diff --git a/sha1-name.c b/sha1-name.c
index 7558ce51a3..b9381aaba6 100644
--- a/sha1-name.c
+++ b/sha1-name.c
@@ -514,6 +514,7 @@ struct min_abbrev_data {
 	unsigned int init_len;
 	unsigned int cur_len;
 	char *hex;
+	struct repository *repo;
 	const struct object_id *oid;
 };
 
@@ -619,9 +620,9 @@ static void find_abbrev_len_packed(struct min_abbrev_data *mad)
 	struct multi_pack_index *m;
 	struct packed_git *p;
 
-	for (m = get_multi_pack_index(the_repository); m; m = m->next)
+	for (m = get_multi_pack_index(mad->repo); m; m = m->next)
 		find_abbrev_len_for_midx(m, mad);
-	for (p = get_packed_git(the_repository); p; p = p->next)
+	for (p = get_packed_git(mad->repo); p; p = p->next)
 		find_abbrev_len_for_pack(p, mad);
 }
 
@@ -658,6 +659,7 @@ int find_unique_abbrev_r(char *hex, const struct object_id *oid, int len)
 	if (len == hexsz || !len)
 		return hexsz;
 
+	mad.repo = the_repository;
 	mad.init_len = len;
 	mad.cur_len = len;
 	mad.hex = hex;