diff --git a/refs/files-backend.c b/refs/files-backend.c
index 5de36fc335..d8b3f73147 100644
--- a/refs/files-backend.c
+++ b/refs/files-backend.c
@@ -291,7 +291,7 @@ static struct packed_ref_cache *read_packed_refs(const char *packed_refs_file)
 				oidclr(&oid);
 				flag |= REF_BAD_NAME | REF_ISBROKEN;
 			}
-			last = create_ref_entry(refname, &oid, flag, 0);
+			last = create_ref_entry(refname, &oid, flag);
 			if (peeled == PEELED_FULLY ||
 			    (peeled == PEELED_TAGS && starts_with(refname, "refs/tags/")))
 				last->flag |= REF_KNOWS_PEELED;
@@ -415,8 +415,12 @@ static void add_packed_ref(struct files_ref_store *refs,
 
 	if (!is_lock_file_locked(&refs->packed_refs_lock))
 		die("BUG: packed refs not locked");
+
+	if (check_refname_format(refname, REFNAME_ALLOW_ONELEVEL))
+		die("Reference has invalid format: '%s'", refname);
+
 	add_ref_entry(get_packed_ref_dir(packed_ref_cache),
-		      create_ref_entry(refname, oid, REF_ISPACKED, 1));
+		      create_ref_entry(refname, oid, REF_ISPACKED));
 }
 
 /*
@@ -493,7 +497,7 @@ static void loose_fill_ref_dir(struct ref_store *ref_store,
 				flag |= REF_BAD_NAME | REF_ISBROKEN;
 			}
 			add_entry_to_dir(dir,
-					 create_ref_entry(refname.buf, &oid, flag, 0));
+					 create_ref_entry(refname.buf, &oid, flag));
 		}
 		strbuf_setlen(&refname, dirnamelen);
 		strbuf_setlen(&path, path_baselen);
@@ -1541,7 +1545,7 @@ static int files_pack_refs(struct ref_store *ref_store, unsigned int flags)
 			oidcpy(&packed_entry->u.value.oid, iter->oid);
 		} else {
 			packed_entry = create_ref_entry(iter->refname, iter->oid,
-							REF_ISPACKED, 0);
+							REF_ISPACKED);
 			add_ref_entry(packed_refs, packed_entry);
 		}
 		oidclr(&packed_entry->u.value.peeled);
diff --git a/refs/ref-cache.c b/refs/ref-cache.c
index 6b11d9cd12..ec97f3a38a 100644
--- a/refs/ref-cache.c
+++ b/refs/ref-cache.c
@@ -32,14 +32,10 @@ struct ref_dir *get_ref_dir(struct ref_entry *entry)
 }
 
 struct ref_entry *create_ref_entry(const char *refname,
-				   const struct object_id *oid, int flag,
-				   int check_name)
+				   const struct object_id *oid, int flag)
 {
 	struct ref_entry *ref;
 
-	if (check_name &&
-	    check_refname_format(refname, REFNAME_ALLOW_ONELEVEL))
-		die("Reference has invalid format: '%s'", refname);
 	FLEX_ALLOC_STR(ref, name, refname);
 	oidcpy(&ref->u.value.oid, oid);
 	oidclr(&ref->u.value.peeled);
diff --git a/refs/ref-cache.h b/refs/ref-cache.h
index fbfee7ce79..794f000fd3 100644
--- a/refs/ref-cache.h
+++ b/refs/ref-cache.h
@@ -185,8 +185,7 @@ struct ref_entry *create_dir_entry(struct ref_cache *cache,
 				   int incomplete);
 
 struct ref_entry *create_ref_entry(const char *refname,
-				   const struct object_id *oid, int flag,
-				   int check_name);
+				   const struct object_id *oid, int flag);
 
 /*
  * Return a pointer to a new `ref_cache`. Its top-level starts out