diff --git a/builtin/fsck.c b/builtin/fsck.c
index c383125027..2a3b536c1b 100644
--- a/builtin/fsck.c
+++ b/builtin/fsck.c
@@ -89,9 +89,11 @@ static int objerror(struct object *obj, const char *err)
 	return -1;
 }
 
-static int fsck_error_func(struct fsck_objects_options *o UNUSED,
+static int fsck_error_func(struct fsck_objects_options *objects_options UNUSED,
+			   struct fsck_refs_options *refs_options UNUSED,
 			   const struct object_id *oid,
 			   enum object_type object_type,
+			   const char *checked_ref_name UNUSED,
 			   enum fsck_msg_type msg_type,
 			   enum fsck_msg_id msg_id UNUSED,
 			   const char *message)
diff --git a/builtin/mktag.c b/builtin/mktag.c
index 76860f4c7c..0779a778e9 100644
--- a/builtin/mktag.c
+++ b/builtin/mktag.c
@@ -17,9 +17,11 @@ static int option_strict = 1;
 
 static struct fsck_objects_options fsck_objects_options = FSCK_OBJECTS_OPTIONS_STRICT;
 
-static int mktag_fsck_error_func(struct fsck_objects_options *o UNUSED,
+static int mktag_fsck_error_func(struct fsck_objects_options *objects_options UNUSED,
+				 struct fsck_refs_options *refs_options UNUSED,
 				 const struct object_id *oid UNUSED,
 				 enum object_type object_type UNUSED,
+				 const char *checked_ref_name UNUSED,
 				 enum fsck_msg_type msg_type,
 				 enum fsck_msg_id msg_id UNUSED,
 				 const char *message)
diff --git a/fsck.c b/fsck.c
index 7ac6e4587c..5184d17736 100644
--- a/fsck.c
+++ b/fsck.c
@@ -230,19 +230,23 @@ static int object_on_skiplist(const struct object_id *oid)
 	return oid && oidset_contains(&fsck_configs.oid_skiplist, oid);
 }
 
-__attribute__((format (printf, 5, 6)))
-static int report(struct fsck_objects_options *options,
-		  const struct object_id *oid, enum object_type object_type,
-		  enum fsck_msg_id msg_id, const char *fmt, ...)
+static int vfsck_report(struct fsck_objects_options *objects_options,
+			struct fsck_refs_options *refs_options,
+			const struct object_id *oid,
+			enum object_type object_type,
+			const char *checked_ref_name,
+			enum fsck_msg_id msg_id, const char *fmt, va_list ap)
 {
-	va_list ap;
+	va_list ap_copy;
 	struct strbuf sb = STRBUF_INIT;
 	struct fsck_options *fsck_options;
 	enum fsck_msg_type msg_type;
 	int result;
 
-	if (options)
-		fsck_options = &options->fsck_options;
+	if (objects_options)
+		fsck_options = &objects_options->fsck_options;
+	else if (refs_options)
+		fsck_options = &refs_options->fsck_options;
 	else
 		BUG("fsck_options is not set");
 
@@ -261,9 +265,10 @@ static int report(struct fsck_objects_options *options,
 	prepare_msg_ids();
 	strbuf_addf(&sb, "%s: ", msg_id_info[msg_id].camelcased);
 
-	va_start(ap, fmt);
-	strbuf_vaddf(&sb, fmt, ap);
-	result = fsck_options->error_func(options, oid, object_type,
+	va_copy(ap_copy, ap);
+	strbuf_vaddf(&sb, fmt, ap_copy);
+	result = fsck_options->error_func(objects_options, NULL,
+					  oid, object_type, checked_ref_name,
 					  msg_type, msg_id, sb.buf);
 	strbuf_release(&sb);
 	va_end(ap);
@@ -271,6 +276,51 @@ static int report(struct fsck_objects_options *options,
 	return result;
 }
 
