diff --git a/commit.c b/commit.c
index 08b4602f43..b88ced5b02 100644
--- a/commit.c
+++ b/commit.c
@@ -36,9 +36,9 @@ struct commit *lookup_commit_reference_gently(struct repository *r,
 	return object_as_type(r, obj, OBJ_COMMIT, quiet);
 }
 
-struct commit *lookup_commit_reference_the_repository(const struct object_id *oid)
+struct commit *lookup_commit_reference(struct repository *r, const struct object_id *oid)
 {
-	return lookup_commit_reference_gently(the_repository, oid, 0);
+	return lookup_commit_reference_gently(r, oid, 0);
 }
 
 struct commit *lookup_commit_or_die(const struct object_id *oid, const char *ref_name)
diff --git a/commit.h b/commit.h
index f1f25957de..8b2cf9692d 100644
--- a/commit.h
+++ b/commit.h
@@ -64,9 +64,8 @@ void add_name_decoration(enum decoration_type type, const char *name, struct obj
 const struct name_decoration *get_name_decoration(const struct object *obj);
 
 struct commit *lookup_commit(struct repository *r, const struct object_id *oid);
-#define lookup_commit_reference(r, o) \
-		lookup_commit_reference_##r(o)
-struct commit *lookup_commit_reference_the_repository(const struct object_id *oid);
+struct commit *lookup_commit_reference(struct repository *r,
+				       const struct object_id *oid);
 struct commit *lookup_commit_reference_gently(struct repository *r,
 					      const struct object_id *oid,
 					      int quiet);