diff --git a/merge-ort.c b/merge-ort.c
index 289a61822f..9b6a4c312e 100644
--- a/merge-ort.c
+++ b/merge-ort.c
@@ -1732,9 +1732,9 @@ static int collect_merge_info(struct merge_options *opt,
 	info.data = opt;
 	info.show_all_errors = 1;
 
-	if (repo_parse_tree(the_repository, merge_base) < 0 ||
-	    repo_parse_tree(the_repository, side1) < 0 ||
-	    repo_parse_tree(the_repository, side2) < 0)
+	if (repo_parse_tree(opt->repo, merge_base) < 0 ||
+	    repo_parse_tree(opt->repo, side1) < 0 ||
+	    repo_parse_tree(opt->repo, side2) < 0)
 		return -1;
 	init_tree_desc(t + 0, &merge_base->object.oid,
 		       merge_base->buffer, merge_base->size);
@@ -2136,9 +2136,9 @@ static int merge_3way(struct merge_options *opt,
 		name2 = mkpathdup("%s:%s", opt->branch2,  pathnames[2]);
 	}
 
-	read_mmblob(&orig, the_repository->objects, o);
-	read_mmblob(&src1, the_repository->objects, a);
-	read_mmblob(&src2, the_repository->objects, b);
+	read_mmblob(&orig, opt->repo->objects, o);
+	read_mmblob(&src1, opt->repo->objects, a);
+	read_mmblob(&src2, opt->repo->objects, b);
 
 	merge_status = ll_merge(result_buf, path, &orig, base,
 				&src1, name1, &src2, name2,
@@ -2254,7 +2254,7 @@ static int handle_content_merge(struct merge_options *opt,
 		}
 
 		if (!ret && record_object &&
-		    odb_write_object(the_repository->objects, result_buf.ptr, result_buf.size,
+		    odb_write_object(opt->repo->objects, result_buf.ptr, result_buf.size,
 				     OBJ_BLOB, &result->oid)) {
 			path_msg(opt, ERROR_OBJECT_WRITE_FAILED, 0,
 				 pathnames[0], pathnames[1], pathnames[2], NULL,
@@ -3713,7 +3713,7 @@ static int read_oid_strbuf(struct merge_options *opt,
 	void *buf;
 	enum object_type type;
 	unsigned long size;
-	buf = odb_read_object(the_repository->objects, oid, &type, &size);
+	buf = odb_read_object(opt->repo->objects, oid, &type, &size);
 	if (!buf) {
 		path_msg(opt, ERROR_OBJECT_READ_FAILED, 0,
 			 path, NULL, NULL, NULL,
@@ -4619,10 +4619,10 @@ static int checkout(struct merge_options *opt,
 	unpack_opts.verbose_update = (opt->verbosity > 2);
 	unpack_opts.fn = twoway_merge;
 	unpack_opts.preserve_ignored = 0; /* FIXME: !opts->overwrite_ignore */
-	if (repo_parse_tree(the_repository, prev) < 0)
+	if (repo_parse_tree(opt->repo, prev) < 0)
 		return -1;
 	init_tree_desc(&trees[0], &prev->object.oid, prev->buffer, prev->size);
-	if (repo_parse_tree(the_repository, next) < 0)
+	if (repo_parse_tree(opt->repo, next) < 0)
 		return -1;
 	init_tree_desc(&trees[1], &next->object.oid, next->buffer, next->size);
 
@@ -5280,7 +5280,7 @@ redo:
 
 	if (result->clean >= 0) {
 		if (!opt->mergeability_only) {
-			result->tree = repo_parse_tree_indirect(the_repository,
+			result->tree = repo_parse_tree_indirect(opt->repo,
 								&working_tree_oid);
 			if (!result->tree)
 				die(_("unable to read tree (%s)"),
@@ -5309,7 +5309,7 @@ static void merge_ort_internal(struct merge_options *opt,
 	struct strbuf merge_base_abbrev = STRBUF_INIT;
 
 	if (!merge_bases) {
-		if (repo_get_merge_bases(the_repository, h1, h2,
+		if (repo_get_merge_bases(opt->repo, h1, h2,
 					 &merge_bases) < 0) {
 			result->clean = -1;
 			goto out;
@@ -5440,20 +5440,20 @@ static void merge_recursive_config(struct merge_options *opt, int ui)
 {
 	char *value = NULL;
 	int renormalize = 0;
-	repo_config_get_int(the_repository, "merge.verbosity", &opt->verbosity);
-	repo_config_get_int(the_repository, "diff.renamelimit", &opt->rename_limit);
-	repo_config_get_int(the_repository, "merge.renamelimit", &opt->rename_limit);
-	repo_config_get_bool(the_repository, "merge.renormalize", &renormalize);
+	repo_config_get_int(opt->repo, "merge.verbosity", &opt->verbosity);
+	repo_config_get_int(opt->repo, "diff.renamelimit", &opt->rename_limit);
+	repo_config_get_int(opt->repo, "merge.renamelimit", &opt->rename_limit);
+	repo_config_get_bool(opt->repo, "merge.renormalize", &renormalize);
 	opt->renormalize = renormalize;
-	if (!repo_config_get_string(the_repository, "diff.renames", &value)) {
+	if (!repo_config_get_string(opt->repo, "diff.renames", &value)) {
 		opt->detect_renames = git_config_rename("diff.renames", value);
 		free(value);
 	}
-	if (!repo_config_get_string(the_repository, "merge.renames", &value)) {
+	if (!repo_config_get_string(opt->repo, "merge.renames", &value)) {
 		opt->detect_renames = git_config_rename("merge.renames", value);
 		free(value);
 	}
-	if (!repo_config_get_string(the_repository, "merge.directoryrenames", &value)) {
+	if (!repo_config_get_string(opt->repo, "merge.directoryrenames", &value)) {
 		int boolval = git_parse_maybe_bool(value);
 		if (0 <= boolval) {
 			opt->detect_directory_renames = boolval ?
@@ -5466,7 +5466,7 @@ static void merge_recursive_config(struct merge_options *opt, int ui)
 		free(value);
 	}
 	if (ui) {
-		if (!repo_config_get_string(the_repository, "diff.algorithm", &value)) {
+		if (!repo_config_get_string(opt->repo, "diff.algorithm", &value)) {
 			long diff_algorithm = parse_algorithm_value(value);
 			if (diff_algorithm < 0)
 				die(_("unknown value for config '%s': %s"), "diff.algorithm", value);
@@ -5474,7 +5474,7 @@ static void merge_recursive_config(struct merge_options *opt, int ui)
 			free(value);
 		}
 	}
-	repo_config(the_repository, git_xmerge_config, NULL);
+	repo_config(opt->repo, git_xmerge_config, NULL);
 }
 
 static void init_merge_options(struct merge_options *opt,