diff --git a/alloc.c b/alloc.c
index 03e458bad0..fd2e32df8c 100644
--- a/alloc.c
+++ b/alloc.c
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ static struct alloc_state blob_state;
 void *alloc_blob_node(void)
 {
 	struct blob *b = alloc_node(&blob_state, sizeof(struct blob));
+	b->object.type = OBJ_BLOB;
 	return b;
 }
 
@@ -59,6 +60,7 @@ static struct alloc_state tree_state;
 void *alloc_tree_node(void)
 {
 	struct tree *t = alloc_node(&tree_state, sizeof(struct tree));
+	t->object.type = OBJ_TREE;
 	return t;
 }
 
@@ -66,6 +68,7 @@ static struct alloc_state tag_state;
 void *alloc_tag_node(void)
 {
 	struct tag *t = alloc_node(&tag_state, sizeof(struct tag));
+	t->object.type = OBJ_TAG;
 	return t;
 }
 
@@ -73,6 +76,7 @@ static struct alloc_state object_state;
 void *alloc_object_node(void)
 {
 	struct object *obj = alloc_node(&object_state, sizeof(union any_object));
+	obj->type = OBJ_NONE;
 	return obj;
 }
 
@@ -82,6 +86,7 @@ void *alloc_commit_node(void)
 {
 	static int commit_count;
 	struct commit *c = alloc_node(&commit_state, sizeof(struct commit));
+	c->object.type = OBJ_COMMIT;
 	c->index = commit_count++;
 	return c;
 }
diff --git a/blob.c b/blob.c
index ae320bd8fa..5720a38ca2 100644
--- a/blob.c
+++ b/blob.c
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ struct blob *lookup_blob(const unsigned char *sha1)
 {
 	struct object *obj = lookup_object(sha1);
 	if (!obj)
-		return create_object(sha1, OBJ_BLOB, alloc_blob_node());
+		return create_object(sha1, alloc_blob_node());
 	if (!obj->type)
 		obj->type = OBJ_BLOB;
 	if (obj->type != OBJ_BLOB) {
diff --git a/builtin/blame.c b/builtin/blame.c
index 6a284ce46b..eefd6bc2e1 100644
--- a/builtin/blame.c
+++ b/builtin/blame.c
@@ -2041,7 +2041,6 @@ static struct commit *fake_working_tree_commit(struct diff_options *opt,
 	commit = alloc_commit_node();
 	commit->object.parsed = 1;
 	commit->date = now;
-	commit->object.type = OBJ_COMMIT;
 	parent_tail = &commit->parents;
 
 	if (!resolve_ref_unsafe("HEAD", head_sha1, 1, NULL))
diff --git a/commit.c b/commit.c
index 4ff8077dbf..eb24add866 100644
--- a/commit.c
+++ b/commit.c
@@ -61,10 +61,8 @@ struct commit *lookup_commit_or_die(const unsigned char *sha1, const char *ref_n
 struct commit *lookup_commit(const unsigned char *sha1)
 {
 	struct object *obj = lookup_object(sha1);
-	if (!obj) {
-		struct commit *c = alloc_commit_node();
-		return create_object(sha1, OBJ_COMMIT, c);
-	}
+	if (!obj)
+		return create_object(sha1, alloc_commit_node());
 	if (!obj->type)
 		obj->type = OBJ_COMMIT;
 	return check_commit(obj, sha1, 0);
diff --git a/object.c b/object.c
index 9c31e9a5e0..a950b85146 100644
--- a/object.c
+++ b/object.c
@@ -141,13 +141,12 @@ static void grow_object_hash(void)
 	obj_hash_size = new_hash_size;
 }
 
-void *create_object(const unsigned char *sha1, int type, void *o)
+void *create_object(const unsigned char *sha1, void *o)
 {
 	struct object *obj = o;
 
 	obj->parsed = 0;
 	obj->used = 0;
-	obj->type = type;
 	obj->flags = 0;
 	hashcpy(obj->sha1, sha1);
 
@@ -163,7 +162,7 @@ struct object *lookup_unknown_object(const unsigned char *sha1)
 {
 	struct object *obj = lookup_object(sha1);
 	if (!obj)
-		obj = create_object(sha1, OBJ_NONE, alloc_object_node());
+		obj = create_object(sha1, alloc_object_node());
 	return obj;
 }
 
diff --git a/object.h b/object.h
index 6e12f2c7f4..8020ace566 100644
--- a/object.h
+++ b/object.h
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ extern struct object *get_indexed_object(unsigned int);
  */
 struct object *lookup_object(const unsigned char *sha1);
 
-extern void *create_object(const unsigned char *sha1, int type, void *obj);
+extern void *create_object(const unsigned char *sha1, void *obj);
 
 /*
  * Returns the object, having parsed it to find out what it is.
diff --git a/tag.c b/tag.c
index 7b07921b30..79552c716c 100644
--- a/tag.c
+++ b/tag.c
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ struct tag *lookup_tag(const unsigned char *sha1)
 {
 	struct object *obj = lookup_object(sha1);
 	if (!obj)
-		return create_object(sha1, OBJ_TAG, alloc_tag_node());
+		return create_object(sha1, alloc_tag_node());
 	if (!obj->type)
 		obj->type = OBJ_TAG;
 	if (obj->type != OBJ_TAG) {
diff --git a/tree.c b/tree.c
index c8c49d7b78..ed66575079 100644
--- a/tree.c
+++ b/tree.c
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ struct tree *lookup_tree(const unsigned char *sha1)
 {
 	struct object *obj = lookup_object(sha1);
 	if (!obj)
-		return create_object(sha1, OBJ_TREE, alloc_tree_node());
+		return create_object(sha1, alloc_tree_node());
 	if (!obj->type)
 		obj->type = OBJ_TREE;
 	if (obj->type != OBJ_TREE) {