diff --git a/builtin/receive-pack.c b/builtin/receive-pack.c
index 878aa7f0ed..376e755e97 100644
--- a/builtin/receive-pack.c
+++ b/builtin/receive-pack.c
@@ -1641,8 +1641,8 @@ static const char *update(struct command *cmd, struct shallow_info *si)
 			ret = NULL; /* good */
 		}
 		strbuf_release(&err);
-	}
-	else {
+	} else {
+		enum ref_transaction_error tx_err;
 		struct strbuf err = STRBUF_INIT;
 		if (shallow_update && si->shallow_ref[cmd->index] &&
 		    update_shallow_ref(cmd, si)) {
@@ -1650,14 +1650,18 @@ static const char *update(struct command *cmd, struct shallow_info *si)
 			goto out;
 		}
 
-		if (ref_transaction_update(transaction,
-					   namespaced_name,
-					   new_oid, old_oid,
-					   NULL, NULL,
-					   0, "push",
-					   &err)) {
+		tx_err = ref_transaction_update(transaction,
+						  namespaced_name,
+						  new_oid, old_oid,
+						  NULL, NULL,
+						  0, "push",
+						  &err);
+		if (tx_err) {
 			rp_error("%s", err.buf);
-			ret = "failed to update ref";
+			if (tx_err == REF_TRANSACTION_ERROR_GENERIC)
+				ret = "failed to update ref";
+			else
+				ret = ref_transaction_error_msg(tx_err);
 		} else {
 			ret = NULL; /* good */
 		}
diff --git a/refs.c b/refs.c
index efa16b739d..662a9e6f9e 100644
--- a/refs.c
+++ b/refs.c
@@ -1416,6 +1416,24 @@ enum ref_transaction_error ref_transaction_update(struct ref_transaction *transa
 	flags |= (new_oid ? REF_HAVE_NEW : 0) | (old_oid ? REF_HAVE_OLD : 0);
 	flags |= (new_target ? REF_HAVE_NEW : 0) | (old_target ? REF_HAVE_OLD : 0);
 
+	if ((flags & REF_HAVE_NEW) && !new_target && !is_null_oid(new_oid) &&
+	    !(flags & REF_SKIP_OID_VERIFICATION) && !(flags & REF_LOG_ONLY)) {
+		struct object *o = parse_object(transaction->ref_store->repo, new_oid);
+
+		if (!o) {
+			strbuf_addf(err,
+				    _("trying to write ref '%s' with nonexistent object %s"),
+				    refname, oid_to_hex(new_oid));
+			return REF_TRANSACTION_ERROR_INVALID_NEW_VALUE;
+		}
+
+		if (o->type != OBJ_COMMIT && is_branch(refname)) {
+			strbuf_addf(err, _("trying to write non-commit object %s to branch '%s'"),
+				    oid_to_hex(new_oid), refname);
+			return REF_TRANSACTION_ERROR_INVALID_NEW_VALUE;
+		}
+	}
+
 	ref_transaction_add_update(transaction, refname, flags,
 				   new_oid, old_oid, new_target,
 				   old_target, NULL, msg);
diff --git a/refs/files-backend.c b/refs/files-backend.c
index 4b2faf4777..f20f580fbc 100644
--- a/refs/files-backend.c
+++ b/refs/files-backend.c
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@
 #include "../iterator.h"
 #include "../dir-iterator.h"
 #include "../lockfile.h"
-#include "../object.h"
 #include "../path.h"
 #include "../dir.h"
 #include "../chdir-notify.h"
@@ -1589,7 +1588,6 @@ static int rename_tmp_log(struct files_ref_store *refs, const char *newrefname)
 static enum ref_transaction_error write_ref_to_lockfile(struct files_ref_store *refs,
 							struct ref_lock *lock,
 							const struct object_id *oid,
-							int skip_oid_verification,
 							struct strbuf *err);
 static int commit_ref_update(struct files_ref_store *refs,
 			     struct ref_lock *lock,
@@ -1737,7 +1735,7 @@ static int files_copy_or_rename_ref(struct ref_store *ref_store,
 	}
 	oidcpy(&lock->old_oid, &orig_oid);
 
-	if (write_ref_to_lockfile(refs, lock, &orig_oid, 0, &err) ||
+	if (write_ref_to_lockfile(refs, lock, &orig_oid, &err) ||
 	    commit_ref_update(refs, lock, &orig_oid, logmsg, 0, &err)) {
 		error("unable to write current sha1 into %s: %s", newrefname, err.buf);
 		strbuf_release(&err);
@@ -1755,7 +1753,7 @@ static int files_copy_or_rename_ref(struct ref_store *ref_store,
 		goto rollbacklog;
 	}
 
