diff --git a/builtin/fsck.c b/builtin/fsck.c
index bb9a2cd4472..579fdcceb9a 100644
--- a/builtin/fsck.c
+++ b/builtin/fsck.c
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 
 #define REACHABLE 0x0001
 #define SEEN      0x0002
+#define HAS_OBJ   0x0004
 
 static int show_root;
 static int show_tags;
@@ -101,7 +102,7 @@ static int mark_object(struct object *obj, int type, void *data)
 	if (obj->flags & REACHABLE)
 		return 0;
 	obj->flags |= REACHABLE;
-	if (!obj->parsed) {
+	if (!(obj->flags & HAS_OBJ)) {
 		if (parent && !has_sha1_file(obj->sha1)) {
 			printf("broken link from %7s %s\n",
 				 typename(parent->type), sha1_to_hex(parent->sha1));
@@ -127,16 +128,13 @@ static int traverse_one_object(struct object *obj)
 	struct tree *tree = NULL;
 
 	if (obj->type == OBJ_TREE) {
-		obj->parsed = 0;
 		tree = (struct tree *)obj;
 		if (parse_tree(tree) < 0)
 			return 1; /* error already displayed */
 	}
 	result = fsck_walk(obj, mark_object, obj);
-	if (tree) {
-		free(tree->buffer);
-		tree->buffer = NULL;
-	}
+	if (tree)
+		free_tree_buffer(tree);
 	return result;
 }
 
@@ -178,7 +176,7 @@ static void check_reachable_object(struct object *obj)
 	 * except if it was in a pack-file and we didn't
 	 * do a full fsck
 	 */
-	if (!obj->parsed) {
+	if (!(obj->flags & HAS_OBJ)) {
 		if (has_sha1_pack(obj->sha1))
 			return; /* it is in pack - forget about it */
 		printf("missing %s %s\n", typename(obj->type), sha1_to_hex(obj->sha1));
@@ -306,8 +304,7 @@ static int fsck_obj(struct object *obj)
 	if (obj->type == OBJ_TREE) {
 		struct tree *item = (struct tree *) obj;
 
-		free(item->buffer);
-		item->buffer = NULL;
+		free_tree_buffer(item);
 	}
 
 	if (obj->type == OBJ_COMMIT) {
@@ -340,6 +337,7 @@ static int fsck_sha1(const unsigned char *sha1)
 		return error("%s: object corrupt or missing",
 			     sha1_to_hex(sha1));
 	}
+	obj->flags |= HAS_OBJ;
 	return fsck_obj(obj);
 }
 
@@ -352,6 +350,7 @@ static int fsck_obj_buffer(const unsigned char *sha1, enum object_type type,
 		errors_found |= ERROR_OBJECT;
 		return error("%s: object corrupt or missing", sha1_to_hex(sha1));
 	}
+	obj->flags = HAS_OBJ;
 	return fsck_obj(obj);
 }
 
diff --git a/builtin/index-pack.c b/builtin/index-pack.c
index 79dfe47320e..20cf284e869 100644
--- a/builtin/index-pack.c
+++ b/builtin/index-pack.c
@@ -765,6 +765,7 @@ static void sha1_object(const void *data, struct object_entry *obj_entry,
 			if (obj->type == OBJ_TREE) {
 				struct tree *item = (struct tree *) obj;
 				item->buffer = NULL;
+				obj->parsed = 0;
 			}
 			if (obj->type == OBJ_COMMIT) {
 				struct commit *commit = (struct commit *) obj;
diff --git a/builtin/reflog.c b/builtin/reflog.c
index 72a0af70c3d..9f121cd5870 100644
--- a/builtin/reflog.c
+++ b/builtin/reflog.c
@@ -94,8 +94,7 @@ static int tree_is_complete(const unsigned char *sha1)
 			complete = 0;
 		}
 	}
-	free(tree->buffer);
-	tree->buffer = NULL;
+	free_tree_buffer(tree);
 
 	if (complete)
 		tree->object.flags |= SEEN;
diff --git a/http-push.c b/http-push.c
index 395a8cfc105..c13b44184dd 100644
--- a/http-push.c
+++ b/http-push.c
@@ -1330,8 +1330,7 @@ static struct object_list **process_tree(struct tree *tree,
 			break;
 		}
 
-	free(tree->buffer);
-	tree->buffer = NULL;
+	free_tree_buffer(tree);
 	return p;
 }
 
diff --git a/list-objects.c b/list-objects.c
index 3dd4a960190..c8c3463cad6 100644
--- a/list-objects.c
+++ b/list-objects.c
@@ -123,8 +123,7 @@ static void process_tree(struct rev_info *revs,
 				     cb_data);
 	}
 	strbuf_setlen(base, baselen);
-	free(tree->buffer);
-	tree->buffer = NULL;
+	free_tree_buffer(tree);
 }
 
 static void mark_edge_parents_uninteresting(struct commit *commit,
diff --git a/reachable.c b/reachable.c
index e7e6a1e3422..654a8c58d68 100644
--- a/reachable.c
+++ b/reachable.c
@@ -80,8 +80,7 @@ static void process_tree(struct tree *tree,
 		else
 			process_blob(lookup_blob(entry.sha1), p, &me, entry.path, cp);
 	}
-	free(tree->buffer);
-	tree->buffer = NULL;
+	free_tree_buffer(tree);
 }
 
 static void process_tag(struct tag *tag, struct object_array *p,
diff --git a/revision.c b/revision.c
index a67b615bfc7..2190267e9a4 100644
--- a/revision.c
+++ b/revision.c
@@ -134,8 +134,7 @@ void mark_tree_uninteresting(struct tree *tree)
 	 * We don't care about the tree any more
 	 * after it has been marked uninteresting.
 	 */
-	free(tree->buffer);
-	tree->buffer = NULL;
+	free_tree_buffer(tree);
 }
 
 void mark_parents_uninteresting(struct commit *commit)
diff --git a/tree.c b/tree.c
index 62fed632d8a..1cbf60ea237 100644
--- a/tree.c
+++ b/tree.c
@@ -225,6 +225,14 @@ int parse_tree(struct tree *item)
 	return parse_tree_buffer(item, buffer, size);
 }
 
+void free_tree_buffer(struct tree *tree)
+{
+	free(tree->buffer);
+	tree->buffer = NULL;
+	tree->size = 0;
+	tree->object.parsed = 0;
+}
+
 struct tree *parse_tree_indirect(const unsigned char *sha1)
 {
 	struct object *obj = parse_object(sha1);
diff --git a/tree.h b/tree.h
index 69bcb5e0ec2..601ab9c50d1 100644
--- a/tree.h
+++ b/tree.h
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ struct tree *lookup_tree(const unsigned char *sha1);
 int parse_tree_buffer(struct tree *item, void *buffer, unsigned long size);
 
 int parse_tree(struct tree *tree);
+void free_tree_buffer(struct tree *tree);
 
 /* Parses and returns the tree in the given ent, chasing tags and commits. */
 struct tree *parse_tree_indirect(const unsigned char *sha1);
diff --git a/walker.c b/walker.c
index be389dc9bf5..633596e06fc 100644
--- a/walker.c
+++ b/walker.c
@@ -56,10 +56,7 @@ static int process_tree(struct walker *walker, struct tree *tree)
 		if (!obj || process(walker, obj))
 			return -1;
 	}
-	free(tree->buffer);
-	tree->buffer = NULL;
-	tree->size = 0;
-	tree->object.parsed = 0;
+	free_tree_buffer(tree);
 	return 0;
 }