diff --git a/fsck.c b/fsck.c
index 3614aa56a3..e16c892f6a 100644
--- a/fsck.c
+++ b/fsck.c
@@ -280,6 +280,19 @@ static int report(struct fsck_options *options,
 	return result;
 }
 
+int fsck_report_ref(struct fsck_options *options,
+		    struct fsck_ref_report *report,
+		    enum fsck_msg_id msg_id,
+		    const char *fmt, ...)
+{
+	va_list ap;
+	int result;
+	va_start(ap, fmt);
+	result = fsck_vreport(options, report, msg_id, fmt, ap);
+	va_end(ap);
+	return result;
+}
+
 void fsck_enable_object_names(struct fsck_options *options)
 {
 	if (!options->object_names)
@@ -1237,6 +1250,32 @@ int fsck_objects_error_function(struct fsck_options *o,
 	return 1;
 }
 
+int fsck_refs_error_function(struct fsck_options *options UNUSED,
+			     void *fsck_report,
+			     enum fsck_msg_type msg_type,
+			     enum fsck_msg_id msg_id UNUSED,
+			     const char *message)
+{
+	struct fsck_ref_report *report = fsck_report;
+	struct strbuf sb = STRBUF_INIT;
+	int ret = 0;
+
+	strbuf_addstr(&sb, report->path);
+
+	if (report->oid)
+		strbuf_addf(&sb, " -> (%s)", oid_to_hex(report->oid));
+	else if (report->referent)
+		strbuf_addf(&sb, " -> (%s)", report->referent);
+
+	if (msg_type == FSCK_WARN)
+		warning("%s: %s", sb.buf, message);
+	else
+		ret = error("%s: %s", sb.buf, message);
+
+	strbuf_release(&sb);
+	return ret;
+}
+
 static int fsck_blobs(struct oidset *blobs_found, struct oidset *blobs_done,
 		      enum fsck_msg_id msg_missing, enum fsck_msg_id msg_type,
 		      struct fsck_options *options, const char *blob_type)
diff --git a/fsck.h b/fsck.h
index 3b80d02506..2002590f60 100644
--- a/fsck.h
+++ b/fsck.h
@@ -133,11 +133,23 @@ int fsck_objects_error_cb_print_missing_gitmodules(struct fsck_options *o,
 						   enum fsck_msg_id msg_id,
 						   const char *message);
 
+int fsck_refs_error_function(struct fsck_options *options,
+			     void *fsck_report,
+			     enum fsck_msg_type msg_type,
+			     enum fsck_msg_id msg_id,
+			     const char *message);
+
 struct fsck_object_report {
 	const struct object_id *oid;
 	enum object_type object_type;
 };
 
+struct fsck_ref_report {
+	const char *path;
+	const struct object_id *oid;
+	const char *referent;
+};
+
 struct fsck_options {
 	fsck_walk_func walk;
 	fsck_error error_func;
@@ -175,6 +187,9 @@ struct fsck_options {
 	.gitattributes_done = OIDSET_INIT, \
 	.error_func = fsck_objects_error_cb_print_missing_gitmodules, \
 }
+#define FSCK_REFS_OPTIONS_DEFAULT { \
+	.error_func = fsck_refs_error_function, \
+}
 
 /* descend in all linked child objects
  * the return value is:
@@ -216,6 +231,16 @@ int fsck_tag_standalone(const struct object_id *oid, const char *buffer,
  */
 int fsck_finish(struct fsck_options *options);
 
+/*
+ * Report an error or warning for refs.
+ */
+__attribute__((format (printf, 4, 5)))
+int fsck_report_ref(struct fsck_options *options,
+		    struct fsck_ref_report *report,
+		    enum fsck_msg_id msg_id,
+		    const char *fmt, ...);
+
+
 /*
  * Subsystem for storing human-readable names for each object.
  *