diff --git a/refs.c b/refs.c
index 101c107ee85569e5c453dc5964bf405a3c734976..c5e6f79c77d33eb00ef05a373bb35e910e3b7820 100644
--- a/refs.c
+++ b/refs.c
@@ -1735,7 +1735,23 @@ int refs_pack_refs(struct ref_store *refs, unsigned int flags)
 int refs_peel_ref(struct ref_store *refs, const char *refname,
 		  unsigned char *sha1)
 {
-	return refs->be->peel_ref(refs, refname, sha1);
+	int flag;
+	unsigned char base[20];
+
+	if (current_ref_iter && current_ref_iter->refname == refname) {
+		struct object_id peeled;
+
+		if (ref_iterator_peel(current_ref_iter, &peeled))
+			return -1;
+		hashcpy(sha1, peeled.hash);
+		return 0;
+	}
+
+	if (refs_read_ref_full(refs, refname,
+			       RESOLVE_REF_READING, base, &flag))
+		return -1;
+
+	return peel_object(base, sha1);
 }
 
 int peel_ref(const char *refname, unsigned char *sha1)
diff --git a/refs/files-backend.c b/refs/files-backend.c
index 35648c89fc7c152755f486905a94eae93900224e..7d12de88d015a73ce8cc77da5e01ad1a43086025 100644
--- a/refs/files-backend.c
+++ b/refs/files-backend.c
@@ -655,43 +655,6 @@ static int lock_raw_ref(struct files_ref_store *refs,
 	return ret;
 }
 
-static int files_peel_ref(struct ref_store *ref_store,
-			  const char *refname, unsigned char *sha1)
-{
-	struct files_ref_store *refs =
-		files_downcast(ref_store, REF_STORE_READ | REF_STORE_ODB,
-			       "peel_ref");
-	int flag;
-	unsigned char base[20];
-
-	if (current_ref_iter && current_ref_iter->refname == refname) {
-		struct object_id peeled;
-
-		if (ref_iterator_peel(current_ref_iter, &peeled))
-			return -1;
-		hashcpy(sha1, peeled.hash);
-		return 0;
-	}
-
-	if (refs_read_ref_full(ref_store, refname,
-			       RESOLVE_REF_READING, base, &flag))
-		return -1;
-
-	/*
-	 * If the reference is packed, read its ref_entry from the
-	 * cache in the hope that we already know its peeled value.
-	 * We only try this optimization on packed references because
-	 * (a) forcing the filling of the loose reference cache could
-	 * be expensive and (b) loose references anyway usually do not
-	 * have REF_KNOWS_PEELED.
-	 */
-	if (flag & REF_ISPACKED &&
-	    !refs_peel_ref(refs->packed_ref_store, refname, sha1))
-		return 0;
-
-	return peel_object(base, sha1);
-}
-
 struct files_ref_iterator {
 	struct ref_iterator base;
 
@@ -3012,7 +2975,6 @@ struct ref_storage_be refs_be_files = {
 	files_initial_transaction_commit,
 
 	files_pack_refs,
-	files_peel_ref,
 	files_create_symref,
 	files_delete_refs,
 	files_rename_ref,
diff --git a/refs/packed-backend.c b/refs/packed-backend.c
index be614e79f530f492d9dc7c6bcf9242ff1a1a712f..dbbba45502ec7690572e6c3413f5cadebacc5c1a 100644
--- a/refs/packed-backend.c
+++ b/refs/packed-backend.c
@@ -850,26 +850,6 @@ static struct packed_ref_cache *get_packed_ref_cache(struct packed_ref_store *re
 	return refs->cache;
 }
 
-static struct ref_dir *get_packed_ref_dir(struct packed_ref_cache *packed_ref_cache)
-{
-	return get_ref_dir(packed_ref_cache->cache->root);
-}
-
-static struct ref_dir *get_packed_refs(struct packed_ref_store *refs)
-{
-	return get_packed_ref_dir(get_packed_ref_cache(refs));
-}
-
-/*
- * Return the ref_entry for the given refname from the packed
- * references.  If it does not exist, return NULL.
- */
-static struct ref_entry *get_packed_ref(struct packed_ref_store *refs,
-					const char *refname)
-{
-	return find_ref_entry(get_packed_refs(refs), refname);
-}
-
 static int packed_read_raw_ref(struct ref_store *ref_store,
 			       const char *refname, unsigned char *sha1,
 			       struct strbuf *referent, unsigned int *type)
@@ -896,21 +876,6 @@ static int packed_read_raw_ref(struct ref_store *ref_store,
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int packed_peel_ref(struct ref_store *ref_store,
-			   const char *refname, unsigned char *sha1)
-{
-	struct packed_ref_store *refs =
-		packed_downcast(ref_store, REF_STORE_READ | REF_STORE_ODB,
-				"peel_ref");
-	struct ref_entry *r = get_packed_ref(refs, refname);
-
-	if (!r || peel_entry(r, 0))
-		return -1;
-
-	hashcpy(sha1, r->u.value.peeled.hash);
-	return 0;
-}
-
 struct packed_ref_iterator {
 	struct ref_iterator base;
 
@@ -1597,7 +1562,6 @@ struct ref_storage_be refs_be_packed = {
 	packed_initial_transaction_commit,
 
 	packed_pack_refs,
-	packed_peel_ref,
 	packed_create_symref,
 	packed_delete_refs,
 	packed_rename_ref,
diff --git a/refs/refs-internal.h b/refs/refs-internal.h
index d7f233beba00e8fd84625e0eb5092a441fe7676c..cc6c373f596a7750c8cc0b1729abfa736217c2b1 100644
--- a/refs/refs-internal.h
+++ b/refs/refs-internal.h
@@ -562,8 +562,6 @@ typedef int ref_transaction_commit_fn(struct ref_store *refs,
 				      struct strbuf *err);
 
 typedef int pack_refs_fn(struct ref_store *ref_store, unsigned int flags);
-typedef int peel_ref_fn(struct ref_store *ref_store,
-			const char *refname, unsigned char *sha1);
 typedef int create_symref_fn(struct ref_store *ref_store,
 			     const char *ref_target,
 			     const char *refs_heads_master,
@@ -668,7 +666,6 @@ struct ref_storage_be {
 	ref_transaction_commit_fn *initial_transaction_commit;
 
 	pack_refs_fn *pack_refs;
-	peel_ref_fn *peel_ref;
 	create_symref_fn *create_symref;
 	delete_refs_fn *delete_refs;
 	rename_ref_fn *rename_ref;