diff --git a/builtin/describe.c b/builtin/describe.c
index 82aca00c80..e5287eddf2 100644
--- a/builtin/describe.c
+++ b/builtin/describe.c
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ static int get_name(const char *path, const struct object_id *oid,
 	}
 
 	/* Is it annotated? */
-	if (!peel_iterated_oid(oid, &peeled)) {
+	if (!peel_iterated_oid(the_repository, oid, &peeled)) {
 		is_annotated = !oideq(oid, &peeled);
 	} else {
 		oidcpy(&peeled, oid);
diff --git a/builtin/gc.c b/builtin/gc.c
index 054fca7835..72bac2554f 100644
--- a/builtin/gc.c
+++ b/builtin/gc.c
@@ -846,7 +846,7 @@ static int dfs_on_ref(const char *refname UNUSED,
 	struct commit_list *stack = NULL;
 	struct commit *commit;
 
-	if (!peel_iterated_oid(oid, &peeled))
+	if (!peel_iterated_oid(the_repository, oid, &peeled))
 		oid = &peeled;
 	if (oid_object_info(the_repository, oid, NULL) != OBJ_COMMIT)
 		return 0;
diff --git a/builtin/pack-objects.c b/builtin/pack-objects.c
index cd2396896d..62ddf41f84 100644
--- a/builtin/pack-objects.c
+++ b/builtin/pack-objects.c
@@ -779,7 +779,7 @@ static int mark_tagged(const char *path UNUSED, const struct object_id *oid,
 
 	if (entry)
 		entry->tagged = 1;
-	if (!peel_iterated_oid(oid, &peeled)) {
+	if (!peel_iterated_oid(the_repository, oid, &peeled)) {
 		entry = packlist_find(&to_pack, &peeled);
 		if (entry)
 			entry->tagged = 1;
@@ -3125,7 +3125,7 @@ static int add_ref_tag(const char *tag UNUSED, const struct object_id *oid,
 {
 	struct object_id peeled;
 
-	if (!peel_iterated_oid(oid, &peeled) && obj_is_packed(&peeled))
+	if (!peel_iterated_oid(the_repository, oid, &peeled) && obj_is_packed(&peeled))
 		add_tag_chain(oid);
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -4074,7 +4074,7 @@ static int mark_bitmap_preferred_tip(const char *refname,
 	struct object_id peeled;
 	struct object *object;
 
-	if (!peel_iterated_oid(oid, &peeled))
+	if (!peel_iterated_oid(the_repository, oid, &peeled))
 		oid = &peeled;
 
 	object = parse_object_or_die(oid, refname);
diff --git a/builtin/repack.c b/builtin/repack.c
index 43491a4cbf..58ad82dd97 100644
--- a/builtin/repack.c
+++ b/builtin/repack.c
@@ -673,7 +673,7 @@ static int midx_snapshot_ref_one(const char *refname UNUSED,
 	struct midx_snapshot_ref_data *data = _data;
 	struct object_id peeled;
 
-	if (!peel_iterated_oid(oid, &peeled))
+	if (!peel_iterated_oid(the_repository, oid, &peeled))
 		oid = &peeled;
 
 	if (oidset_insert(&data->seen, oid))
diff --git a/builtin/show-ref.c b/builtin/show-ref.c
index 151ef35134..3114bdc391 100644
--- a/builtin/show-ref.c
+++ b/builtin/show-ref.c
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ static void show_one(const struct show_one_options *opts,
 	if (!opts->deref_tags)
 		return;
 
-	if (!peel_iterated_oid(oid, &peeled)) {
+	if (!peel_iterated_oid(the_repository, oid, &peeled)) {
 		hex = repo_find_unique_abbrev(the_repository, &peeled, opts->abbrev);
 		printf("%s %s^{}\n", hex, refname);
 	}
diff --git a/commit-graph.c b/commit-graph.c
index c4c156ff52..e5dd3553df 100644
--- a/commit-graph.c
+++ b/commit-graph.c
@@ -1821,7 +1821,7 @@ static int add_ref_to_set(const char *refname UNUSED,
 	struct object_id peeled;
 	struct refs_cb_data *data = (struct refs_cb_data *)cb_data;
 
