diff --git a/contrib/coccinelle/refs.pending.cocci b/contrib/coccinelle/refs.pending.cocci
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b33cb8a12a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/contrib/coccinelle/refs.pending.cocci
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+@@
+expression refs, refname, resolve_flags, oid, flags, failure_errno;
+@@
+- refs_werrres_ref_unsafe(refs, refname, resolve_flags, oid, flags, failure_errno)
++ refs_resolve_ref_unsafe(refs, refname, resolve_flags, oid, flags, failure_errno)
diff --git a/refs.c b/refs.c
index e90c59539b..4e06745c97 100644
--- a/refs.c
+++ b/refs.c
@@ -1669,7 +1669,7 @@ int refs_read_raw_ref(struct ref_store *ref_store, const char *refname,
 					   type, failure_errno);
 }
 
-const char *refs_werrres_ref_unsafe(struct ref_store *refs,
+const char *refs_resolve_ref_unsafe(struct ref_store *refs,
 				    const char *refname,
 				    int resolve_flags,
 				    struct object_id *oid,
@@ -1766,19 +1766,6 @@ const char *refs_werrres_ref_unsafe(struct ref_store *refs,
 	return NULL;
 }
 
-const char *refs_resolve_ref_unsafe(struct ref_store *refs, const char *refname,
-				    int resolve_flags, struct object_id *oid,
-				    int *flags)
-{
-	int failure_errno = 0;
-	const char *refn;
-	refn = refs_werrres_ref_unsafe(refs, refname, resolve_flags,
-				       oid, flags, &failure_errno);
-	if (!refn)
-		errno = failure_errno;
-	return refn;
-}
-
 /* backend functions */
 int refs_init_db(struct strbuf *err)
 {
diff --git a/refs.h b/refs.h
index 3938f99c90..d908a161c0 100644
--- a/refs.h
+++ b/refs.h
@@ -11,18 +11,6 @@ struct string_list;
 struct string_list_item;
 struct worktree;
 
-/*
- * Callers should not inspect "errno" on failure, but rather pass in a
- * "failure_errno" parameter, on failure the "errno" will indicate the
- * type of failure encountered, but not necessarily one that came from
- * a syscall. We might have faked it up.
- */
-const char *refs_werrres_ref_unsafe(struct ref_store *refs,
-				    const char *refname,
-				    int resolve_flags,
-				    struct object_id *oid,
-				    int *flags, int *failure_errno);
-
 /*
  * Resolve a reference, recursively following symbolic refererences.
  *
@@ -70,16 +58,24 @@ const char *refs_werrres_ref_unsafe(struct ref_store *refs,
  * resolved. The function returns NULL for such ref names.
  * Caps and underscores refers to the special refs, such as HEAD,
  * FETCH_HEAD and friends, that all live outside of the refs/ directory.
+ *
+ * Callers should not inspect "errno" on failure, but rather pass in a
+ * "failure_errno" parameter, on failure the "errno" will indicate the
+ * type of failure encountered, but not necessarily one that came from
+ * a syscall. We might have faked it up.
  */
 #define RESOLVE_REF_READING 0x01
 #define RESOLVE_REF_NO_RECURSE 0x02
 #define RESOLVE_REF_ALLOW_BAD_NAME 0x04
 
+#define refs_werrres_ref_unsafe(refs, refname, resolve_flags, oid, flags, failure_errno) \
+	refs_resolve_ref_unsafe(refs, refname, resolve_flags, oid, flags, failure_errno)
 const char *refs_resolve_ref_unsafe(struct ref_store *refs,
 				    const char *refname,
 				    int resolve_flags,
 				    struct object_id *oid,
-				    int *flags);
+				    int *flags, int *failure_errno);
+
 const char *resolve_ref_unsafe(const char *refname, int resolve_flags,
 			       struct object_id *oid, int *flags);