diff --git a/builtin/fsck.c b/builtin/fsck.c
index d13a226c2e..65a26e2d1b 100644
--- a/builtin/fsck.c
+++ b/builtin/fsck.c
@@ -1065,6 +1065,11 @@ int cmd_fsck(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 
 	check_connectivity();
 
+	if (refs_fsck(get_main_ref_store(the_repository))) {
+		error("ref database is corrupt");
+		errors_found |= ERROR_REFS;
+	}
+
 	if (the_repository->settings.core_commit_graph) {
 		struct child_process commit_graph_verify = CHILD_PROCESS_INIT;
 
diff --git a/refs.c b/refs.c
index 8260c27cde..5ac61d551c 100644
--- a/refs.c
+++ b/refs.c
@@ -316,6 +316,11 @@ int check_refname_format(const char *refname, int flags)
 	return check_or_sanitize_refname(refname, flags, NULL);
 }
 
+int refs_fsck(struct ref_store *refs)
+{
+	return refs->be->fsck(refs);
+}
+
 void sanitize_refname_component(const char *refname, struct strbuf *out)
 {
 	if (check_or_sanitize_refname(refname, REFNAME_ALLOW_ONELEVEL, out))
diff --git a/refs.h b/refs.h
index 34568ee1fb..2799820c40 100644
--- a/refs.h
+++ b/refs.h
@@ -544,6 +544,11 @@ int refs_for_each_reflog(struct ref_store *refs, each_reflog_fn fn, void *cb_dat
  */
 int check_refname_format(const char *refname, int flags);
 
+/*
+  * Return 0 iff all refs in filesystem are consistent.
+*/
+int refs_fsck(struct ref_store *refs);
+
 /*
  * Apply the rules from check_refname_format, but mutate the result until it
  * is acceptable, and place the result in "out".
diff --git a/refs/files-backend.c b/refs/files-backend.c
index 5f3089d947..b6147c588b 100644
--- a/refs/files-backend.c
+++ b/refs/files-backend.c
@@ -3299,6 +3299,11 @@ static int files_init_db(struct ref_store *ref_store,
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static int files_fsck(struct ref_store *ref_store)
+{
+	return 0;
+}
+
 struct ref_storage_be refs_be_files = {
 	.name = "files",
 	.init = files_ref_store_create,
@@ -3322,5 +3327,7 @@ struct ref_storage_be refs_be_files = {
 	.reflog_exists = files_reflog_exists,
 	.create_reflog = files_create_reflog,
 	.delete_reflog = files_delete_reflog,
-	.reflog_expire = files_reflog_expire
+	.reflog_expire = files_reflog_expire,
+
+	.fsck = files_fsck,
 };
diff --git a/refs/packed-backend.c b/refs/packed-backend.c
index a937e7dbfc..0617321634 100644
--- a/refs/packed-backend.c
+++ b/refs/packed-backend.c
@@ -1704,6 +1704,11 @@ static struct ref_iterator *packed_reflog_iterator_begin(struct ref_store *ref_s
 	return empty_ref_iterator_begin();
 }
 
+static int packed_fsck(struct ref_store *ref_store)
+{
+	return 0;
+}
+
 struct ref_storage_be refs_be_packed = {
 	.name = "packed",
 	.init = packed_ref_store_create,
@@ -1728,4 +1733,6 @@ struct ref_storage_be refs_be_packed = {
 	.create_reflog = NULL,
 	.delete_reflog = NULL,
 	.reflog_expire = NULL,
+
+	.fsck = packed_fsck,
 };
diff --git a/refs/refs-internal.h b/refs/refs-internal.h
index 53a6c5d842..ef697bf3bf 100644
--- a/refs/refs-internal.h
+++ b/refs/refs-internal.h
@@ -675,6 +675,8 @@ typedef int read_raw_ref_fn(struct ref_store *ref_store, const char *refname,
 typedef int read_symbolic_ref_fn(struct ref_store *ref_store, const char *refname,
 				 struct strbuf *referent);
 
+typedef int fsck_fn(struct ref_store *ref_store);
+
 struct ref_storage_be {
 	const char *name;
 	ref_store_init_fn *init;
@@ -700,6 +702,8 @@ struct ref_storage_be {
 	create_reflog_fn *create_reflog;
 	delete_reflog_fn *delete_reflog;
 	reflog_expire_fn *reflog_expire;
+
+	fsck_fn *fsck;
 };
 
 extern struct ref_storage_be refs_be_files;
diff --git a/refs/reftable-backend.c b/refs/reftable-backend.c
index 1af86bbdec..f3f85cd2f0 100644
--- a/refs/reftable-backend.c
+++ b/refs/reftable-backend.c
@@ -2167,6 +2167,11 @@ static int reftable_be_reflog_expire(struct ref_store *ref_store,
 	return ret;
 }
 
+static int reftable_be_fsck(struct ref_store *ref_store)
+{
+	return 0;
+}
+
 struct ref_storage_be refs_be_reftable = {
 	.name = "reftable",
 	.init = reftable_be_init,
@@ -2191,4 +2196,6 @@ struct ref_storage_be refs_be_reftable = {
 	.create_reflog = reftable_be_create_reflog,
 	.delete_reflog = reftable_be_delete_reflog,
 	.reflog_expire = reftable_be_reflog_expire,
+
+	.fsck = reftable_be_fsck,
 };
