diff --git a/worktree.c b/worktree.c
index ec95ea2986107b3bc12d38b0825d7c6e87402bc6..ad60ba0b5843f1676e89b05eca3c82aace5fb49b 100644
--- a/worktree.c
+++ b/worktree.c
@@ -641,13 +641,15 @@ static int is_main_worktree_path(const char *path)
  * won't know which <repo>/worktrees/<id>/gitdir to repair. However, we may
  * be able to infer the gitdir by manually reading /path/to/worktree/.git,
  * extracting the <id>, and checking if <repo>/worktrees/<id> exists.
+ *
+ * Returns -1 on failure and strbuf.len on success.
  */
-static char *infer_backlink(const char *gitfile)
+static int infer_backlink(const char *gitfile, struct strbuf *inferred)
 {
 	struct strbuf actual = STRBUF_INIT;
-	struct strbuf inferred = STRBUF_INIT;
 	const char *id;
 
+	strbuf_reset(inferred);
 	if (strbuf_read_file(&actual, gitfile, 0) < 0)
 		goto error;
 	if (!starts_with(actual.buf, "gitdir:"))
@@ -658,17 +660,16 @@ static char *infer_backlink(const char *gitfile)
 	id++; /* advance past '/' to point at <id> */
 	if (!*id)
 		goto error;
-	strbuf_git_common_path(&inferred, the_repository, "worktrees/%s", id);
-	if (!is_directory(inferred.buf))
+	strbuf_git_common_path(inferred, the_repository, "worktrees/%s", id);
+	if (!is_directory(inferred->buf))
 		goto error;
 
 	strbuf_release(&actual);
-	return strbuf_detach(&inferred, NULL);
-
+	return inferred->len;
 error:
 	strbuf_release(&actual);
-	strbuf_release(&inferred);
-	return NULL;
+	strbuf_reset(inferred); /* clear invalid path */
+	return -1;
 }
 
 /*
@@ -680,10 +681,11 @@ void repair_worktree_at_path(const char *path,
 {
 	struct strbuf dotgit = STRBUF_INIT;
 	struct strbuf realdotgit = STRBUF_INIT;
+	struct strbuf backlink = STRBUF_INIT;
+	struct strbuf inferred_backlink = STRBUF_INIT;
 	struct strbuf gitdir = STRBUF_INIT;
 	struct strbuf olddotgit = STRBUF_INIT;
-	char *backlink = NULL;
-	char *inferred_backlink = NULL;
+	char *dotgit_contents = NULL;
 	const char *repair = NULL;
 	int err;
 
@@ -699,23 +701,23 @@ void repair_worktree_at_path(const char *path,
 		goto done;
 	}
 
-	inferred_backlink = infer_backlink(realdotgit.buf);
-	backlink = xstrdup_or_null(read_gitfile_gently(realdotgit.buf, &err));
-	if (err == READ_GITFILE_ERR_NOT_A_FILE) {
+	infer_backlink(realdotgit.buf, &inferred_backlink);
+	dotgit_contents = xstrdup_or_null(read_gitfile_gently(realdotgit.buf, &err));
+	if (dotgit_contents) {
+		strbuf_addstr(&backlink, dotgit_contents);
+	} else if (err == READ_GITFILE_ERR_NOT_A_FILE) {
 		fn(1, realdotgit.buf, _("unable to locate repository; .git is not a file"), cb_data);
 		goto done;
 	} else if (err == READ_GITFILE_ERR_NOT_A_REPO) {
-		if (inferred_backlink) {
+		if (inferred_backlink.len) {
 			/*
 			 * Worktree's .git file does not point at a repository
 			 * but we found a .git/worktrees/<id> in this
 			 * repository with the same <id> as recorded in the
 			 * worktree's .git file so make the worktree point at
-			 * the discovered .git/worktrees/<id>. (Note: backlink
-			 * is already NULL, so no need to free it first.)
+			 * the discovered .git/worktrees/<id>.
 			 */
-			backlink = inferred_backlink;
-			inferred_backlink = NULL;
+			strbuf_swap(&backlink, &inferred_backlink);
 		} else {
 			fn(1, realdotgit.buf, _("unable to locate repository; .git file does not reference a repository"), cb_data);
 			goto done;
@@ -743,13 +745,10 @@ void repair_worktree_at_path(const char *path,
 	 * in the "copy" repository. In this case, point the "copy" worktree's
 	 * .git file at the "copy" repository.
 	 */
-	if (inferred_backlink && fspathcmp(backlink, inferred_backlink)) {
-		free(backlink);
-		backlink = inferred_backlink;
-		inferred_backlink = NULL;
-	}
+	if (inferred_backlink.len && fspathcmp(backlink.buf, inferred_backlink.buf))
+		strbuf_swap(&backlink, &inferred_backlink);
 
-	strbuf_addf(&gitdir, "%s/gitdir", backlink);
+	strbuf_addf(&gitdir, "%s/gitdir", backlink.buf);
 	if (strbuf_read_file(&olddotgit, gitdir.buf, 0) < 0)
 		repair = _("gitdir unreadable");
 	else {
@@ -763,9 +762,10 @@ void repair_worktree_at_path(const char *path,
 		write_file(gitdir.buf, "%s", realdotgit.buf);
 	}
 done:
-	free(backlink);
-	free(inferred_backlink);
+	free(dotgit_contents);
 	strbuf_release(&olddotgit);
+	strbuf_release(&backlink);
+	strbuf_release(&inferred_backlink);
 	strbuf_release(&gitdir);
 	strbuf_release(&realdotgit);
 	strbuf_release(&dotgit);