-	if (!peel_iterated_oid(oid, &peeled))
+	if (!peel_iterated_oid(the_repository, oid, &peeled))
 		oid = &peeled;
 	if (oid_object_info(the_repository, oid, NULL) == OBJ_COMMIT)
 		oidset_insert(data->commits, oid);
diff --git a/ls-refs.c b/ls-refs.c
index 8e3ffff811..398afe4ce3 100644
--- a/ls-refs.c
+++ b/ls-refs.c
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ static int send_ref(const char *refname, const struct object_id *oid,
 
 	if (data->peel && oid) {
 		struct object_id peeled;
-		if (!peel_iterated_oid(oid, &peeled))
+		if (!peel_iterated_oid(the_repository, oid, &peeled))
 			strbuf_addf(&data->buf, " peeled:%s", oid_to_hex(&peeled));
 	}
 
diff --git a/midx-write.c b/midx-write.c
index 9d096d5a28..86173abdb9 100644
--- a/midx-write.c
+++ b/midx-write.c
@@ -664,7 +664,7 @@ static int add_ref_to_pending(const char *refname,
 		return 0;
 	}
 
-	if (!peel_iterated_oid(oid, &peeled))
+	if (!peel_iterated_oid(the_repository, oid, &peeled))
 		oid = &peeled;
 
 	object = parse_object_or_die(oid, refname);
diff --git a/object.c b/object.c
index 995041926a..93b5d97fdb 100644
--- a/object.c
+++ b/object.c
@@ -207,12 +207,14 @@ struct object *lookup_object_by_type(struct repository *r,
 	}
 }
 
-enum peel_status peel_object(const struct object_id *name, struct object_id *oid)
+enum peel_status peel_object(struct repository *r,
+			     const struct object_id *name,
+			     struct object_id *oid)
 {
-	struct object *o = lookup_unknown_object(the_repository, name);
+	struct object *o = lookup_unknown_object(r, name);
 
 	if (o->type == OBJ_NONE) {
-		int type = oid_object_info(the_repository, name, NULL);
+		int type = oid_object_info(r, name, NULL);
 		if (type < 0 || !object_as_type(o, type, 0))
 			return PEEL_INVALID;
 	}
@@ -220,7 +222,7 @@ enum peel_status peel_object(const struct object_id *name, struct object_id *oid
 	if (o->type != OBJ_TAG)
 		return PEEL_NON_TAG;
 
-	o = deref_tag_noverify(o);
+	o = deref_tag_noverify(r, o);
 	if (!o)
 		return PEEL_INVALID;
 
diff --git a/object.h b/object.h
index 31ccd1bb10..83fcc035e9 100644
--- a/object.h
+++ b/object.h
@@ -288,7 +288,8 @@ enum peel_status {
  * or is not valid, return PEEL_NON_TAG or PEEL_INVALID, respectively,
  * and leave oid unchanged.
  */
-enum peel_status peel_object(const struct object_id *name, struct object_id *oid);
+enum peel_status peel_object(struct repository *r,
+			     const struct object_id *name, struct object_id *oid);
 
 struct object_list *object_list_insert(struct object *item,
 				       struct object_list **list_p);
diff --git a/ref-filter.c b/ref-filter.c
index 31cc096644..79e7d3910d 100644
--- a/ref-filter.c
+++ b/ref-filter.c
@@ -2520,7 +2520,7 @@ static int populate_value(struct ref_array_item *ref, struct strbuf *err)
 	 * If it is a tag object, see if we use the peeled value. If we do,
 	 * grab the peeled OID.
 	 */
-	if (need_tagged && peel_iterated_oid(&obj->oid, &oi_deref.oid))
+	if (need_tagged && peel_iterated_oid(the_repository, &obj->oid, &oi_deref.oid))
 		die("bad tag");
 
 	return get_object(ref, 1, &obj, &oi_deref, err);
diff --git a/refs.c b/refs.c
index 02d756f24f..7aecf11bf4 100644
--- a/refs.c
+++ b/refs.c
@@ -2064,14 +2064,14 @@ int refs_pack_refs(struct ref_store *refs, struct pack_refs_opts *opts)
 	return refs->be->pack_refs(refs, opts);
 }
 
