diff --git a/builtin/show-branch.c b/builtin/show-branch.c
index f1e8318592c..016ccdafd0f 100644
--- a/builtin/show-branch.c
+++ b/builtin/show-branch.c
@@ -761,7 +761,6 @@ int cmd_show_branch(int ac, const char **av, const char *prefix)
 			char *logmsg;
 			char *nth_desc;
 			const char *msg;
-			char *end;
 			timestamp_t timestamp;
 			int tz;
 
@@ -772,10 +771,6 @@ int cmd_show_branch(int ac, const char **av, const char *prefix)
 				break;
 			}
 
-			end = strchr(logmsg, '\n');
-			if (end)
-				*end = '\0';
-
 			msg = (*logmsg == '\0') ? "(none)" : logmsg;
 			reflog_msg[i] = xstrfmt("(%s) %s",
 						show_date(timestamp, tz,
diff --git a/reflog-walk.c b/reflog-walk.c
index 8ac4b284b6b..3ee59a98d2f 100644
--- a/reflog-walk.c
+++ b/reflog-walk.c
@@ -244,8 +244,6 @@ void get_reflog_message(struct strbuf *sb,
 
 	info = &commit_reflog->reflogs->items[commit_reflog->recno+1];
 	len = strlen(info->message);
-	if (len > 0)
-		len--; /* strip away trailing newline */
 	strbuf_add(sb, info->message, len);
 }
 
@@ -284,10 +282,10 @@ void show_reflog_message(struct reflog_walk_info *reflog_info, int oneline,
 		info = &commit_reflog->reflogs->items[commit_reflog->recno+1];
 		get_reflog_selector(&selector, reflog_info, dmode, force_date, 0);
 		if (oneline) {
-			printf("%s: %s", selector.buf, info->message);
+			printf("%s: %s\n", selector.buf, info->message);
 		}
 		else {
-			printf("Reflog: %s (%s)\nReflog message: %s",
+			printf("Reflog: %s (%s)\nReflog message: %s\n",
 			       selector.buf, info->email, info->message);
 		}
 
diff --git a/refs/files-backend.c b/refs/files-backend.c
index 151b0056fe5..583bbc5f8b9 100644
--- a/refs/files-backend.c
+++ b/refs/files-backend.c
@@ -1936,17 +1936,15 @@ static int show_one_reflog_ent(struct strbuf *sb, each_reflog_ent_fn fn, void *c
 	int tz;
 	const char *p = sb->buf;
 
-	/* old SP new SP name <email> SP time TAB msg LF */
-	if (!sb->len || sb->buf[sb->len - 1] != '\n' ||
-	    parse_oid_hex(p, &ooid, &p) || *p++ != ' ' ||
+	/* old SP new SP name <email> SP time TAB msg */
+	if (!sb->len || parse_oid_hex(p, &ooid, &p) || *p++ != ' ' ||
 	    parse_oid_hex(p, &noid, &p) || *p++ != ' ' ||
-	    !(email_end = strchr(p, '>')) ||
-	    email_end[1] != ' ' ||
+	    !(email_end = strchr(p, '>')) || email_end[1] != ' ' ||
 	    !(timestamp = parse_timestamp(email_end + 2, &message, 10)) ||
 	    !message || message[0] != ' ' ||
-	    (message[1] != '+' && message[1] != '-') ||
-	    !isdigit(message[2]) || !isdigit(message[3]) ||
-	    !isdigit(message[4]) || !isdigit(message[5]))
+	    (message[1] != '+' && message[1] != '-') || !isdigit(message[2]) ||
+	    !isdigit(message[3]) || !isdigit(message[4]) ||
+	    !isdigit(message[5]))
 		return 0; /* corrupt? */
 	email_end[1] = '\0';
 	tz = strtol(message + 1, NULL, 10);
@@ -2038,6 +2036,7 @@ static int files_for_each_reflog_ent_reverse(struct ref_store *ref_store,
 				strbuf_splice(&sb, 0, 0, bp + 1, endp - (bp + 1));
 				scanp = bp;
 				endp = bp + 1;
+				strbuf_trim_trailing_newline(&sb);
 				ret = show_one_reflog_ent(&sb, fn, cb_data);
 				strbuf_reset(&sb);
 				if (ret)
@@ -2050,6 +2049,7 @@ static int files_for_each_reflog_ent_reverse(struct ref_store *ref_store,
 				 * Process it, and we can end the loop.
 				 */
 				strbuf_splice(&sb, 0, 0, buf, endp - buf);
+				strbuf_trim_trailing_newline(&sb);
 				ret = show_one_reflog_ent(&sb, fn, cb_data);
 				strbuf_reset(&sb);
 				break;
@@ -2099,7 +2099,7 @@ static int files_for_each_reflog_ent(struct ref_store *ref_store,
 	if (!logfp)
 		return -1;
 
