diff --git a/app/models/repository.rb b/app/models/repository.rb
index 05f2f85116215f49df49ed1addaca41c1db428af..035f85a0b466cd5404573c3f7944a82edbcae368 100644
--- a/app/models/repository.rb
+++ b/app/models/repository.rb
@@ -166,32 +166,25 @@ class Repository
   end
 
   def add_branch(user, branch_name, ref)
-    newrev = commit(ref).try(:sha)
-
-    return false unless newrev
-
-    Gitlab::Git::OperationService.new(user, raw_repository).add_branch(branch_name, newrev)
+    branch = raw_repository.add_branch(branch_name, committer: user, target: ref)
 
     after_create_branch
-    find_branch(branch_name)
+
+    branch
+  rescue Gitlab::Git::Repository::InvalidRef
+    false
   end
 
   def add_tag(user, tag_name, target, message = nil)
-    newrev = commit(target).try(:id)
-    options = { message: message, tagger: user_to_committer(user) } if message
-
-    return false unless newrev
-
-    Gitlab::Git::OperationService.new(user, raw_repository).add_tag(tag_name, newrev, options)
-
-    find_tag(tag_name)
+    raw_repository.add_tag(tag_name, committer: user, target: target, message: message)
+  rescue Gitlab::Git::Repository::InvalidRef
+    false
   end
 
   def rm_branch(user, branch_name)
     before_remove_branch
-    branch = find_branch(branch_name)
 
-    Gitlab::Git::OperationService.new(user, raw_repository).rm_branch(branch)
+    raw_repository.rm_branch(branch_name, committer: user)
 
     after_remove_branch
     true
@@ -199,9 +192,8 @@ class Repository
 
   def rm_tag(user, tag_name)
     before_remove_tag
-    tag = find_tag(tag_name)
 
-    Gitlab::Git::OperationService.new(user, raw_repository).rm_tag(tag)
+    raw_repository.rm_tag(tag_name, committer: user)
 
     after_remove_tag
     true
diff --git a/lib/gitlab/git/repository.rb b/lib/gitlab/git/repository.rb
index c67f7724307e93f2457c8a65df3fc1658826272e..f7577b02d5de689cfadff5bc36907b66074e6166 100644
--- a/lib/gitlab/git/repository.rb
+++ b/lib/gitlab/git/repository.rb
@@ -605,6 +605,49 @@ module Gitlab
         # TODO: implement this method
       end
 
+      def add_branch(branch_name, committer:, target:)
+        target_object = Ref.dereference_object(lookup(target))
+        raise InvalidRef.new("target not found: #{target}") unless target_object
+
+        OperationService.new(committer, self).add_branch(branch_name, target_object.oid)
+        find_branch(branch_name)
+      rescue Rugged::ReferenceError => ex
+        raise InvalidRef, ex
+      end
+
+      def add_tag(tag_name, committer:, target:, message: nil)
+        target_object = Ref.dereference_object(lookup(target))
+        raise InvalidRef.new("target not found: #{target}") unless target_object
+
+        committer = Committer.from_user(committer) if committer.is_a?(User)
+
+        options = nil # Use nil, not the empty hash. Rugged cares about this.
+        if message
+          options = {
+            message: message,
+            tagger: Gitlab::Git.committer_hash(email: committer.email, name: committer.name)
+          }
+        end
+
+        OperationService.new(committer, self).add_tag(tag_name, target_object.oid, options)
+
+        find_tag(tag_name)
+      rescue Rugged::ReferenceError => ex
+        raise InvalidRef, ex
+      end
+
+      def rm_branch(branch_name, committer:)
+        OperationService.new(committer, self).rm_branch(find_branch(branch_name))
+      end
+
+      def rm_tag(tag_name, committer:)
+        OperationService.new(committer, self).rm_tag(find_tag(tag_name))
+      end
+
+      def find_tag(name)
+        tags.find { |tag| tag.name == name }
+      end
+
       # Delete the specified branch from the repository
       #
       # Gitaly migration: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitaly/issues/476