-int peel_iterated_oid(const struct object_id *base, struct object_id *peeled)
+int peel_iterated_oid(struct repository *r, const struct object_id *base, struct object_id *peeled)
 {
 	if (current_ref_iter &&
 	    (current_ref_iter->oid == base ||
 	     oideq(current_ref_iter->oid, base)))
 		return ref_iterator_peel(current_ref_iter, peeled);
 
-	return peel_object(base, peeled) ? -1 : 0;
+	return peel_object(r, base, peeled) ? -1 : 0;
 }
 
 int refs_create_symref(struct ref_store *refs,
diff --git a/refs.h b/refs.h
index 492ecfa4a1..9769a25edd 100644
--- a/refs.h
+++ b/refs.h
@@ -127,13 +127,14 @@ void ref_store_release(struct ref_store *ref_store);
  * Return the peeled value of the oid currently being iterated via
  * for_each_ref(), etc. This is equivalent to calling:
  *
- *   peel_object(oid, &peeled);
+ *   peel_object(r, oid, &peeled);
  *
  * with the "oid" value given to the each_ref_fn callback, except
  * that some ref storage may be able to answer the query without
  * actually loading the object in memory.
  */
-int peel_iterated_oid(const struct object_id *base, struct object_id *peeled);
+int peel_iterated_oid(struct repository *r,
+		      const struct object_id *base, struct object_id *peeled);
 
 /**
  * Resolve refname in the nested "gitlink" repository in the specified
diff --git a/refs/packed-backend.c b/refs/packed-backend.c
index bebceb4aa7..1b06fd936a 100644
--- a/refs/packed-backend.c
+++ b/refs/packed-backend.c
@@ -953,16 +953,13 @@ static int packed_ref_iterator_peel(struct ref_iterator *ref_iterator,
 	struct packed_ref_iterator *iter =
 		(struct packed_ref_iterator *)ref_iterator;
 
-	if (iter->repo != the_repository)
-		BUG("peeling for non-the_repository is not supported");
-
 	if ((iter->base.flags & REF_KNOWS_PEELED)) {
 		oidcpy(peeled, &iter->peeled);
 		return is_null_oid(&iter->peeled) ? -1 : 0;
 	} else if ((iter->base.flags & (REF_ISBROKEN | REF_ISSYMREF))) {
 		return -1;
 	} else {
-		return peel_object(&iter->oid, peeled) ? -1 : 0;
+		return peel_object(iter->repo, &iter->oid, peeled) ? -1 : 0;
 	}
 }
 
@@ -1421,7 +1418,8 @@ static int write_with_updates(struct packed_ref_store *refs,
 			i++;
 		} else {
 			struct object_id peeled;
-			int peel_error = peel_object(&update->new_oid,
+			int peel_error = peel_object(refs->base.repo,
+						     &update->new_oid,
 						     &peeled);
 
 			if (write_packed_entry(out, update->refname,
diff --git a/refs/ref-cache.c b/refs/ref-cache.c
index 9f9797209a..b6c53fc8ed 100644
--- a/refs/ref-cache.c
+++ b/refs/ref-cache.c
@@ -441,10 +441,7 @@ static int cache_ref_iterator_peel(struct ref_iterator *ref_iterator,
 {
 	struct cache_ref_iterator *iter =
 		(struct cache_ref_iterator *)ref_iterator;
-
-	if (iter->repo != the_repository)
-		BUG("peeling for non-the_repository is not supported");
-	return peel_object(ref_iterator->oid, peeled) ? -1 : 0;
+	return peel_object(iter->repo, ref_iterator->oid, peeled) ? -1 : 0;
 }
 
 static int cache_ref_iterator_abort(struct ref_iterator *ref_iterator)
diff --git a/refs/reftable-backend.c b/refs/reftable-backend.c
index 6c262c2193..4a8f83cb1a 100644
--- a/refs/reftable-backend.c
+++ b/refs/reftable-backend.c
@@ -1144,7 +1144,7 @@ static int write_transaction_table(struct reftable_writer *writer, void *cb_data
 			ref.refname = (char *)u->refname;
 			ref.update_index = ts;
 
