diff --git a/refs/packed-backend.c b/refs/packed-backend.c
index dab8a85d9a..26b890118c 100644
--- a/refs/packed-backend.c
+++ b/refs/packed-backend.c
@@ -68,17 +68,21 @@ struct snapshot {
 	int mmapped;
 
 	/*
-	 * The contents of the `packed-refs` file. If the file was
-	 * already sorted, this points at the mmapped contents of the
-	 * file. If not, this points at heap-allocated memory
-	 * containing the contents, sorted. If there were no contents
-	 * (e.g., because the file didn't exist), `buf` and `eof` are
-	 * both NULL.
+	 * The contents of the `packed-refs` file:
+	 *
+	 * - buf -- a pointer to the start of the memory
+	 * - start -- a pointer to the first byte of actual references
+	 *   (i.e., after the header line, if one is present)
+	 * - eof -- a pointer just past the end of the reference
+	 *   contents
+	 *
+	 * If the `packed-refs` file was already sorted, `buf` points
+	 * at the mmapped contents of the file. If not, it points at
+	 * heap-allocated memory containing the contents, sorted. If
+	 * there were no contents (e.g., because the file didn't
+	 * exist), `buf`, `start`, and `eof` are all NULL.
 	 */
-	char *buf, *eof;
-
-	/* The size of the header line, if any; otherwise, 0: */
-	size_t header_len;
+	char *buf, *start, *eof;
 
 	/*
 	 * What is the peeled state of the `packed-refs` file that
@@ -169,8 +173,7 @@ static void clear_snapshot_buffer(struct snapshot *snapshot)
 	} else {
 		free(snapshot->buf);
 	}
-	snapshot->buf = snapshot->eof = NULL;
-	snapshot->header_len = 0;
+	snapshot->buf = snapshot->start = snapshot->eof = NULL;
 }
 
 /*
@@ -319,13 +322,14 @@ static void sort_snapshot(struct snapshot *snapshot)
 	size_t len, i;
 	char *new_buffer, *dst;
 
-	pos = snapshot->buf + snapshot->header_len;
+	pos = snapshot->start;
 	eof = snapshot->eof;
-	len = eof - pos;
 
-	if (!len)
+	if (pos == eof)
 		return;
 
+	len = eof - pos;
+
 	/*
 	 * Initialize records based on a crude estimate of the number
 	 * of references in the file (we'll grow it below if needed):
@@ -391,9 +395,8 @@ static void sort_snapshot(struct snapshot *snapshot)
 	 * place:
 	 */
 	clear_snapshot_buffer(snapshot);
-	snapshot->buf = new_buffer;
+	snapshot->buf = snapshot->start = new_buffer;
 	snapshot->eof = new_buffer + len;
-	snapshot->header_len = 0;
 
 cleanup:
 	free(records);
@@ -442,14 +445,14 @@ static const char *find_end_of_record(const char *p, const char *end)
  */
 static void verify_buffer_safe(struct snapshot *snapshot)
 {
-	const char *buf = snapshot->buf + snapshot->header_len;
+	const char *start = snapshot->start;
 	const char *eof = snapshot->eof;
 	const char *last_line;
 
-	if (buf == eof)
+	if (start == eof)
 		return;
 
-	last_line = find_start_of_record(buf, eof - 1);
+	last_line = find_start_of_record(start, eof - 1);
 	if (*(eof - 1) != '\n' || eof - last_line < GIT_SHA1_HEXSZ + 2)
 		die_invalid_line(snapshot->refs->path,
 				 last_line, eof - last_line);
@@ -495,18 +498,19 @@ static int load_contents(struct snapshot *snapshot)
 		bytes_read = read_in_full(fd, snapshot->buf, size);
 		if (bytes_read < 0 || bytes_read != size)
 			die_errno("couldn't read %s", snapshot->refs->path);
-		snapshot->eof = snapshot->buf + size;
 		snapshot->mmapped = 0;
 		break;
 	case MMAP_TEMPORARY:
 	case MMAP_OK:
 		snapshot->buf = xmmap(NULL, size, PROT_READ, MAP_PRIVATE, fd, 0);
-		snapshot->eof = snapshot->buf + size;
 		snapshot->mmapped = 1;
 		break;
 	}
 	close(fd);
 
+	snapshot->start = snapshot->buf;
+	snapshot->eof = snapshot->buf + size;
+
 	return 1;
 }
 
@@ -539,7 +543,7 @@ static const char *find_reference_location(struct snapshot *snapshot,
 	 * preceding records all have reference names that come
 	 * *before* `refname`.
 	 */
-	const char *lo = snapshot->buf + snapshot->header_len;
+	const char *lo = snapshot->start;
 
 	/*
 	 * A pointer to a the first character of a record whose
@@ -617,8 +621,7 @@ static struct snapshot *create_snapshot(struct packed_ref_store *refs)
 	/* If the file has a header line, process it: */
 	if (snapshot->buf < snapshot->eof && *snapshot->buf == '#') {
 		struct strbuf tmp = STRBUF_INIT;
-		char *p;
-		const char *eol;
+		char *p, *eol;
 		struct string_list traits = STRING_LIST_INIT_NODUP;
 
 		eol = memchr(snapshot->buf, '\n',
@@ -647,7 +650,7 @@ static struct snapshot *create_snapshot(struct packed_ref_store *refs)
 		/* perhaps other traits later as well */
 
 		/* The "+ 1" is for the LF character. */
-		snapshot->header_len = eol + 1 - snapshot->buf;
+		snapshot->start = eol + 1;
 
 		string_list_clear(&traits, 0);
 		strbuf_release(&tmp);
@@ -671,13 +674,12 @@ static struct snapshot *create_snapshot(struct packed_ref_store *refs)
 		 * We don't want to leave the file mmapped, so we are
 		 * forced to make a copy now:
 		 */
-		size_t size = snapshot->eof -
-			(snapshot->buf + snapshot->header_len);
+		size_t size = snapshot->eof - snapshot->start;
 		char *buf_copy = xmalloc(size);
 
-		memcpy(buf_copy, snapshot->buf + snapshot->header_len, size);
+		memcpy(buf_copy, snapshot->start, size);
 		clear_snapshot_buffer(snapshot);
-		snapshot->buf = buf_copy;
+		snapshot->buf = snapshot->start = buf_copy;
 		snapshot->eof = buf_copy + size;
 	}
 
@@ -937,7 +939,7 @@ static struct ref_iterator *packed_ref_iterator_begin(
 	if (prefix && *prefix)
 		start = find_reference_location(snapshot, prefix, 0);
 	else
-		start = snapshot->buf + snapshot->header_len;
+		start = snapshot->start;
 
 	iter->pos = start;
 	iter->eof = snapshot->eof;