diff --git a/branch.c b/branch.c
index 534594f7f8..c8bd9519e6 100644
--- a/branch.c
+++ b/branch.c
@@ -817,7 +817,8 @@ void remove_merge_branch_state(struct repository *r)
 	unlink(git_path_merge_rr(r));
 	unlink(git_path_merge_msg(r));
 	unlink(git_path_merge_mode(r));
-	unlink(git_path_auto_merge(r));
+	refs_delete_ref(get_main_ref_store(r), "", "AUTO_MERGE",
+			NULL, REF_NO_DEREF);
 	save_autostash(git_path_merge_autostash(r));
 }
 
diff --git a/builtin/rebase.c b/builtin/rebase.c
index 995818c28d..5b086f651a 100644
--- a/builtin/rebase.c
+++ b/builtin/rebase.c
@@ -515,7 +515,7 @@ static int finish_rebase(struct rebase_options *opts)
 	int ret = 0;
 
 	delete_ref(NULL, "REBASE_HEAD", NULL, REF_NO_DEREF);
-	unlink(git_path_auto_merge(the_repository));
+	delete_ref(NULL, "AUTO_MERGE", NULL, REF_NO_DEREF);
 	apply_autostash(state_dir_path("autostash", opts));
 	/*
 	 * We ignore errors in 'git maintenance run --auto', since the
diff --git a/merge-ort.c b/merge-ort.c
index 77ba7f3020..d72fd04f58 100644
--- a/merge-ort.c
+++ b/merge-ort.c
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@
 #include "path.h"
 #include "promisor-remote.h"
 #include "read-cache-ll.h"
+#include "refs.h"
 #include "revision.h"
 #include "sparse-index.h"
 #include "strmap.h"
@@ -4659,9 +4660,6 @@ void merge_switch_to_result(struct merge_options *opt,
 {
 	assert(opt->priv == NULL);
 	if (result->clean >= 0 && update_worktree_and_index) {
-		const char *filename;
-		FILE *fp;
-
 		trace2_region_enter("merge", "checkout", opt->repo);
 		if (checkout(opt, head, result->tree)) {
 			/* failure to function */
@@ -4687,10 +4685,17 @@ void merge_switch_to_result(struct merge_options *opt,
 		trace2_region_leave("merge", "record_conflicted", opt->repo);
 
 		trace2_region_enter("merge", "write_auto_merge", opt->repo);
-		filename = git_path_auto_merge(opt->repo);
-		fp = xfopen(filename, "w");
-		fprintf(fp, "%s\n", oid_to_hex(&result->tree->object.oid));
-		fclose(fp);
+		if (refs_update_ref(get_main_ref_store(opt->repo), "", "AUTO_MERGE",
+				    &result->tree->object.oid, NULL, REF_NO_DEREF,
+				    UPDATE_REFS_MSG_ON_ERR)) {
+			/* failure to function */
+			opt->priv = NULL;
+			result->clean = -1;
+			merge_finalize(opt, result);
+			trace2_region_leave("merge", "write_auto_merge",
+					    opt->repo);
+			return;
+		}
 		trace2_region_leave("merge", "write_auto_merge", opt->repo);
 	}
 	if (display_update_msgs)
diff --git a/path.c b/path.c
index 67e2690efe..f881c03171 100644
--- a/path.c
+++ b/path.c
@@ -1589,6 +1589,5 @@ REPO_GIT_PATH_FUNC(merge_rr, "MERGE_RR")
 REPO_GIT_PATH_FUNC(merge_mode, "MERGE_MODE")
 REPO_GIT_PATH_FUNC(merge_head, "MERGE_HEAD")
 REPO_GIT_PATH_FUNC(merge_autostash, "MERGE_AUTOSTASH")
-REPO_GIT_PATH_FUNC(auto_merge, "AUTO_MERGE")
 REPO_GIT_PATH_FUNC(fetch_head, "FETCH_HEAD")
 REPO_GIT_PATH_FUNC(shallow, "shallow")
diff --git a/path.h b/path.h
index 639372edd9..f387410f8c 100644
--- a/path.h
+++ b/path.h
@@ -176,7 +176,6 @@ const char *git_path_merge_rr(struct repository *r);
 const char *git_path_merge_mode(struct repository *r);
 const char *git_path_merge_head(struct repository *r);
 const char *git_path_merge_autostash(struct repository *r);
-const char *git_path_auto_merge(struct repository *r);
 const char *git_path_fetch_head(struct repository *r);
 const char *git_path_shallow(struct repository *r);
 
