diff --git a/builtin/cat-file.c b/builtin/cat-file.c
index 88c5ea8b267..b7a73acb074 100644
--- a/builtin/cat-file.c
+++ b/builtin/cat-file.c
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 #include "oid-array.h"
 #include "packfile.h"
 #include "object-store.h"
+#include "replace-object.h"
 #include "promisor-remote.h"
 #include "mailmap.h"
 
diff --git a/builtin/commit-graph.c b/builtin/commit-graph.c
index 6dc83dc51b3..d3be7f3b318 100644
--- a/builtin/commit-graph.c
+++ b/builtin/commit-graph.c
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 #include "commit-graph.h"
 #include "object-store.h"
 #include "progress.h"
+#include "replace-object.h"
 #include "tag.h"
 
 #define BUILTIN_COMMIT_GRAPH_VERIFY_USAGE \
diff --git a/builtin/fsck.c b/builtin/fsck.c
index af0fab660dc..134b0bd18cd 100644
--- a/builtin/fsck.c
+++ b/builtin/fsck.c
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 #include "decorate.h"
 #include "packfile.h"
 #include "object-store.h"
+#include "replace-object.h"
 #include "resolve-undo.h"
 #include "run-command.h"
 #include "worktree.h"
diff --git a/builtin/index-pack.c b/builtin/index-pack.c
index 21c0e109dd2..b451755f405 100644
--- a/builtin/index-pack.c
+++ b/builtin/index-pack.c
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 #include "thread-utils.h"
 #include "packfile.h"
 #include "object-store.h"
+#include "replace-object.h"
 #include "promisor-remote.h"
 
 static const char index_pack_usage[] =
diff --git a/builtin/pack-objects.c b/builtin/pack-objects.c
index 2b5e85988c9..2e73284f107 100644
--- a/builtin/pack-objects.c
+++ b/builtin/pack-objects.c
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
 #include "list.h"
 #include "packfile.h"
 #include "object-store.h"
+#include "replace-object.h"
 #include "dir.h"
 #include "midx.h"
 #include "trace2.h"
diff --git a/builtin/prune.c b/builtin/prune.c
index db767b7a8fa..f2ed45ccf03 100644
--- a/builtin/prune.c
+++ b/builtin/prune.c
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 #include "parse-options.h"
 #include "progress.h"
 #include "prune-packed.h"
+#include "replace-object.h"
 #include "object-store.h"
 #include "shallow.h"
 
diff --git a/builtin/replace.c b/builtin/replace.c
index cdcb39f737c..71d8e949e35 100644
--- a/builtin/replace.c
+++ b/builtin/replace.c
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 #include "parse-options.h"
 #include "run-command.h"
 #include "object-store.h"
+#include "replace-object.h"
 #include "repository.h"
 #include "tag.h"
 
diff --git a/builtin/unpack-objects.c b/builtin/unpack-objects.c
index e125b121883..1908dcfcffb 100644
--- a/builtin/unpack-objects.c
+++ b/builtin/unpack-objects.c
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 #include "pack.h"
 #include "blob.h"
 #include "commit.h"
+#include "replace-object.h"
 #include "tag.h"
 #include "tree.h"
 #include "tree-walk.h"
diff --git a/builtin/upload-pack.c b/builtin/upload-pack.c
index 25b69da2bf2..7a3c68720f1 100644
--- a/builtin/upload-pack.c
+++ b/builtin/upload-pack.c
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #include "pkt-line.h"
 #include "parse-options.h"
 #include "protocol.h"
+#include "replace-object.h"
 #include "upload-pack.h"
 #include "serve.h"
 
diff --git a/cache.h b/cache.h
index fdb3125f00d..0221bc6d5c9 100644
--- a/cache.h
+++ b/cache.h
@@ -886,14 +886,6 @@ void set_shared_repository(int value);
 int get_shared_repository(void);
 void reset_shared_repository(void);
 
-/*
- * Do replace refs need to be checked this run?  This variable is
- * initialized to true unless --no-replace-object is used or
- * $GIT_NO_REPLACE_OBJECTS is set, but is set to false by some
- * commands that do not want replace references to be active.
- */
-extern int read_replace_refs;
-
 /*
  * These values are used to help identify parts of a repository to fsync.
  * FSYNC_COMPONENT_NONE identifies data that will not be a persistent part of the
diff --git a/config.c b/config.c
index d3ab9417a45..d0aff55fa66 100644
--- a/config.c
+++ b/config.c
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include "utf8.h"
 #include "dir.h"
 #include "color.h"
+#include "replace-object.h"
 #include "refs.h"
 #include "worktree.h"
 
diff --git a/environment.c b/environment.c
index 1ee3686fd8a..89d89110e41 100644
--- a/environment.c
+++ b/environment.c
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 #include "commit.h"
 #include "strvec.h"
 #include "object-store.h"
+#include "replace-object.h"
 #include "tmp-objdir.h"
 #include "chdir-notify.h"
 #include "shallow.h"
diff --git a/git.c b/git.c
index 96b0a2837dc..389f46887e6 100644
--- a/git.c
+++ b/git.c
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #include "help.h"
 #include "run-command.h"
 #include "alias.h"
+#include "replace-object.h"
 #include "shallow.h"
 
 #define RUN_SETUP		(1<<0)
diff --git a/log-tree.c b/log-tree.c
index ee3dfb6b659..043e0df685b 100644
--- a/log-tree.c
+++ b/log-tree.c
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 #include "merge-ort.h"
 #include "reflog-walk.h"
 #include "refs.h"
+#include "replace-object.h"
 #include "string-list.h"
 #include "color.h"
 #include "gpg-interface.h"
diff --git a/replace-object.h b/replace-object.h
index 3c92ae94610..500482b02b3 100644
--- a/replace-object.h
+++ b/replace-object.h
@@ -1,11 +1,18 @@
 #ifndef REPLACE_OBJECT_H
 #define REPLACE_OBJECT_H
 
-#include "cache.h"
 #include "oidmap.h"
 #include "repository.h"
 #include "object-store.h"
 
+/*
+ * Do replace refs need to be checked this run?  This variable is
+ * initialized to true unless --no-replace-object is used or
+ * $GIT_NO_REPLACE_OBJECTS is set, but is set to false by some
+ * commands that do not want replace references to be active.
+ */
+extern int read_replace_refs;
+
 struct replace_object {
 	struct oidmap_entry original;
 	struct object_id replacement;