diff --git a/builtin/cat-file.c b/builtin/cat-file.c
index d94050e6c1..3c5bc505e0 100644
--- a/builtin/cat-file.c
+++ b/builtin/cat-file.c
@@ -154,7 +154,10 @@ static int cat_one_file(int opt, const char *exp_type, const char *obj_name,
 		break;
 
 	case 0:
-		if (type_from_string(exp_type) == OBJ_BLOB) {
+	{
+		enum object_type exp_type_id = type_from_string(exp_type);
+
+		if (exp_type_id == OBJ_BLOB) {
 			struct object_id blob_oid;
 			if (oid_object_info(the_repository, &oid, NULL) == OBJ_TAG) {
 				char *buffer = read_object_file(&oid, &type,
@@ -176,10 +179,10 @@ static int cat_one_file(int opt, const char *exp_type, const char *obj_name,
 			 * fall-back to the usual case.
 			 */
 		}
-		buf = read_object_with_reference(the_repository,
-						 &oid, exp_type, &size, NULL);
+		buf = read_object_with_reference(the_repository, &oid,
+						 exp_type_id, &size, NULL);
 		break;
-
+	}
 	default:
 		die("git cat-file: unknown option: %s", exp_type);
 	}
diff --git a/builtin/fast-import.c b/builtin/fast-import.c
index 123df7d9a5..c52e807f56 100644
--- a/builtin/fast-import.c
+++ b/builtin/fast-import.c
@@ -2483,7 +2483,7 @@ static void note_change_n(const char *p, struct branch *b, unsigned char *old_fa
 		unsigned long size;
 		char *buf = read_object_with_reference(the_repository,
 						       &commit_oid,
-						       commit_type, &size,
+						       OBJ_COMMIT, &size,
 						       &commit_oid);
 		if (!buf || size < the_hash_algo->hexsz + 6)
 			die("Not a valid commit: %s", p);
@@ -2555,7 +2555,7 @@ static void parse_from_existing(struct branch *b)
 		char *buf;
 
 		buf = read_object_with_reference(the_repository,
-						 &b->oid, commit_type, &size,
+						 &b->oid, OBJ_COMMIT, &size,
 						 &b->oid);
 		parse_from_commit(b, buf, size);
 		free(buf);
@@ -2651,7 +2651,7 @@ static struct hash_list *parse_merge(unsigned int *count)
 			unsigned long size;
 			char *buf = read_object_with_reference(the_repository,
 							       &n->oid,
-							       commit_type,
+							       OBJ_COMMIT,
 							       &size, &n->oid);
 			if (!buf || size < the_hash_algo->hexsz + 6)
 				die("Not a valid commit: %s", from);
diff --git a/builtin/grep.c b/builtin/grep.c
index 9e34a820ad..75e07b5623 100644
--- a/builtin/grep.c
+++ b/builtin/grep.c
@@ -482,7 +482,7 @@ static int grep_submodule(struct grep_opt *opt,
 		object_type = oid_object_info(subrepo, oid, NULL);
 		obj_read_unlock();
 		data = read_object_with_reference(subrepo,
-						  oid, tree_type,
+						  oid, OBJ_TREE,
 						  &size, NULL);
 		if (!data)
 			die(_("unable to read tree (%s)"), oid_to_hex(oid));
@@ -651,7 +651,7 @@ static int grep_object(struct grep_opt *opt, const struct pathspec *pathspec,
 		int hit, len;
 
 		data = read_object_with_reference(opt->repo,
-						  &obj->oid, tree_type,
+						  &obj->oid, OBJ_TREE,
 						  &size, NULL);
 		if (!data)
 			die(_("unable to read tree (%s)"), oid_to_hex(&obj->oid));
diff --git a/builtin/pack-objects.c b/builtin/pack-objects.c
index ba2006f221..c4df3df314 100644
--- a/builtin/pack-objects.c
+++ b/builtin/pack-objects.c
@@ -1802,7 +1802,7 @@ static void add_preferred_base(struct object_id *oid)
 		return;
 
 	data = read_object_with_reference(the_repository, oid,
-					  tree_type, &size, &tree_oid);
+					  OBJ_TREE, &size, &tree_oid);
 	if (!data)
 		return;
 
diff --git a/cache.h b/cache.h
index 2027803c49..0e7fc8b7c2 100644
--- a/cache.h
+++ b/cache.h
@@ -1561,7 +1561,7 @@ int cache_name_stage_compare(const char *name1, int len1, int stage1, const char
 
 void *read_object_with_reference(struct repository *r,
 				 const struct object_id *oid,
-				 const char *required_type,
+				 enum object_type required_type,
 				 unsigned long *size,
 				 struct object_id *oid_ret);
 
diff --git a/object-file.c b/object-file.c
index c75c12dd0b..6cbdb836cb 100644
--- a/object-file.c
+++ b/object-file.c
@@ -1737,16 +1737,15 @@ void *read_object_file_extended(struct repository *r,
 
 void *read_object_with_reference(struct repository *r,
 				 const struct object_id *oid,
-				 const char *required_type_name,
+				 enum object_type required_type,
 				 unsigned long *size,
 				 struct object_id *actual_oid_return)
 {
-	enum object_type type, required_type;
+	enum object_type type;
 	void *buffer;
 	unsigned long isize;
 	struct object_id actual_oid;
 
-	required_type = type_from_string(required_type_name);
 	oidcpy(&actual_oid, oid);
 	while (1) {
 		int ref_length = -1;
diff --git a/tree-walk.c b/tree-walk.c
index 3a94959d64..506234b4b8 100644
--- a/tree-walk.c
+++ b/tree-walk.c
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ void *fill_tree_descriptor(struct repository *r,
 	void *buf = NULL;
 
 	if (oid) {
-		buf = read_object_with_reference(r, oid, tree_type, &size, NULL);
+		buf = read_object_with_reference(r, oid, OBJ_TREE, &size, NULL);
 		if (!buf)
 			die("unable to read tree %s", oid_to_hex(oid));
 	}
@@ -605,7 +605,7 @@ int get_tree_entry(struct repository *r,
 	unsigned long size;
 	struct object_id root;
 
-	tree = read_object_with_reference(r, tree_oid, tree_type, &size, &root);
+	tree = read_object_with_reference(r, tree_oid, OBJ_TREE, &size, &root);
 	if (!tree)
 		return -1;
 
@@ -677,7 +677,7 @@ enum get_oid_result get_tree_entry_follow_symlinks(struct repository *r,
 			unsigned long size;
 			tree = read_object_with_reference(r,
 							  &current_tree_oid,
-							  tree_type, &size,
+							  OBJ_TREE, &size,
 							  &root);
 			if (!tree)
 				goto done;