buf)) {
+		while (isspace(*buf))
+			buf++;
+
+		strbuf_reset(referent);
+		strbuf_addstr(referent, buf);
+		*type |= REF_ISSYMREF;
+		return 0;
+	}
+
+	/*
+	 * FETCH_HEAD has additional data after the sha.
+	 */
+	if (parse_oid_hex(buf, oid, &p) ||
+	    (*p != '\0' && !isspace(*p))) {
+		*type |= REF_ISBROKEN;
+		errno = EINVAL;
+		return -1;
+	}
+	return 0;
+}
+
 static void unlock_ref(struct ref_lock *lock)
 {
 	rollback_lock_file(&lock->lk);
@@ -2199,12 +2201,11 @@ static struct ref_iterator *files_reflog_iterator_begin(struct ref_store *ref_st
 		files_downcast(ref_store, REF_STORE_READ,
 			       "reflog_iterator_begin");
 
-	if (!strcmp(refs->gitdir, refs->gitcommondir)) {
+	if (!strcmp(refs->base.gitdir, refs->gitcommondir)) {
 		return reflog_iterator_begin(ref_store, refs->gitcommondir);
 	} else {
 		return merge_ref_iterator_begin(
-			0,
-			reflog_iterator_begin(ref_store, refs->gitdir),
+			0, reflog_iterator_begin(ref_store, refs->base.gitdir),
 			reflog_iterator_begin(ref_store, refs->gitcommondir),
 			reflog_iterator_select, refs);
 	}
diff --git a/refs/packed-backend.c b/refs/packed-backend.c
index 4458a0f69c..b912f2505f 100644
--- a/refs/packed-backend.c
+++ b/refs/packed-backend.c
@@ -200,6 +200,7 @@ struct ref_store *packed_ref_store_create(const char *path,
 	struct ref_store *ref_store = (struct ref_store *)refs;
 
 	base_ref_store_init(ref_store, &refs_be_packed);
+	ref_store->gitdir = xstrdup(path);
 	refs->store_flags = store_flags;
 
 	refs->path = xstrdup(path);
diff --git a/refs/refs-internal.h b/refs/refs-internal.h
index 357359a0be..527b0a6e2e 100644
--- a/refs/refs-internal.h
+++ b/refs/refs-internal.h
@@ -667,13 +667,22 @@ extern struct ref_storage_be refs_be_packed;
 /*
  * A representation of the reference store for the main repository or
  * a submodule. The ref_store instances for submodules are kept in a
- * linked list.
+ * hash map; see get_submodule_ref_store() for more info.
  */
 struct ref_store {
 	/* The backend describing this ref_store's storage scheme: */
 	const struct ref_storage_be *be;
+
+	/* The gitdir that this ref_store applies to: */
+	char *gitdir;
 };
 
+/*
+ * Parse contents of a loose ref file.
+ */
+int parse_loose_ref_contents(const char *buf, struct object_id *oid,
+			     struct strbuf *referent, unsigned int *type);
+
 /*
  * Fill in the generic part of refs and add it to our collection of
  * reference stores.