diff --git a/builtin/replace.c b/builtin/replace.c
index 0351b7c62c..ef22d724bb 100644
--- a/builtin/replace.c
+++ b/builtin/replace.c
@@ -405,7 +405,7 @@ static int check_one_mergetag(struct commit *commit,
 	tag = lookup_tag(the_repository, &tag_oid);
 	if (!tag)
 		return error(_("bad mergetag in commit '%s'"), ref);
-	if (parse_tag_buffer(tag, extra->value, extra->len))
+	if (parse_tag_buffer(the_repository, tag, extra->value, extra->len))
 		return error(_("malformed mergetag in commit '%s'"), ref);
 
 	/* iterate over new parents */
diff --git a/log-tree.c b/log-tree.c
index 840423ca14..76475d0136 100644
--- a/log-tree.c
+++ b/log-tree.c
@@ -503,7 +503,7 @@ static int show_one_mergetag(struct commit *commit,
 		return -1; /* error message already given */
 
 	strbuf_init(&verify_message, 256);
-	if (parse_tag_buffer(tag, extra->value, extra->len))
+	if (parse_tag_buffer(the_repository, tag, extra->value, extra->len))
 		strbuf_addstr(&verify_message, "malformed mergetag\n");
 	else if (is_common_merge(commit) &&
 		 !oidcmp(&tag->tagged->oid,
diff --git a/object.c b/object.c
index bcfcfd3876..e095d49b37 100644
--- a/object.c
+++ b/object.c
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ struct object *parse_object_buffer_the_repository(const struct object_id *oid, e
 	} else if (type == OBJ_TAG) {
 		struct tag *tag = lookup_tag(the_repository, oid);
 		if (tag) {
-			if (parse_tag_buffer(tag, buffer, size))
+			if (parse_tag_buffer(the_repository, tag, buffer, size))
 			       return NULL;
 			obj = &tag->object;
 		}
diff --git a/sha1-file.c b/sha1-file.c
index 75ba30b4ab..c75ef771f8 100644
--- a/sha1-file.c
+++ b/sha1-file.c
@@ -1809,7 +1809,7 @@ static void check_tag(const void *buf, size_t size)
 {
 	struct tag t;
 	memset(&t, 0, sizeof(t));
-	if (parse_tag_buffer(&t, buf, size))
+	if (parse_tag_buffer(the_repository, &t, buf, size))
 		die("corrupt tag");
 }
 
diff --git a/tag.c b/tag.c
index 5b41fc71fa..4971fd4dfc 100644
--- a/tag.c
+++ b/tag.c
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ void release_tag_memory(struct tag *t)
 	t->date = 0;
 }
 
-int parse_tag_buffer(struct tag *item, const void *data, unsigned long size)
+int parse_tag_buffer_the_repository(struct tag *item, const void *data, unsigned long size)
 {
 	struct object_id oid;
 	char type[20];
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ int parse_tag(struct tag *item)
 		return error("Object %s not a tag",
 			     oid_to_hex(&item->object.oid));
 	}
-	ret = parse_tag_buffer(item, data, size);
+	ret = parse_tag_buffer(the_repository, item, data, size);
 	free(data);
 	return ret;
 }
diff --git a/tag.h b/tag.h
index 276c448cd5..149959c81b 100644
--- a/tag.h
+++ b/tag.h
@@ -13,7 +13,8 @@ struct tag {
 };
 #define lookup_tag(r, o) lookup_tag_##r(o)
 extern struct tag *lookup_tag_the_repository(const struct object_id *oid);
-extern int parse_tag_buffer(struct tag *item, const void *data, unsigned long size);
+#define parse_tag_buffer(r, i, d, s) parse_tag_buffer_##r(i, d, s)
+extern int parse_tag_buffer_the_repository(struct tag *item, const void *data, unsigned long size);
 extern int parse_tag(struct tag *item);
 extern void release_tag_memory(struct tag *t);
 extern struct object *deref_tag(struct object *, const char *, int);