diff --git a/refs.c b/refs.c
index 005eb182d9b57c718ff5310a6f81a0632a209b8d..05cb299f53679c404b2403349a74b4043b00597a 100644
--- a/refs.c
+++ b/refs.c
@@ -3633,26 +3633,8 @@ int ref_transaction_delete(struct ref_transaction *transaction,
 			   int flags, int have_old, const char *msg,
 			   struct strbuf *err)
 {
-	struct ref_update *update;
-
-	assert(err);
-
-	if (transaction->state != REF_TRANSACTION_OPEN)
-		die("BUG: delete called for transaction that is not open");
-
-	if (have_old && !old_sha1)
-		die("BUG: have_old is true but old_sha1 is NULL");
-
-	update = add_update(transaction, refname);
-	update->flags = flags;
-	update->have_old = have_old;
-	if (have_old) {
-		assert(!is_null_sha1(old_sha1));
-		hashcpy(update->old_sha1, old_sha1);
-	}
-	if (msg)
-		update->msg = xstrdup(msg);
-	return 0;
+	return ref_transaction_update(transaction, refname, null_sha1,
+				      old_sha1, flags, have_old, msg, err);
 }
 
 int update_ref(const char *action, const char *refname,
diff --git a/refs.h b/refs.h
index 2bc3556874a7b1cbccb4cebf4e3dc2fa13cc780f..7d675b71276b36c3235eed93412c733a4bcaf6a6 100644
--- a/refs.h
+++ b/refs.h
@@ -283,7 +283,7 @@ struct ref_transaction *ref_transaction_begin(struct strbuf *err);
 
 /*
  * Add a reference update to transaction.  new_sha1 is the value that
- * the reference should have after the update, or zeros if it should
+ * the reference should have after the update, or null_sha1 if it should
  * be deleted.  If have_old is true, then old_sha1 holds the value
  * that the reference should have had before the update, or zeros if
  * it must not have existed beforehand.