-	if (write_ref_to_lockfile(refs, lock, &orig_oid, 0, &err) ||
+	if (write_ref_to_lockfile(refs, lock, &orig_oid, &err) ||
 	    commit_ref_update(refs, lock, &orig_oid, NULL, REF_SKIP_CREATE_REFLOG, &err)) {
 		error("unable to write current sha1 into %s: %s", oldrefname, err.buf);
 		strbuf_release(&err);
@@ -1999,32 +1997,11 @@ static int files_log_ref_write(struct files_ref_store *refs,
 static enum ref_transaction_error write_ref_to_lockfile(struct files_ref_store *refs,
 							struct ref_lock *lock,
 							const struct object_id *oid,
-							int skip_oid_verification,
 							struct strbuf *err)
 {
 	static char term = '\n';
-	struct object *o;
 	int fd;
 
-	if (!skip_oid_verification) {
-		o = parse_object(refs->base.repo, oid);
-		if (!o) {
-			strbuf_addf(
-				err,
-				"trying to write ref '%s' with nonexistent object %s",
-				lock->ref_name, oid_to_hex(oid));
-			unlock_ref(lock);
-			return REF_TRANSACTION_ERROR_INVALID_NEW_VALUE;
-		}
-		if (o->type != OBJ_COMMIT && is_branch(lock->ref_name)) {
-			strbuf_addf(
-				err,
-				"trying to write non-commit object %s to branch '%s'",
-				oid_to_hex(oid), lock->ref_name);
-			unlock_ref(lock);
-			return REF_TRANSACTION_ERROR_INVALID_NEW_VALUE;
-		}
-	}
 	fd = get_lock_file_fd(&lock->lk);
 	if (write_in_full(fd, oid_to_hex(oid), refs->base.repo->hash_algo->hexsz) < 0 ||
 	    write_in_full(fd, &term, 1) < 0 ||
@@ -2828,7 +2805,6 @@ static enum ref_transaction_error lock_ref_for_update(struct files_ref_store *re
 		} else {
 			ret = write_ref_to_lockfile(
 				refs, lock, &update->new_oid,
-				update->flags & REF_SKIP_OID_VERIFICATION,
 				err);
 			if (ret) {
 				char *write_err = strbuf_detach(err, NULL);
diff --git a/refs/reftable-backend.c b/refs/reftable-backend.c
index 93374d25c2..444b0c24e5 100644
--- a/refs/reftable-backend.c
+++ b/refs/reftable-backend.c
@@ -1081,25 +1081,6 @@ static enum ref_transaction_error prepare_single_update(struct reftable_ref_stor
 		return 0;
 	}
 
-	/* Verify that the new object ID is valid. */
-	if ((u->flags & REF_HAVE_NEW) && !is_null_oid(&u->new_oid) &&
-	    !(u->flags & REF_SKIP_OID_VERIFICATION) &&
-	    !(u->flags & REF_LOG_ONLY)) {
-		struct object *o = parse_object(refs->base.repo, &u->new_oid);
-		if (!o) {
-			strbuf_addf(err,
-				    _("trying to write ref '%s' with nonexistent object %s"),
-				    u->refname, oid_to_hex(&u->new_oid));
-			return REF_TRANSACTION_ERROR_INVALID_NEW_VALUE;
-		}
-
-		if (o->type != OBJ_COMMIT && is_branch(u->refname)) {
-			strbuf_addf(err, _("trying to write non-commit object %s to branch '%s'"),
-				    oid_to_hex(&u->new_oid), u->refname);
-			return REF_TRANSACTION_ERROR_INVALID_NEW_VALUE;
-		}
-	}
-
 	/*
 	 * When we update the reference that HEAD points to we enqueue
 	 * a second log-only update for HEAD so that its reflog is
diff --git a/t/t1400-update-ref.sh b/t/t1400-update-ref.sh
index b2858a9061..1015f335e3 100755
--- a/t/t1400-update-ref.sh
+++ b/t/t1400-update-ref.sh
@@ -1196,6 +1196,20 @@ test_expect_success 'stdin -z create ref fails with empty new value' '
 	test_must_fail git rev-parse --verify -q $c
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'stdin -z create ref fails with non commit object' '
+	printf $F "create $c" "$(test_oid 001)" >stdin &&
+	test_must_fail git update-ref -z --stdin <stdin 2>err &&
+	grep "fatal: trying to write ref ${SQ}$c${SQ} with nonexistent object" err &&
+	test_must_fail git rev-parse --verify -q $c
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'stdin -z update ref fails with non commit object' '
+	printf $F "update $b" "$(test_oid 001)" "" >stdin &&
+	test_must_fail git update-ref -z --stdin <stdin 2>err &&
+	grep "fatal: trying to write ref ${SQ}$b${SQ} with nonexistent object" err &&
+	test_must_fail git rev-parse --verify -q $c
+'
+
 test_expect_success 'stdin -z update ref works with right old value' '
 	printf $F "update $b" "$m~1" "$m" >stdin &&
 	git update-ref -z --stdin <stdin &&