diff --git a/builtin/update-index.c b/builtin/update-index.c
index 1c1cb8f8d4a..9a83603c0db 100644
--- a/builtin/update-index.c
+++ b/builtin/update-index.c
@@ -226,9 +226,8 @@ static int test_if_untracked_cache_is_supported(void)
 	return ret;
 }
 
-static struct index_state *istate;
-
-static int mark_ce_flags(const char *path, int flag, int mark)
+static int mark_ce_flags(struct index_state *istate,
+			 const char *path, int flag, int mark)
 {
 	int namelen = strlen(path);
 	int pos = index_name_pos(istate, path, namelen);
@@ -246,7 +245,7 @@ static int mark_ce_flags(const char *path, int flag, int mark)
 	return -1;
 }
 
-static int remove_one_path(const char *path)
+static int remove_one_path(struct index_state *istate, const char *path)
 {
 	if (!allow_remove)
 		return error("%s: does not exist and --remove not passed", path);
@@ -262,14 +261,17 @@ static int remove_one_path(const char *path)
  *    succeeds.
  *  - permission error. That's never ok.
  */
-static int process_lstat_error(const char *path, int err)
+static int process_lstat_error(struct index_state *istate,
+			       const char *path, int err)
 {
 	if (is_missing_file_error(err))
-		return remove_one_path(path);
+		return remove_one_path(istate, path);
 	return error("lstat(\"%s\"): %s", path, strerror(err));
 }
 
-static int add_one_path(const struct cache_entry *old, const char *path, int len, struct stat *st)
+static int add_one_path(struct index_state *istate,
+			const struct cache_entry *old,
+			const char *path, int len, struct stat *st)
 {
 	int option;
 	struct cache_entry *ce;
@@ -322,7 +324,8 @@ static int add_one_path(const struct cache_entry *old, const char *path, int len
  *  - it doesn't exist at all in the index, but it is a valid
  *    git directory, and it should be *added* as a gitlink.
  */
-static int process_directory(const char *path, int len, struct stat *st)
+static int process_directory(struct index_state *istate,
+			     const char *path, int len, struct stat *st)
 {
 	struct object_id oid;
 	int pos = index_name_pos(istate, path, len);
@@ -336,10 +339,10 @@ static int process_directory(const char *path, int len, struct stat *st)
 			if (resolve_gitlink_ref(path, "HEAD", &oid) < 0)
 				return 0;
 
-			return add_one_path(ce, path, len, st);
+			return add_one_path(istate, ce, path, len, st);
 		}
 		/* Should this be an unconditional error? */
-		return remove_one_path(path);
+		return remove_one_path(istate, path);
 	}
 
 	/* Inexact match: is there perhaps a subdirectory match? */
@@ -360,13 +363,14 @@ static int process_directory(const char *path, int len, struct stat *st)
 
 	/* No match - should we add it as a gitlink? */
 	if (!resolve_gitlink_ref(path, "HEAD", &oid))
-		return add_one_path(NULL, path, len, st);
+		return add_one_path(istate, NULL, path, len, st);
 
 	/* Error out. */
 	return error("%s: is a directory - add files inside instead", path);
 }
 
-static int process_path(const char *path, struct stat *st, int stat_errno)
+static int process_path(struct index_state *istate,
+			const char *path, struct stat *st, int stat_errno)
 {
 	int pos, len;
 	const struct cache_entry *ce;
@@ -394,15 +398,16 @@ static int process_path(const char *path, struct stat *st, int stat_errno)
 	 * what to do about the pathname!
 	 */
 	if (stat_errno)
-		return process_lstat_error(path, stat_errno);
+		return process_lstat_error(istate, path, stat_errno);
 
 	if (S_ISDIR(st->st_mode))
-		return process_directory(path, len, st);
+		return process_directory(istate, path, len, st);
 
-	return add_one_path(ce, path, len, st);
+	return add_one_path(istate, ce, path, len, st);
 }
 
-static int add_cacheinfo(unsigned int mode, const struct object_id *oid,
+static int add_cacheinfo(struct index_state *istate,
+			 unsigned int mode, const struct object_id *oid,
 			 const char *path, int stage)
 {
 	int res;
@@ -419,7 +424,8 @@ static int add_cacheinfo(unsigned int mode, const struct object_id *oid,
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static void chmod_path(char flip, const char *path)
+static void chmod_path(struct index_state *istate,
+		       char flip, const char *path)
 {
 	int pos;
 	struct cache_entry *ce;
@@ -437,7 +443,7 @@ static void chmod_path(char flip, const char *path)
 	die("git update-index: cannot chmod %cx '%s'", flip, path);
 }
 