+__attribute__((format (printf, 5, 6)))
+static int report(struct fsck_objects_options *objects_options,
+		  const struct object_id *oid, enum object_type object_type,
+		  enum fsck_msg_id msg_id, const char *fmt, ...)
+{
+	va_list ap;
+	int result;
+	va_start(ap, fmt);
+	result = vfsck_report(objects_options, NULL, oid, object_type, "",
+			      msg_id, fmt, ap);
+	va_end(ap);
+	return result;
+}
+
+int fsck_report(struct fsck_objects_options *objects_options,
+		struct fsck_refs_options *refs_options,
+		const struct object_id *oid,
+		enum object_type object_type,
+		const char *checked_ref_name,
+		enum fsck_msg_id msg_id, const char *fmt, ...)
+{
+	va_list ap;
+	int result;
+	va_start(ap, fmt);
+	result = vfsck_report(objects_options, refs_options, oid, object_type,
+			      checked_ref_name, msg_id, fmt, ap);
+	va_end(ap);
+	return result;
+
+}
+
+int fsck_refs_report(struct fsck_refs_options *refs_options,
+		     const struct object_id *oid,
+		     const char *checked_ref_name,
+		     enum fsck_msg_id msg_id, const char *fmt, ...)
+{
+	va_list ap;
+	int result;
+	va_start(ap, fmt);
+	result = fsck_report(NULL, refs_options, oid, OBJ_NONE,
+			     checked_ref_name, msg_id, fmt, ap);
+	va_end(ap);
+	return result;
+}
+
 void fsck_enable_object_names(struct fsck_objects_options *options)
 {
 	if (!options->object_names)
@@ -1216,18 +1266,22 @@ int fsck_buffer(const struct object_id *oid, enum object_type type,
 		      type);
 }
 
-int fsck_error_function(struct fsck_objects_options *o,
+int fsck_error_function(struct fsck_objects_options *objects_options,
+			struct fsck_refs_options *refs_options UNUSED,
 			const struct object_id *oid,
 			enum object_type object_type UNUSED,
+			const char *checked_ref_name UNUSED,
 			enum fsck_msg_type msg_type,
 			enum fsck_msg_id msg_id UNUSED,
 			const char *message)
 {
 	if (msg_type == FSCK_WARN) {
-		warning("object %s: %s", fsck_describe_object(o, oid), message);
+		warning("object %s: %s",
+			fsck_describe_object(objects_options, oid), message);
 		return 0;
 	}
-	error("object %s: %s", fsck_describe_object(o, oid), message);
+	error("object %s: %s",
+	      fsck_describe_object(objects_options, oid), message);
 	return 1;
 }
 
@@ -1320,9 +1374,11 @@ int git_fsck_config(const char *var, const char *value,
  * Custom error callbacks that are used in more than one place.
  */
 
-int fsck_error_cb_print_missing_gitmodules(struct fsck_objects_options *o,
+int fsck_error_cb_print_missing_gitmodules(struct fsck_objects_options *objects_options,
+					   struct fsck_refs_options *refs_options,
 					   const struct object_id *oid,
 					   enum object_type object_type,
+					   const char *checked_ref_name,
 					   enum fsck_msg_type msg_type,
 					   enum fsck_msg_id msg_id,
 					   const char *message)
@@ -1331,5 +1387,7 @@ int fsck_error_cb_print_missing_gitmodules(struct fsck_objects_options *o,
 		puts(oid_to_hex(oid));
 		return 0;
 	}
-	return fsck_error_function(o, oid, object_type, msg_type, msg_id, message);
+	return fsck_error_function(objects_options, refs_options,
+				   oid, object_type, checked_ref_name,
+				   msg_type, msg_id, message);
 }
diff --git a/fsck.h b/fsck.h
index a17fee30b4..70d5e78ae6 100644
--- a/fsck.h
+++ b/fsck.h
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ enum fsck_msg_id {
 #undef MSG_ID
 
 struct fsck_options;
+struct fsck_refs_options;
 struct fsck_objects_options;
 struct object;
 
