diff --git a/refs/files-backend.c b/refs/files-backend.c
index aa52d9be7c7..7640318cba8 100644
--- a/refs/files-backend.c
+++ b/refs/files-backend.c
@@ -245,9 +245,11 @@ static void loose_fill_ref_dir_regular_file(struct files_ref_store *refs,
 {
 	struct object_id oid;
 	int flag;
-
-	if (!refs_resolve_ref_unsafe(&refs->base, refname, RESOLVE_REF_READING,
-				     &oid, &flag)) {
+	const char* referent = refs_resolve_ref_unsafe(&refs->base,
+						       refname,
+						       RESOLVE_REF_READING,
+						       &oid, &flag);
+	if (!referent) {
 		oidclr(&oid, the_repository->hash_algo);
 		flag |= REF_ISBROKEN;
 	} else if (is_null_oid(&oid)) {
@@ -268,7 +270,8 @@ static void loose_fill_ref_dir_regular_file(struct files_ref_store *refs,
 		oidclr(&oid, the_repository->hash_algo);
 		flag |= REF_BAD_NAME | REF_ISBROKEN;
 	}
-	add_entry_to_dir(dir, create_ref_entry(refname, &oid, flag));
+
+	add_entry_to_dir(dir, create_ref_entry(refname, referent, &oid, flag));
 }
 
 /*
@@ -886,6 +889,9 @@ static int files_ref_iterator_advance(struct ref_iterator *ref_iterator)
 		iter->base.refname = iter->iter0->refname;
 		iter->base.oid = iter->iter0->oid;
 		iter->base.flags = iter->iter0->flags;
+		if (iter->iter0->flags & REF_ISSYMREF)
+			iter->base.referent = iter->iter0->referent;
+
 		return ITER_OK;
 	}
 
diff --git a/refs/iterator.c b/refs/iterator.c
index d355ebf0d59..26acb6bd640 100644
--- a/refs/iterator.c
+++ b/refs/iterator.c
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 #include "refs.h"
 #include "refs/refs-internal.h"
 #include "iterator.h"
+#include "strbuf.h"
 
 int ref_iterator_advance(struct ref_iterator *ref_iterator)
 {
@@ -29,6 +30,7 @@ void base_ref_iterator_init(struct ref_iterator *iter,
 {
 	iter->vtable = vtable;
 	iter->refname = NULL;
+	iter->referent = NULL;
 	iter->oid = NULL;
 	iter->flags = 0;
 }
@@ -199,6 +201,7 @@ static int merge_ref_iterator_advance(struct ref_iterator *ref_iterator)
 		}
 
 		if (selection & ITER_YIELD_CURRENT) {
+			iter->base.referent = (*iter->current)->referent;
 			iter->base.refname = (*iter->current)->refname;
 			iter->base.oid = (*iter->current)->oid;
 			iter->base.flags = (*iter->current)->flags;
diff --git a/refs/ref-cache.c b/refs/ref-cache.c
index 4ce519bbc85..da946d476cc 100644
--- a/refs/ref-cache.c
+++ b/refs/ref-cache.c
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #include "refs-internal.h"
 #include "ref-cache.h"
 #include "../iterator.h"
+#include "../strbuf.h"
 
 void add_entry_to_dir(struct ref_dir *dir, struct ref_entry *entry)
 {
@@ -34,6 +35,7 @@ struct ref_dir *get_ref_dir(struct ref_entry *entry)
 }
 
 struct ref_entry *create_ref_entry(const char *refname,
+				   const char *referent,
 				   const struct object_id *oid, int flag)
 {
 	struct ref_entry *ref;
@@ -41,6 +43,10 @@ struct ref_entry *create_ref_entry(const char *refname,
 	FLEX_ALLOC_STR(ref, name, refname);
 	oidcpy(&ref->u.value.oid, oid);
 	ref->flag = flag;
+
+	if (flag & REF_ISSYMREF)
+		ref->u.value.referent = xstrdup_or_null(referent);
+
 	return ref;
 }
 
@@ -66,6 +72,7 @@ static void free_ref_entry(struct ref_entry *entry)
 		 */
 		clear_ref_dir(&entry->u.subdir);
 	}
+	free(entry->u.value.referent);
 	free(entry);
 }
 
@@ -431,6 +438,7 @@ static int cache_ref_iterator_advance(struct ref_iterator *ref_iterator)
 			level->index = -1;
 		} else {
 			iter->base.refname = entry->name;
+			iter->base.referent = entry->u.value.referent;
 			iter->base.oid = &entry->u.value.oid;
 			iter->base.flags = entry->flag;
 			return ITER_OK;
diff --git a/refs/ref-cache.h b/refs/ref-cache.h
index 31ebe24f6cf..5f04e518c37 100644
--- a/refs/ref-cache.h
+++ b/refs/ref-cache.h
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ struct ref_value {
 	 * referred to by the last reference in the symlink chain.
 	 */
 	struct object_id oid;
+	char *referent;
 };
 
 /*
@@ -173,6 +174,7 @@ struct ref_entry *create_dir_entry(struct ref_cache *cache,
 				   const char *dirname, size_t len);
 
 struct ref_entry *create_ref_entry(const char *refname,
+				   const char *referent,
 				   const struct object_id *oid, int flag);
 
 /*
diff --git a/refs/refs-internal.h b/refs/refs-internal.h
index fa975d69aaa..117ec233848 100644
--- a/refs/refs-internal.h
+++ b/refs/refs-internal.h
@@ -299,6 +299,7 @@ enum do_for_each_ref_flags {
 struct ref_iterator {
 	struct ref_iterator_vtable *vtable;
 	const char *refname;
+	const char *referent;
 	const struct object_id *oid;
 	unsigned int flags;
 };
diff --git a/refs/reftable-backend.c b/refs/reftable-backend.c
index fbe74c239d3..9f724c3d632 100644
--- a/refs/reftable-backend.c
+++ b/refs/reftable-backend.c
@@ -494,8 +494,12 @@ static int reftable_ref_iterator_advance(struct ref_iterator *ref_iterator)
 				the_repository->hash_algo);
 			break;
 		case REFTABLE_REF_SYMREF:
-			if (!refs_resolve_ref_unsafe(&iter->refs->base, iter->ref.refname,
-						     RESOLVE_REF_READING, &iter->oid, &flags))
+			iter->base.referent = refs_resolve_ref_unsafe(&iter->refs->base,
+								      iter->ref.refname,
+								      RESOLVE_REF_READING,
+								      &iter->oid,
+								      &flags);
+			if (!iter->base.referent)
 				oidclr(&iter->oid, the_repository->hash_algo);
 			break;
 		default:
