diff --git a/combine-diff.c b/combine-diff.c
index 10155e0ec8b..3d796af3ca2 100644
--- a/combine-diff.c
+++ b/combine-diff.c
@@ -991,7 +991,7 @@ static void show_patch_diff(struct combine_diff_path *elem, int num_parent,
 	if (!userdiff)
 		userdiff = userdiff_find_by_name("default");
 	if (opt->flags.allow_textconv)
-		textconv = userdiff_get_textconv(userdiff);
+		textconv = userdiff_get_textconv(opt->repo, userdiff);
 
 	/* Read the result of merge first */
 	if (!working_tree_file)
diff --git a/diff.c b/diff.c
index 8647db3d307..1135377a7f0 100644
--- a/diff.c
+++ b/diff.c
@@ -3312,14 +3312,14 @@ void diff_set_mnemonic_prefix(struct diff_options *options, const char *a, const
 		options->b_prefix = b;
 }
 
-struct userdiff_driver *get_textconv(struct index_state *istate,
+struct userdiff_driver *get_textconv(struct repository *r,
 				     struct diff_filespec *one)
 {
 	if (!DIFF_FILE_VALID(one))
 		return NULL;
 
-	diff_filespec_load_driver(one, istate);
-	return userdiff_get_textconv(one->driver);
+	diff_filespec_load_driver(one, r->index);
+	return userdiff_get_textconv(r, one->driver);
 }
 
 static void builtin_diff(const char *name_a,
@@ -3368,8 +3368,8 @@ static void builtin_diff(const char *name_a,
 	}
 
 	if (o->flags.allow_textconv) {
-		textconv_one = get_textconv(o->repo->index, one);
-		textconv_two = get_textconv(o->repo->index, two);
+		textconv_one = get_textconv(o->repo, one);
+		textconv_two = get_textconv(o->repo, two);
 	}
 
 	/* Never use a non-valid filename anywhere if at all possible */
@@ -6436,7 +6436,7 @@ int textconv_object(struct repository *r,
 
 	df = alloc_filespec(path);
 	fill_filespec(df, oid, oid_valid, mode);
-	textconv = get_textconv(r->index, df);
+	textconv = get_textconv(r, df);
 	if (!textconv) {
 		free_filespec(df);
 		return 0;
diff --git a/diff.h b/diff.h
index 3197a976a4d..412138ba085 100644
--- a/diff.h
+++ b/diff.h
@@ -461,7 +461,7 @@ size_t fill_textconv(struct repository *r,
  * and only if it has textconv enabled (otherwise return NULL). The result
  * can be passed to fill_textconv().
  */
-struct userdiff_driver *get_textconv(struct index_state *istate,
+struct userdiff_driver *get_textconv(struct repository *r,
 				     struct diff_filespec *one);
 
 /*
diff --git a/diffcore-pickaxe.c b/diffcore-pickaxe.c
index d2361e06a1e..b815f1c4490 100644
--- a/diffcore-pickaxe.c
+++ b/diffcore-pickaxe.c
@@ -139,8 +139,8 @@ static int pickaxe_match(struct diff_filepair *p, struct diff_options *o,
 		return 0;
 
 	if (o->flags.allow_textconv) {
-		textconv_one = get_textconv(o->repo->index, p->one);
-		textconv_two = get_textconv(o->repo->index, p->two);
+		textconv_one = get_textconv(o->repo, p->one);
+		textconv_two = get_textconv(o->repo, p->two);
 	}
 
 	/*
diff --git a/grep.c b/grep.c
index f6bd89e40b7..b05b2e61bba 100644
--- a/grep.c
+++ b/grep.c
@@ -1811,7 +1811,7 @@ static int grep_source_1(struct grep_opt *opt, struct grep_source *gs, int colle
 		 * is not thread-safe.
 		 */
 		grep_attr_lock();
-		textconv = userdiff_get_textconv(gs->driver);
+		textconv = userdiff_get_textconv(opt->repo, gs->driver);
 		grep_attr_unlock();
 	}
 
diff --git a/notes-cache.c b/notes-cache.c
index d87e7ca91cd..2473314d686 100644
--- a/notes-cache.c
+++ b/notes-cache.c
@@ -5,7 +5,9 @@
 #include "commit.h"
 #include "refs.h"
 
