diff --git a/hex.c b/hex.c
index 7bb440e794..01f17fe5c9 100644
--- a/hex.c
+++ b/hex.c
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ static int get_hash_hex_algop(const char *hex, unsigned char *hash,
 	return 0;
 }
 
-int get_sha1_hex(const char *hex, unsigned char *sha1)
+int get_hash_hex(const char *hex, unsigned char *sha1)
 {
 	return get_hash_hex_algop(hex, sha1, the_hash_algo);
 }
diff --git a/hex.h b/hex.h
index 7df4b3c460..87abf66602 100644
--- a/hex.h
+++ b/hex.h
@@ -20,14 +20,16 @@ static inline int hex2chr(const char *s)
 }
 
 /*
- * Try to read a SHA1 in hexadecimal format from the 40 characters
- * starting at hex.  Write the 20-byte result to sha1 in binary form.
+ * Try to read a hash (specified by the_hash_algo) in hexadecimal
+ * format from the 40 (or whatever length the hash algorithm uses)
+ * characters starting at hex.  Write the 20-byte (or the length of
+ * the hash) result to hash in binary form.
  * Return 0 on success.  Reading stops if a NUL is encountered in the
  * input, so it is safe to pass this function an arbitrary
  * null-terminated string.
  */
-int get_sha1_hex(const char *hex, unsigned char *sha1);
-int get_oid_hex(const char *hex, struct object_id *sha1);
+int get_hash_hex(const char *hex, unsigned char *hash);
+int get_oid_hex(const char *hex, struct object_id *oid);
 
 /* Like get_oid_hex, but for an arbitrary hash algorithm. */
 int get_oid_hex_algop(const char *hex, struct object_id *oid, const struct git_hash_algo *algop);
diff --git a/packfile.c b/packfile.c
index 20995654f9..9cc0a2e37a 100644
--- a/packfile.c
+++ b/packfile.c
@@ -751,7 +751,7 @@ struct packed_git *add_packed_git(const char *path, size_t path_len, int local)
 	p->pack_local = local;
 	p->mtime = st.st_mtime;
 	if (path_len < the_hash_algo->hexsz ||
-	    get_sha1_hex(path + path_len - the_hash_algo->hexsz, p->hash))
+	    get_hash_hex(path + path_len - the_hash_algo->hexsz, p->hash))
 		hashclr(p->hash);
 	return p;
 }
diff --git a/rerere.c b/rerere.c
index 7070f75014..725c1b6a95 100644
--- a/rerere.c
+++ b/rerere.c
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ static void read_rr(struct repository *r, struct string_list *rr)
 		const unsigned hexsz = the_hash_algo->hexsz;
 
 		/* There has to be the hash, tab, path and then NUL */
-		if (buf.len < hexsz + 2 || get_sha1_hex(buf.buf, hash))
+		if (buf.len < hexsz + 2 || get_hash_hex(buf.buf, hash))
 			die(_("corrupt MERGE_RR"));
 
 		if (buf.buf[hexsz] != '.') {