diff --git a/refs.c b/refs.c
index bd2546ae23..addb26293b 100644
--- a/refs.c
+++ b/refs.c
@@ -1722,8 +1722,6 @@ const char *refs_resolve_ref_unsafe(struct ref_store *refs,
 		if (refs_read_raw_ref(refs, refname, oid, &sb_refname,
 				      &read_flags, failure_errno)) {
 			*flags |= read_flags;
-			if (errno)
-				*failure_errno = errno;
 
 			/* In reading mode, refs must eventually resolve */
 			if (resolve_flags & RESOLVE_REF_READING)
diff --git a/refs/files-backend.c b/refs/files-backend.c
index b529fdf237..43a3b882d7 100644
--- a/refs/files-backend.c
+++ b/refs/files-backend.c
@@ -382,7 +382,6 @@ static int files_read_raw_ref(struct ref_store *ref_store, const char *refname,
 	if (lstat(path, &st) < 0) {
 		int ignore_errno;
 		myerr = errno;
-		errno = 0;
 		if (myerr != ENOENT)
 			goto out;
 		if (refs_read_raw_ref(refs->packed_ref_store, refname, oid,
@@ -399,7 +398,6 @@ static int files_read_raw_ref(struct ref_store *ref_store, const char *refname,
 		strbuf_reset(&sb_contents);
 		if (strbuf_readlink(&sb_contents, path, st.st_size) < 0) {
 			myerr = errno;
-			errno = 0;
 			if (myerr == ENOENT || myerr == EINVAL)
 				/* inconsistent with lstat; retry */
 				goto stat_ref;
@@ -469,6 +467,7 @@ static int files_read_raw_ref(struct ref_store *ref_store, const char *refname,
 
 	strbuf_release(&sb_path);
 	strbuf_release(&sb_contents);
+	errno = 0;
 	return ret;
 }