-static void update_one(const char *path)
+static void update_one(struct index_state *istate, const char *path)
 {
 	int stat_errno = 0;
 	struct stat st;
@@ -455,17 +461,20 @@ static void update_one(const char *path)
 		return;
 	}
 	if (mark_valid_only) {
-		if (mark_ce_flags(path, CE_VALID, mark_valid_only == MARK_FLAG))
+		if (mark_ce_flags(istate, path, CE_VALID,
+				  mark_valid_only == MARK_FLAG))
 			die("Unable to mark file %s", path);
 		return;
 	}
 	if (mark_skip_worktree_only) {
-		if (mark_ce_flags(path, CE_SKIP_WORKTREE, mark_skip_worktree_only == MARK_FLAG))
+		if (mark_ce_flags(istate, path, CE_SKIP_WORKTREE,
+				  mark_skip_worktree_only == MARK_FLAG))
 			die("Unable to mark file %s", path);
 		return;
 	}
 	if (mark_fsmonitor_only) {
-		if (mark_ce_flags(path, CE_FSMONITOR_VALID, mark_fsmonitor_only == MARK_FLAG))
+		if (mark_ce_flags(istate, path, CE_FSMONITOR_VALID,
+				  mark_fsmonitor_only == MARK_FLAG))
 			die("Unable to mark file %s", path);
 		return;
 	}
@@ -476,12 +485,12 @@ static void update_one(const char *path)
 		report("remove '%s'", path);
 		return;
 	}
-	if (process_path(path, &st, stat_errno))
+	if (process_path(istate, path, &st, stat_errno))
 		die("Unable to process path %s", path);
 	report("add '%s'", path);
 }
 
-static void read_index_info(int nul_term_line)
+static void read_index_info(struct index_state *istate, int nul_term_line)
 {
 	const int hexsz = the_hash_algo->hexsz;
 	struct strbuf buf = STRBUF_INIT;
@@ -564,7 +573,7 @@ static void read_index_info(int nul_term_line)
 			 * ptr[-41] is at the beginning of sha1
 			 */
 			ptr[-(hexsz + 2)] = ptr[-1] = 0;
-			if (add_cacheinfo(mode, &oid, path_name, stage))
+			if (add_cacheinfo(istate, mode, &oid, path_name, stage))
 				die("git update-index: unable to update %s",
 				    path_name);
 		}
@@ -758,7 +767,7 @@ static int do_reupdate(int ac, const char **av,
 		 */
 		save_nr = repo->index->cache_nr;
 		path = xstrdup(ce->name);
-		update_one(path);
+		update_one(repo->index, path);
 		free(path);
 		discard_cache_entry(old);
 		if (save_nr != repo->index->cache_nr)
@@ -854,7 +863,7 @@ static enum parse_opt_result cacheinfo_callback(
 	BUG_ON_OPT_ARG(arg);
 
 	if (!parse_new_style_cacheinfo(ctx->argv[1], &mode, &oid, &path)) {
-		if (add_cacheinfo(mode, &oid, path, 0))
+		if (add_cacheinfo(repo->index, mode, &oid, path, 0))
 			die("git update-index: --cacheinfo cannot add %s", path);
 		ctx->argv++;
 		ctx->argc--;
@@ -864,7 +873,7 @@ static enum parse_opt_result cacheinfo_callback(
 		return error("option 'cacheinfo' expects <mode>,<sha1>,<path>");
 	if (strtoul_ui(*++ctx->argv, 8, &mode) ||
 	    get_oid_hex(*++ctx->argv, &oid) ||
-	    add_cacheinfo(mode, &oid, *++ctx->argv, 0))
+	    add_cacheinfo(repo->index, mode, &oid, *++ctx->argv, 0))
 		die("git update-index: --cacheinfo cannot add %s", *ctx->argv);
 	ctx->argc -= 3;
 	return 0;
@@ -882,7 +891,7 @@ static enum parse_opt_result stdin_cacheinfo_callback(
 	if (ctx->argc != 1)
 		return error("option '%s' must be the last argument", opt->long_name);
 	allow_add = allow_replace = allow_remove = 1;
-	read_index_info(*nul_term_line);
+	read_index_info(repo->index, *nul_term_line);
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -1079,7 +1088,6 @@ int cmd_update_index(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	if (entries < 0)
 		die("cache corrupted");
 
-	istate = repo->index;
 	repo->index->updated_skipworktree = 1;
 
 	/*
@@ -1108,9 +1116,9 @@ int cmd_update_index(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 
 			setup_work_tree();
 			p = prefix_path(prefix, prefix_length, path);
-			update_one(p);
+			update_one(repo->index, p);
 			if (set_executable_bit)
-				chmod_path(set_executable_bit, p);
+				chmod_path(repo->index, set_executable_bit, p);
 			free(p);
 			ctx.argc--;
 			ctx.argv++;
@@ -1153,9 +1161,9 @@ int cmd_update_index(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 				strbuf_swap(&buf, &unquoted);
 			}
 			p = prefix_path(prefix, prefix_length, buf.buf);
-			update_one(p);
+			update_one(repo->index, p);
 			if (set_executable_bit)
-				chmod_path(set_executable_bit, p);
+				chmod_path(repo->index, set_executable_bit, p);
 			free(p);
 		}
 		strbuf_release(&unquoted);