@@ -115,19 +116,27 @@ int is_valid_msg_type(const char *msg_id, const char *msg_type);
 typedef int (*fsck_walk_func)(struct object *obj, enum object_type object_type,
 			      void *data, struct fsck_objects_options *options);
 
-/* callback for fsck_object, type is FSCK_ERROR or FSCK_WARN */
-typedef int (*fsck_error)(struct fsck_objects_options *o,
+/*
+ * callback function for reporting errors when checking either objects or refs
+ */
+typedef int (*fsck_error)(struct fsck_objects_options *objects_options,
+			  struct fsck_refs_options *refs_options,
 			  const struct object_id *oid, enum object_type object_type,
+			  const char *checked_ref_name,
 			  enum fsck_msg_type msg_type, enum fsck_msg_id msg_id,
 			  const char *message);
 
-int fsck_error_function(struct fsck_objects_options *o,
+int fsck_error_function(struct fsck_objects_options *objects_options,
+			struct fsck_refs_options *refs_options,
 			const struct object_id *oid, enum object_type object_type,
+			const char *checked_ref_name,
 			enum fsck_msg_type msg_type, enum fsck_msg_id msg_id,
 			const char *message);
-int fsck_error_cb_print_missing_gitmodules(struct fsck_objects_options *o,
+int fsck_error_cb_print_missing_gitmodules(struct fsck_objects_options *objects_options,
+					   struct fsck_refs_options *refs_options,
 					   const struct object_id *oid,
 					   enum object_type object_type,
+					   const char *checked_ref_name,
 					   enum fsck_msg_type msg_type,
 					   enum fsck_msg_id msg_id,
 					   const char *message);
@@ -223,6 +232,28 @@ int fsck_tag_standalone(const struct object_id *oid, const char *buffer,
  */
 int fsck_finish(struct fsck_objects_options *options);
 
+/*
+ * Provide a unified interface for either fscking refs or objects.
+ * It will get the current msg error type and call the error_func callback
+ * which is registered in the "fsck_options" struct. For refs, the caller
+ * should pass NULL for "objs_options". For objects, the caller should pass
+ * NULL for "refs_options".
+ */
+__attribute__((format (printf, 7, 8)))
+int fsck_report(struct fsck_objects_options *objects_options,
+		struct fsck_refs_options *refs_options,
+		const struct object_id *oid,
+		enum object_type object_type,
+		const char *checked_ref_name,
+		enum fsck_msg_id msg_id, const char *fmt, ...);
+
+__attribute__((format (printf, 5, 6)))
+int fsck_refs_report(struct fsck_refs_options *refs_options,
+		     const struct object_id *oid,
+		     const char *checked_ref_name,
+		     enum fsck_msg_id msg_id,
+		     const char *fmt, ...);
+
 /*
  * Subsystem for storing human-readable names for each object.
  *
diff --git a/object-file.c b/object-file.c
index 9eda05ee01..5cb9117fc4 100644
--- a/object-file.c
+++ b/object-file.c
@@ -2472,12 +2472,14 @@ int repo_has_object_file(struct repository *r,
  * report the minimal fsck error here, and rely on the caller to
  * give more context.
  */
-static int hash_format_check_report(struct fsck_objects_options *opts UNUSED,
-				     const struct object_id *oid UNUSED,
-				     enum object_type object_type UNUSED,
-				     enum fsck_msg_type msg_type UNUSED,
-				     enum fsck_msg_id msg_id UNUSED,
-				     const char *message)
+static int hash_format_check_report(struct fsck_objects_options *objects_options UNUSED,
+				    struct fsck_refs_options *refs_options UNUSED,
+				    const struct object_id *oid UNUSED,
+				    enum object_type object_type UNUSED,
+				    const char *chekced_ref_name UNUSED,
+				    enum fsck_msg_type msg_type UNUSED,
+				    enum fsck_msg_id msg_id UNUSED,
+				    const char *message)
 {
 	error(_("object fails fsck: %s"), message);
 	return 1;