diff --git a/refs.c b/refs.c
index 20e8f1ff1f..906c7e5f27 100644
--- a/refs.c
+++ b/refs.c
@@ -1874,7 +1874,6 @@ static int is_special_ref(const char *refname)
 	 * (normal ones).
 	 */
 	static const char * const special_refs[] = {
-		"AUTO_MERGE",
 		"FETCH_HEAD",
 		"MERGE_AUTOSTASH",
 		"MERGE_HEAD",
diff --git a/repository.c b/repository.c
index d7d24d416a..a931e3b1b3 100644
--- a/repository.c
+++ b/repository.c
@@ -263,7 +263,6 @@ static void repo_clear_path_cache(struct repo_path_cache *cache)
 	FREE_AND_NULL(cache->merge_mode);
 	FREE_AND_NULL(cache->merge_head);
 	FREE_AND_NULL(cache->merge_autostash);
-	FREE_AND_NULL(cache->auto_merge);
 	FREE_AND_NULL(cache->fetch_head);
 	FREE_AND_NULL(cache->shallow);
 }
diff --git a/repository.h b/repository.h
index f5269b3730..47e7d20b59 100644
--- a/repository.h
+++ b/repository.h
@@ -68,7 +68,6 @@ struct repo_path_cache {
 	char *merge_mode;
 	char *merge_head;
 	char *merge_autostash;
-	char *auto_merge;
 	char *fetch_head;
 	char *shallow;
 };
diff --git a/sequencer.c b/sequencer.c
index 6f620f5717..47c8d17cbb 100644
--- a/sequencer.c
+++ b/sequencer.c
@@ -2408,7 +2408,8 @@ static int do_pick_commit(struct repository *r,
 		refs_delete_ref(get_main_ref_store(r), "", "CHERRY_PICK_HEAD",
 				NULL, REF_NO_DEREF);
 		unlink(git_path_merge_msg(r));
-		unlink(git_path_auto_merge(r));
+		refs_delete_ref(get_main_ref_store(r), "", "AUTO_MERGE",
+				NULL, REF_NO_DEREF);
 		fprintf(stderr,
 			_("dropping %s %s -- patch contents already upstream\n"),
 			oid_to_hex(&commit->object.oid), msg.subject);
@@ -2818,7 +2819,8 @@ void sequencer_post_commit_cleanup(struct repository *r, int verbose)
 		need_cleanup = 1;
 	}
 
-	unlink(git_path_auto_merge(r));
+	refs_delete_ref(get_main_ref_store(r), "", "AUTO_MERGE",
+			NULL, REF_NO_DEREF);
 
 	if (!need_cleanup)
 		return;
@@ -4766,7 +4768,8 @@ static int pick_commits(struct repository *r,
 			}
 			unlink(rebase_path_author_script());
 			unlink(git_path_merge_head(r));
-			unlink(git_path_auto_merge(r));
+			refs_delete_ref(get_main_ref_store(r), "", "AUTO_MERGE",
+					NULL, REF_NO_DEREF);
 			refs_delete_ref(get_main_ref_store(r), "", "REBASE_HEAD",
 					NULL, REF_NO_DEREF);
 
@@ -5123,7 +5126,8 @@ static int commit_staged_changes(struct repository *r,
 		return error(_("could not commit staged changes."));
 	unlink(rebase_path_amend());
 	unlink(git_path_merge_head(r));
-	unlink(git_path_auto_merge(r));
+	refs_delete_ref(get_main_ref_store(r), "", "AUTO_MERGE",
+			NULL, REF_NO_DEREF);
 	if (final_fixup) {
 		unlink(rebase_path_fixup_msg());
 		unlink(rebase_path_squash_msg());