-	while (!ret && !strbuf_getwholeline(&sb, logfp, '\n'))
+	while (!ret && !strbuf_getline(&sb, logfp))
 		ret = show_one_reflog_ent(&sb, fn, cb_data);
 	fclose(logfp);
 	strbuf_release(&sb);
@@ -3059,18 +3059,18 @@ static int expire_reflog_ent(struct object_id *ooid, struct object_id *noid,
 	if ((*cb->should_prune_fn)(ooid, noid, email, timestamp, tz,
 				   message, policy_cb)) {
 		if (!cb->newlog)
-			printf("would prune %s", message);
+			printf("would prune %s\n", message);
 		else if (cb->flags & EXPIRE_REFLOGS_VERBOSE)
-			printf("prune %s", message);
+			printf("prune %s\n", message);
 	} else {
 		if (cb->newlog) {
-			fprintf(cb->newlog, "%s %s %s %"PRItime" %+05d\t%s",
-				oid_to_hex(ooid), oid_to_hex(noid),
-				email, timestamp, tz, message);
+			fprintf(cb->newlog, "%s %s %s %" PRItime " %+05d\t%s\n",
+				oid_to_hex(ooid), oid_to_hex(noid), email,
+				timestamp, tz, message);
 			oidcpy(&cb->last_kept_oid, noid);
 		}
 		if (cb->flags & EXPIRE_REFLOGS_VERBOSE)
-			printf("keep %s", message);
+			printf("keep %s\n", message);
 	}
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/t/t1405-main-ref-store.sh b/t/t1405-main-ref-store.sh
index 49718b7ea7f..a600bedf2cd 100755
--- a/t/t1405-main-ref-store.sh
+++ b/t/t1405-main-ref-store.sh
@@ -89,13 +89,12 @@ test_expect_success 'for_each_reflog()' '
 test_expect_success 'for_each_reflog_ent()' '
 	$RUN for-each-reflog-ent HEAD >actual &&
 	head -n1 actual | grep one &&
-	tail -n2 actual | head -n1 | grep recreate-main
+	tail -n1 actual | grep recreate-main
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'for_each_reflog_ent_reverse()' '
 	$RUN for-each-reflog-ent-reverse HEAD >actual &&
-	head -n1 actual | grep recreate-main &&
-	tail -n2 actual | head -n1 | grep one
+	tail -n1 actual | grep one
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'reflog_exists(HEAD)' '
diff --git a/t/t1406-submodule-ref-store.sh b/t/t1406-submodule-ref-store.sh
index 0a87058971e..b0365c1fee0 100755
--- a/t/t1406-submodule-ref-store.sh
+++ b/t/t1406-submodule-ref-store.sh
@@ -74,13 +74,13 @@ test_expect_success 'for_each_reflog()' '
 test_expect_success 'for_each_reflog_ent()' '
 	$RUN for-each-reflog-ent HEAD >actual &&
 	head -n1 actual | grep first &&
-	tail -n2 actual | head -n1 | grep main.to.new
+	tail -n1 actual | grep main.to.new
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'for_each_reflog_ent_reverse()' '
 	$RUN for-each-reflog-ent-reverse HEAD >actual &&
 	head -n1 actual | grep main.to.new &&
-	tail -n2 actual | head -n1 | grep first
+	tail -n1 actual | grep first
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'reflog_exists(HEAD)' '