-static int notes_cache_match_validity(const char *ref, const char *validity)
+static int notes_cache_match_validity(struct repository *r,
+				      const char *ref,
+				      const char *validity)
 {
 	struct object_id oid;
 	struct commit *commit;
@@ -16,7 +18,7 @@ static int notes_cache_match_validity(const char *ref, const char *validity)
 	if (read_ref(ref, &oid) < 0)
 		return 0;
 
-	commit = lookup_commit_reference_gently(the_repository, &oid, 1);
+	commit = lookup_commit_reference_gently(r, &oid, 1);
 	if (!commit)
 		return 0;
 
@@ -30,8 +32,8 @@ static int notes_cache_match_validity(const char *ref, const char *validity)
 	return ret;
 }
 
-void notes_cache_init(struct notes_cache *c, const char *name,
-		     const char *validity)
+void notes_cache_init(struct repository *r, struct notes_cache *c,
+		      const char *name, const char *validity)
 {
 	struct strbuf ref = STRBUF_INIT;
 	int flags = NOTES_INIT_WRITABLE;
@@ -40,7 +42,7 @@ void notes_cache_init(struct notes_cache *c, const char *name,
 	c->validity = xstrdup(validity);
 
 	strbuf_addf(&ref, "refs/notes/%s", name);
-	if (!notes_cache_match_validity(ref.buf, validity))
+	if (!notes_cache_match_validity(r, ref.buf, validity))
 		flags |= NOTES_INIT_EMPTY;
 	init_notes(&c->tree, ref.buf, combine_notes_overwrite, flags);
 	strbuf_release(&ref);
diff --git a/notes-cache.h b/notes-cache.h
index aeeee8409d4..56f8c98e244 100644
--- a/notes-cache.h
+++ b/notes-cache.h
@@ -3,13 +3,15 @@
 
 #include "notes.h"
 
+struct repository;
+
 struct notes_cache {
 	struct notes_tree tree;
 	char *validity;
 };
 
-void notes_cache_init(struct notes_cache *c, const char *name,
-		     const char *validity);
+void notes_cache_init(struct repository *r, struct notes_cache *c,
+		      const char *name, const char *validity);
 int notes_cache_write(struct notes_cache *c);
 
 char *notes_cache_get(struct notes_cache *c, struct object_id *oid, size_t
diff --git a/userdiff.c b/userdiff.c
index 46d34cc2a43..97007abe5b1 100644
--- a/userdiff.c
+++ b/userdiff.c
@@ -290,7 +290,8 @@ struct userdiff_driver *userdiff_find_by_path(struct index_state *istate,
 	return userdiff_find_by_name(check->items[0].value);
 }
 
-struct userdiff_driver *userdiff_get_textconv(struct userdiff_driver *driver)
+struct userdiff_driver *userdiff_get_textconv(struct repository *r,
+					      struct userdiff_driver *driver)
 {
 	if (!driver->textconv)
 		return NULL;
@@ -300,7 +301,7 @@ struct userdiff_driver *userdiff_get_textconv(struct userdiff_driver *driver)
 		struct strbuf name = STRBUF_INIT;
 
 		strbuf_addf(&name, "textconv/%s", driver->name);
-		notes_cache_init(c, name.buf, driver->textconv);
+		notes_cache_init(r, c, name.buf, driver->textconv);
 		driver->textconv_cache = c;
 		strbuf_release(&name);
 	}
diff --git a/userdiff.h b/userdiff.h
index b072bfe89a4..203057e13e5 100644
--- a/userdiff.h
+++ b/userdiff.h
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #include "notes-cache.h"
 
 struct index_state;
+struct repository;
 
 struct userdiff_funcname {
 	const char *pattern;
@@ -30,6 +31,7 @@ struct userdiff_driver *userdiff_find_by_path(struct index_state *istate,
  * Initialize any textconv-related fields in the driver and return it, or NULL
  * if it does not have textconv enabled at all.
  */
-struct userdiff_driver *userdiff_get_textconv(struct userdiff_driver *driver);
+struct userdiff_driver *userdiff_get_textconv(struct repository *r,
+					      struct userdiff_driver *driver);
 
 #endif /* USERDIFF */