diff --git a/refs.c b/refs.c
index c04b2c1462..b011953e32 100644
--- a/refs.c
+++ b/refs.c
@@ -410,7 +410,7 @@ void warn_dangling_symrefs(FILE *fp, const char *msg_fmt, const struct string_li
 
 int refs_for_each_tag_ref(struct repository *repo, each_ref_fn fn, void *cb_data)
 {
-	return refs_for_each_ref_in(get_main_ref_store(repo), "refs/tags/", fn, cb_data);
+	return refs_for_each_ref_in(repo, "refs/tags/", fn, cb_data);
 }
 
 int for_each_tag_ref(each_ref_fn fn, void *cb_data)
@@ -420,7 +420,7 @@ int for_each_tag_ref(each_ref_fn fn, void *cb_data)
 
 int refs_for_each_branch_ref(struct repository *repo, each_ref_fn fn, void *cb_data)
 {
-	return refs_for_each_ref_in(get_main_ref_store(repo), "refs/heads/", fn, cb_data);
+	return refs_for_each_ref_in(repo, "refs/heads/", fn, cb_data);
 }
 
 int for_each_branch_ref(each_ref_fn fn, void *cb_data)
@@ -430,7 +430,7 @@ int for_each_branch_ref(each_ref_fn fn, void *cb_data)
 
 int refs_for_each_remote_ref(struct repository *repo, each_ref_fn fn, void *cb_data)
 {
-	return refs_for_each_ref_in(get_main_ref_store(repo), "refs/remotes/", fn, cb_data);
+	return refs_for_each_ref_in(repo, "refs/remotes/", fn, cb_data);
 }
 
 int for_each_remote_ref(each_ref_fn fn, void *cb_data)
@@ -1508,15 +1508,15 @@ int for_each_ref(each_ref_fn fn, void *cb_data)
 	return refs_for_each_ref(the_repository, fn, cb_data);
 }
 
-int refs_for_each_ref_in(struct ref_store *refs, const char *prefix,
+int refs_for_each_ref_in(struct repository *repo, const char *prefix,
 			 each_ref_fn fn, void *cb_data)
 {
-	return do_for_each_ref(refs, prefix, fn, strlen(prefix), the_repository, 0, cb_data);
+	return do_for_each_ref(get_main_ref_store(repo), prefix, fn, strlen(prefix), repo, 0, cb_data);
 }
 
 int for_each_ref_in(const char *prefix, each_ref_fn fn, void *cb_data)
 {
-	return refs_for_each_ref_in(get_main_ref_store(the_repository), prefix, fn, cb_data);
+	return refs_for_each_ref_in(the_repository, prefix, fn, cb_data);
 }
 
 int for_each_fullref_in(const char *prefix, each_ref_fn fn, void *cb_data, unsigned int broken)
diff --git a/refs.h b/refs.h
index b53cae717d..fe290317ae 100644
--- a/refs.h
+++ b/refs.h
@@ -320,7 +320,7 @@ int refs_head_ref(struct repository *repo,
 		  each_ref_fn fn, void *cb_data);
 int refs_for_each_ref(struct repository *repo,
 		      each_ref_fn fn, void *cb_data);
-int refs_for_each_ref_in(struct ref_store *refs, const char *prefix,
+int refs_for_each_ref_in(struct repository *repo, const char *prefix,
 			 each_ref_fn fn, void *cb_data);
 int refs_for_each_tag_ref(struct repository *repo,
 			  each_ref_fn fn, void *cb_data);
diff --git a/t/helper/test-ref-store.c b/t/helper/test-ref-store.c
index b314b81a45..1964cb349e 100644
--- a/t/helper/test-ref-store.c
+++ b/t/helper/test-ref-store.c
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@
 #include "object-store.h"
 #include "repository.h"
 
+static struct repository *repo;
+
 static const char *notnull(const char *arg, const char *name)
 {
 	if (!arg)
@@ -24,18 +26,13 @@ static const char **get_store(const char **argv, struct ref_store **refs)
 	if (!argv[0]) {
 		die("ref store required");
 	} else if (!strcmp(argv[0], "main")) {
+		repo = the_repository;
 		*refs = get_main_ref_store(the_repository);
 	} else if (skip_prefix(argv[0], "submodule:", &gitdir)) {
-		struct strbuf sb = STRBUF_INIT;
-		int ret;
-
-		ret = strbuf_git_path_submodule(&sb, gitdir, "objects/");
-		if (ret)
-			die("strbuf_git_path_submodule failed: %d", ret);
-		add_to_alternates_memory(sb.buf);
-		strbuf_release(&sb);
-
-		*refs = get_submodule_ref_store(gitdir);
+		repo = xmalloc(sizeof(*repo));
+		if (repo_submodule_init(repo, the_repository, gitdir, null_oid()))
+			die("repo_submodule_init failed");
+		*refs = get_main_ref_store(repo);
 	} else if (skip_prefix(argv[0], "worktree:", &gitdir)) {
 		struct worktree **p, **worktrees = get_worktrees();
 
@@ -52,6 +49,7 @@ static const char **get_store(const char **argv, struct ref_store **refs)
 		if (!*p)
 			die("no such worktree: %s", gitdir);
 
+		repo = the_repository;
 		*refs = get_worktree_ref_store(*p);
 	} else
 		die("unknown backend %s", argv[0]);
@@ -113,7 +111,7 @@ static int cmd_for_each_ref(struct ref_store *refs, const char **argv)
 {
 	const char *prefix = notnull(*argv++, "prefix");
 
-	return refs_for_each_ref_in(refs, prefix, each_ref, NULL);
+	return refs_for_each_ref_in(repo, prefix, each_ref, NULL);
 }
 
 static int cmd_resolve_ref(struct ref_store *refs, const char **argv)
diff --git a/t/t5531-deep-submodule-push.sh b/t/t5531-deep-submodule-push.sh
index d573ca496a..3f58b515ce 100755
--- a/t/t5531-deep-submodule-push.sh
+++ b/t/t5531-deep-submodule-push.sh
@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@ test_description='test push with submodules'
 GIT_TEST_DEFAULT_INITIAL_BRANCH_NAME=main
 export GIT_TEST_DEFAULT_INITIAL_BRANCH_NAME
 
+GIT_TEST_FATAL_REGISTER_SUBMODULE_ODB=1
+export GIT_TEST_FATAL_REGISTER_SUBMODULE_ODB
+
 . ./test-lib.sh
 
 test_expect_success setup '
diff --git a/t/t5545-push-options.sh b/t/t5545-push-options.sh
index 58c7add7ee..214228349a 100755
--- a/t/t5545-push-options.sh
+++ b/t/t5545-push-options.sh
@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@ test_description='pushing to a repository using push options'
 GIT_TEST_DEFAULT_INITIAL_BRANCH_NAME=main
 export GIT_TEST_DEFAULT_INITIAL_BRANCH_NAME
 
+GIT_TEST_FATAL_REGISTER_SUBMODULE_ODB=1
+export GIT_TEST_FATAL_REGISTER_SUBMODULE_ODB
+
 . ./test-lib.sh
 
 mk_repo_pair () {
