diff --git a/midx-write.c b/midx-write.c
index 23e61cb000..73d24fabbc 100644
--- a/midx-write.c
+++ b/midx-write.c
@@ -955,7 +955,7 @@ static int link_midx_to_chain(struct multi_pack_index *m)
 	}
 
 	for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(midx_exts); i++) {
-		const unsigned char *hash = get_midx_checksum(m);
+		const unsigned char *hash = get_midx_hash(m);
 
 		get_midx_filename_ext(m->source, &from,
 				      hash, midx_exts[i].non_split);
@@ -1086,8 +1086,7 @@ static int write_midx_internal(struct odb_source *source,
 		while (m) {
 			if (flags & MIDX_WRITE_BITMAP && load_midx_revindex(m)) {
 				error(_("could not load reverse index for MIDX %s"),
-				      hash_to_hex_algop(get_midx_checksum(m),
-							m->source->odb->repo->hash_algo));
+				      get_midx_checksum(m));
 				goto cleanup;
 			}
 			ctx.num_multi_pack_indexes_before++;
@@ -1445,8 +1444,7 @@ static int write_midx_internal(struct odb_source *source,
 		for (uint32_t i = 0; i < ctx.num_multi_pack_indexes_before; i++) {
 			uint32_t j = ctx.num_multi_pack_indexes_before - i - 1;
 
-			keep_hashes[j] = xstrdup(hash_to_hex_algop(get_midx_checksum(m),
-								   r->hash_algo));
+			keep_hashes[j] = xstrdup(get_midx_checksum(m));
 			m = m->base_midx;
 		}
 
diff --git a/midx.c b/midx.c
index 6c01f0fa52..f9b11de9ca 100644
--- a/midx.c
+++ b/midx.c
@@ -24,7 +24,13 @@ void clear_incremental_midx_files_ext(struct odb_source *source, const char *ext
 int cmp_idx_or_pack_name(const char *idx_or_pack_name,
 			 const char *idx_name);
 
-const unsigned char *get_midx_checksum(const struct multi_pack_index *m)
+const char *get_midx_checksum(const struct multi_pack_index *m)
+{
+	return hash_to_hex_algop(get_midx_hash(m),
+				 m->source->odb->repo->hash_algo);
+}
+
+const unsigned char *get_midx_hash(const struct multi_pack_index *m)
 {
 	return m->data + m->data_len - m->source->odb->repo->hash_algo->rawsz;
 }
diff --git a/midx.h b/midx.h
index 7c7e0b5912..e188ffeb57 100644
--- a/midx.h
+++ b/midx.h
@@ -85,7 +85,8 @@ struct multi_pack_index {
 #define MIDX_EXT_BITMAP "bitmap"
 #define MIDX_EXT_MIDX "midx"
 
-const unsigned char *get_midx_checksum(const struct multi_pack_index *m);
+const char *get_midx_checksum(const struct multi_pack_index *m) /* static buffer */;
+const unsigned char *get_midx_hash(const struct multi_pack_index *m);
 void get_midx_filename(struct odb_source *source, struct strbuf *out);
 void get_midx_filename_ext(struct odb_source *source, struct strbuf *out,
 			   const unsigned char *hash, const char *ext);
diff --git a/pack-bitmap.c b/pack-bitmap.c
index 8ca79725b1..f466ed2ddc 100644
--- a/pack-bitmap.c
+++ b/pack-bitmap.c
@@ -441,11 +441,11 @@ char *midx_bitmap_filename(struct multi_pack_index *midx)
 	struct strbuf buf = STRBUF_INIT;
 	if (midx->has_chain)
 		get_split_midx_filename_ext(midx->source, &buf,
-					    get_midx_checksum(midx),
+					    get_midx_hash(midx),
 					    MIDX_EXT_BITMAP);
 	else
 		get_midx_filename_ext(midx->source, &buf,
-				      get_midx_checksum(midx),
+				      get_midx_hash(midx),
 				      MIDX_EXT_BITMAP);
 
 	return strbuf_detach(&buf, NULL);
@@ -502,7 +502,7 @@ static int open_midx_bitmap_1(struct bitmap_index *bitmap_git,
 	if (load_bitmap_header(bitmap_git) < 0)
 		goto cleanup;
 
-	if (!hasheq(get_midx_checksum(bitmap_git->midx), bitmap_git->checksum,
+	if (!hasheq(get_midx_hash(bitmap_git->midx), bitmap_git->checksum,
 		    bitmap_repo(bitmap_git)->hash_algo)) {
 		error(_("checksum doesn't match in MIDX and bitmap"));
 		goto cleanup;
@@ -2820,8 +2820,7 @@ void test_bitmap_walk(struct rev_info *revs)
 
 		if (bitmap_is_midx(found))
 			fprintf_ln(stderr, "Located via MIDX '%s'.",
-				   hash_to_hex_algop(get_midx_checksum(found->midx),
-						     revs->repo->hash_algo));
+				   get_midx_checksum(found->midx));
 		else
 			fprintf_ln(stderr, "Located via pack '%s'.",
 				   hash_to_hex_algop(found->pack->hash,
diff --git a/pack-revindex.c b/pack-revindex.c
index d0791cc493..016195ceb9 100644
--- a/pack-revindex.c
+++ b/pack-revindex.c
@@ -390,11 +390,11 @@ int load_midx_revindex(struct multi_pack_index *m)
 
 	if (m->has_chain)
 		get_split_midx_filename_ext(m->source, &revindex_name,
-					    get_midx_checksum(m),
+					    get_midx_hash(m),
 					    MIDX_EXT_REV);
 	else
 		get_midx_filename_ext(m->source, &revindex_name,
-				      get_midx_checksum(m),
+				      get_midx_hash(m),
 				      MIDX_EXT_REV);
 
 	ret = load_revindex_from_disk(m->source->odb->repo->hash_algo,
diff --git a/t/helper/test-read-midx.c b/t/helper/test-read-midx.c
index 6de5d1665a..dee603b3cd 100644
--- a/t/helper/test-read-midx.c
+++ b/t/helper/test-read-midx.c
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ static int read_midx_file(const char *object_dir, const char *checksum,
 		return 1;
 
 	if (checksum) {
-		while (m && strcmp(hash_to_hex(get_midx_checksum(m)), checksum))
+		while (m && strcmp(get_midx_checksum(m), checksum))
 			m = m->base_midx;
 		if (!m)
 			return 1;
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ static int read_midx_checksum(const char *object_dir)
 	m = setup_midx(object_dir);
 	if (!m)
 		return 1;
-	printf("%s\n", hash_to_hex(get_midx_checksum(m)));
+	printf("%s\n", get_midx_checksum(m));
 
 	close_midx(m);
 	return 0;