While trying to create a pseudo reference named REF pointing to the empty tree iff it doesn't exist, I stumbled on the following: I assume both are valid ways to create such reference: a) $ echo -e option no-deref\\nupdate REF $(git hash-object -t tree /dev/null) 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 | git update-ref --stdin b) $ git update-ref --no-deref REF $(git hash-object -t tree /dev/null) 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 While a) works, b) will throw: fatal: could not read ref 'REF' Bisect seems to point to: 2c3aed138 (pseudoref: check return values from read_ref(), 2015-07-15) Thanks, Rafael Ascensão