-			peel_error = peel_object(&u->new_oid, &peeled);
+			peel_error = peel_object(arg->refs->base.repo, &u->new_oid, &peeled);
 			if (!peel_error) {
 				ref.value_type = REFTABLE_REF_VAL2;
 				memcpy(ref.value.val2.target_value, peeled.hash, GIT_MAX_RAWSZ);
@@ -2045,6 +2045,7 @@ static int reftable_be_delete_reflog(struct ref_store *ref_store,
 }
 
 struct reflog_expiry_arg {
+	struct reftable_ref_store *refs;
 	struct reftable_stack *stack;
 	struct reftable_log_record *records;
 	struct object_id update_oid;
@@ -2073,7 +2074,7 @@ static int write_reflog_expiry_table(struct reftable_writer *writer, void *cb_da
 		ref.refname = (char *)arg->refname;
 		ref.update_index = ts;
 
-		if (!peel_object(&arg->update_oid, &peeled)) {
+		if (!peel_object(arg->refs->base.repo, &arg->update_oid, &peeled)) {
 			ref.value_type = REFTABLE_REF_VAL2;
 			memcpy(ref.value.val2.target_value, peeled.hash, GIT_MAX_RAWSZ);
 			memcpy(ref.value.val2.value, arg->update_oid.hash, GIT_MAX_RAWSZ);
@@ -2235,6 +2236,7 @@ static int reftable_be_reflog_expire(struct ref_store *ref_store,
 	    reftable_ref_record_val1(&ref_record))
 		oidread(&arg.update_oid, last_hash);
 
+	arg.refs = refs;
 	arg.records = rewritten;
 	arg.len = logs_nr;
 	arg.stack = stack,
diff --git a/t/helper/test-reach.c b/t/helper/test-reach.c
index 1e3b431e3e..1ba226f1f9 100644
--- a/t/helper/test-reach.c
+++ b/t/helper/test-reach.c
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ int cmd__reach(int ac, const char **av)
 			die("failed to resolve %s", buf.buf + 2);
 
 		orig = parse_object(r, &oid);
-		peeled = deref_tag_noverify(orig);
+		peeled = deref_tag_noverify(the_repository, orig);
 
 		if (!peeled)
 			die("failed to load commit for input %s resulting in oid %s\n",
diff --git a/tag.c b/tag.c
index fc3834db46..52bbe50819 100644
--- a/tag.c
+++ b/tag.c
@@ -91,10 +91,10 @@ struct object *deref_tag(struct repository *r, struct object *o, const char *war
 	return o;
 }
 
-struct object *deref_tag_noverify(struct object *o)
+struct object *deref_tag_noverify(struct repository *r, struct object *o)
 {
 	while (o && o->type == OBJ_TAG) {
-		o = parse_object(the_repository, &o->oid);
+		o = parse_object(r, &o->oid);
 		if (o && o->type == OBJ_TAG && ((struct tag *)o)->tagged)
 			o = ((struct tag *)o)->tagged;
 		else
diff --git a/tag.h b/tag.h
index 3ce8e72192..c49d7c19ad 100644
--- a/tag.h
+++ b/tag.h
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ int parse_tag_buffer(struct repository *r, struct tag *item, const void *data, u
 int parse_tag(struct tag *item);
 void release_tag_memory(struct tag *t);
 struct object *deref_tag(struct repository *r, struct object *, const char *, int);
-struct object *deref_tag_noverify(struct object *);
+struct object *deref_tag_noverify(struct repository *r, struct object *);
 int gpg_verify_tag(const struct object_id *oid,
 		   const char *name_to_report, unsigned flags);
 struct object_id *get_tagged_oid(struct tag *tag);
diff --git a/upload-pack.c b/upload-pack.c
index 8fbd138515..bbfb04c8bd 100644
--- a/upload-pack.c
+++ b/upload-pack.c
@@ -1269,7 +1269,7 @@ static void write_v0_ref(struct upload_pack_data *data,
 		packet_fwrite_fmt(stdout, "%s %s\n", oid_to_hex(oid), refname_nons);
 	}
 	capabilities = NULL;
-	if (!peel_iterated_oid(oid, &peeled))
+	if (!peel_iterated_oid(the_repository, oid, &peeled))
 		packet_fwrite_fmt(stdout, "%s %s^{}\n", oid_to_hex(&peeled), refname_nons);
 	return;
 }
