diff --git a/builtin/mktag.c b/builtin/mktag.c
index 324a267163..640ab64f41 100644
--- a/builtin/mktag.c
+++ b/builtin/mktag.c
@@ -23,8 +23,8 @@ static int verify_object(const unsigned char *sha1, const char *expected_type)
 	int ret = -1;
 	enum object_type type;
 	unsigned long size;
-	const unsigned char *repl;
-	void *buffer = read_sha1_file_repl(sha1, &type, &size, &repl);
+	void *buffer = read_sha1_file(sha1, &type, &size);
+	const unsigned char *repl = lookup_replace_object(sha1);
 
 	if (buffer) {
 		if (type == type_from_string(expected_type))
diff --git a/cache.h b/cache.h
index e09cf75013..a9ae100542 100644
--- a/cache.h
+++ b/cache.h
@@ -758,11 +758,7 @@ int offset_1st_component(const char *path);
 
 /* Read and unpack a sha1 file into memory, write memory to a sha1 file */
 extern int sha1_object_info(const unsigned char *, unsigned long *);
-extern void *read_sha1_file_repl(const unsigned char *sha1, enum object_type *type, unsigned long *size, const unsigned char **replacement);
-static inline void *read_sha1_file(const unsigned char *sha1, enum object_type *type, unsigned long *size)
-{
-	return read_sha1_file_repl(sha1, type, size, NULL);
-}
+extern void *read_sha1_file(const unsigned char *sha1, enum object_type *type, unsigned long *size);
 extern const unsigned char *lookup_replace_object(const unsigned char *sha1);
 extern int hash_sha1_file(const void *buf, unsigned long len, const char *type, unsigned char *sha1);
 extern int write_sha1_file(const void *buf, unsigned long len, const char *type, unsigned char *return_sha1);
diff --git a/object.c b/object.c
index 7e1f2bbed2..31976b5d70 100644
--- a/object.c
+++ b/object.c
@@ -188,8 +188,8 @@ struct object *parse_object(const unsigned char *sha1)
 	unsigned long size;
 	enum object_type type;
 	int eaten;
-	const unsigned char *repl;
-	void *buffer = read_sha1_file_repl(sha1, &type, &size, &repl);
+	const unsigned char *repl = lookup_replace_object(sha1);
+	void *buffer = read_sha1_file(sha1, &type, &size);
 
 	if (buffer) {
 		struct object *obj;
diff --git a/sha1_file.c b/sha1_file.c
index 889fe71830..5d80febde2 100644
--- a/sha1_file.c
+++ b/sha1_file.c
@@ -2206,10 +2206,9 @@ static void *read_object(const unsigned char *sha1, enum object_type *type,
  * deal with them should arrange to call read_object() and give error
  * messages themselves.
  */
-void *read_sha1_file_repl(const unsigned char *sha1,
-			  enum object_type *type,
-			  unsigned long *size,
-			  const unsigned char **replacement)
+void *read_sha1_file(const unsigned char *sha1,
+		     enum object_type *type,
+		     unsigned long *size)
 {
 	const unsigned char *repl = lookup_replace_object(sha1);
 	void *data;
@@ -2218,11 +2217,8 @@ void *read_sha1_file_repl(const unsigned char *sha1,
 
 	errno = 0;
 	data = read_object(repl, type, size);
-	if (data) {
-		if (replacement)
-			*replacement = repl;
+	if (data)
 		return data;
-	}
 
 	if (errno && errno != ENOENT)
 		die_errno("failed to read object %s", sha1_to_hex(sha1));