There seems to be some bad interactions between git-push and grafts. The problem seems to occur when a commit that exists in the remote repo is subject to a graft in the local repo, and we try to push one of the fake parents. The problem was first seen on 1.7.12.3 in a private repo, and I could reproduce it using 1.8.1.rc0, as shown below. 1.7.10.4 seems even more affected, with something looking like a memory corruption issue. Here is the test: $ git clone git.git git-test Cloning into 'git-test'... done. Checking out files: 100% (2518/2518), done. $ cd git-test/ git-test$ git co maint Branch maint set up to track remote branch maint from origin. Switched to a new branch 'maint' git-test$ echo >> README git-test$ git commit -a -m "test" [maint 0708279] test 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+) git-test$ echo $(git rev-parse origin/master; git rev-parse origin/master^; git rev-parse HEAD) > .git/info/grafts git-test$ git version git version 1.8.1.rc0 git-test$ git push origin maint Total 0 (delta 0), reused 0 (delta 0) fatal: bad object 0708279e168b52003234dd23601796b3b12e278b fatal: bad object 0708279e168b52003234dd23601796b3b12e278b To /home/localadm/softs/git.git ! [remote rejected] maint -> maint (missing necessary objects) error: failed to push some refs to '/home/localadm/softs/git.git' $ git version git version 1.7.10.4 git-test$ git push origin maint Total 0 (delta 0), reused 0 (delta 0) fatal: bad object 0708279e168b52003234dd23601796b3b12e278b fatal: bad object 0708279e168b52003234dd23601796b3b12e278b Auto packing the repository for optimum performance. fatal: protocol error: bad line length character: Remo error: error in sideband demultiplexer error: >S��ŋJ�jB�;�x'��R died of signal 13 To /home/localadm/softs/git.git ! [remote rejected] maint -> maint (missing necessary objects) error: failed to push some refs to '/home/localadm/softs/git.git' -- Yann Dirson - Bertin Technologies -- To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe git" in the body of a message to majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html