[PATCH 4/6] update-ref: utilize rejected error details if available

From

Karthik Nayak <karthik.188@gmail.com>

Date

Jan 14, 2026, 15:40 UTC

Message-ID

<20260114-633-regression-lost-diagnostic-message-when-pushing-non-commit-objects-to-refs-heads-v1-4-f5f8b173c501@gmail.com>

In-Reply-To

<20260114-633-regression-lost-diagnostic-message-when-pushing-non-commit-objects-to-refs-heads-v1-0-f5f8b173c501@gmail.com>

Reported-by: Elijah Newren <newren@gmail.com>
Co-authored-by: Jeff King <peff@peff.net>
Signed-off-by: Karthik Nayak <karthik.188@gmail.com>
---
 builtin/update-ref.c  | 14 ++++++++------
 t/t1400-update-ref.sh | 26 +++++++++++++-------------
 2 files changed, 21 insertions(+), 19 deletions(-)

diff --git a/builtin/update-ref.c b/builtin/update-ref.c
index 0046a87c57..800e380d32 100644
--- a/builtin/update-ref.c
+++ b/builtin/update-ref.c
@@ -573,16 +573,18 @@ static void print_rejected_refs(const char *refname,
 				const char *old_target,
 				const char *new_target,
 				enum ref_transaction_error err,
-				const char *details UNUSED,
+				const char *details,
 				void *cb_data UNUSED)
 {
 	struct strbuf sb = STRBUF_INIT;
-	const char *reason = ref_transaction_error_msg(err);
 
-	strbuf_addf(&sb, "rejected %s %s %s %s\n", refname,
-		    new_oid ? oid_to_hex(new_oid) : new_target,
-		    old_oid ? oid_to_hex(old_oid) : old_target,
-		    reason);
+	if (details)
+		strbuf_addf(&sb, "%s\n", details);
+	else
+		strbuf_addf(&sb, "rejected %s %s %s %s\n", refname,
+			    new_oid ? oid_to_hex(new_oid) : new_target,
+			    old_oid ? oid_to_hex(old_oid) : old_target,
+			    ref_transaction_error_msg(err));
 
 	fwrite(sb.buf, sb.len, 1, stdout);
 	strbuf_release(&sb);
diff --git a/t/t1400-update-ref.sh b/t/t1400-update-ref.sh
index db7f5444da..6cd6b45411 100755
--- a/t/t1400-update-ref.sh
+++ b/t/t1400-update-ref.sh
@@ -2100,7 +2100,7 @@ do
 			echo $head >expect &&
 			git rev-parse refs/heads/ref2 >actual &&
 			test_cmp expect actual &&
-			test_grep -q "invalid new value provided" stdout
+			test_grep -q "trying to write ref ${SQ}refs/heads/ref2${SQ} with nonexistent object" stdout
 		)
 	'
 
@@ -2126,7 +2126,7 @@ do
 			echo $head >expect &&
 			git rev-parse refs/heads/ref2 >actual &&
 			test_cmp expect actual &&
-			test_grep -q "invalid new value provided" stdout
+			test_grep -q "trying to write non-commit object $head_tree to branch ${SQ}refs/heads/ref2${SQ}" stdout
 		)
 	'
 
@@ -2148,7 +2148,7 @@ do
 			git rev-parse refs/heads/ref1 >actual &&
 			test_cmp expect actual &&
 			test_must_fail git rev-parse refs/heads/ref2 &&
-			test_grep -q "reference does not exist" stdout
+			test_grep -q "cannot lock ref ${SQ}refs/heads/ref2${SQ}: unable to resolve reference ${SQ}refs/heads/ref2${SQ}" stdout
 		)
 	'
 
@@ -2172,7 +2172,7 @@ do
 			test_cmp expect actual &&
 			echo $head >expect &&
 			test_must_fail git rev-parse refs/heads/ref2 &&
-			test_grep -q "reference does not exist" stdout
+			test_grep -q "cannot lock ref ${SQ}refs/heads/ref2${SQ}: reference is missing but expected $head" stdout
 		)
 	'
 
@@ -2198,7 +2198,7 @@ do
 			echo $head >expect &&
 			git rev-parse refs/heads/ref2 >actual &&
 			test_cmp expect actual &&
-			test_grep -q "expected symref but found regular ref" stdout
+			test_grep -q "cannot lock ref ${SQ}refs/heads/ref2${SQ}: expected symref with target ${SQ}refs/heads/nonexistent${SQ}: but is a regular ref" stdout
 		)
 	'
 
@@ -2223,7 +2223,7 @@ do
 			echo $head >expect &&
 			git rev-parse refs/heads/ref2 >actual &&
 			test_cmp expect actual &&
-			test_grep -q "reference already exists" stdout
+			test_grep -q "cannot lock ref ${SQ}refs/heads/ref2${SQ}: reference already exists" stdout
 		)
 	'
 
@@ -2248,7 +2248,7 @@ do
 			echo $head >expect &&
 			git rev-parse refs/heads/ref2 >actual &&
 			test_cmp expect actual &&
-			test_grep -q "incorrect old value provided" stdout
+			test_grep -q "cannot lock ref ${SQ}refs/heads/ref2${SQ}: is at $head but expected $old_head" stdout
 		)
 	'
 
@@ -2269,7 +2269,7 @@ do
 			echo $old_head >expect &&
 			git rev-parse refs/heads/ref/foo >actual &&
 			test_cmp expect actual &&
-			test_grep -q "refname conflict" stdout
+			test_grep -q "${SQ}refs/heads/ref/foo${SQ} exists; cannot create ${SQ}refs/heads/ref${SQ}" stdout
 		)
 	'
 
@@ -2290,7 +2290,7 @@ do
 			echo $old_head >expect &&
 			git rev-parse refs/heads/foo >actual &&
 			test_cmp expect actual &&
-			test_grep -q "refname conflict" stdout
+			test_grep -q "${SQ}refs/heads/ref/foo${SQ} exists; cannot create ${SQ}refs/heads/ref${SQ}" stdout
 		)
 	'
 
@@ -2316,7 +2316,7 @@ do
 			echo $old_head >expect &&
 			git rev-parse refs/heads/ref >actual &&
 			test_cmp expect actual &&
-			test_grep -q "reference conflict due to case-insensitive filesystem" stdout
+			test_grep -e "cannot lock ref ${SQ}refs/heads/Foo${SQ}: Unable to create" -e "Foo.lock" stdout
 		)
 	'
 
@@ -2358,7 +2358,7 @@ do
 
 			format_command $type "delete refs/heads/symbolic" "$head" >stdin &&
 			git update-ref $type --stdin --batch-updates <stdin >stdout &&
-			test_grep "reference does not exist" stdout
+			test_grep "cannot lock ref ${SQ}refs/heads/symbolic${SQ}: unable to resolve reference ${SQ}refs/heads/non-existent${SQ}" stdout
 		)
 	'
 
@@ -2374,7 +2374,7 @@ do
 
 			format_command $type "delete refs/heads/new-branch" "$head" >stdin &&
 			git update-ref $type --stdin --batch-updates <stdin >stdout &&
-			test_grep "incorrect old value provided" stdout
+			test_grep "cannot lock ref ${SQ}refs/heads/new-branch${SQ}: is at $(git rev-parse new-branch) but expected $head" stdout
 		)
 	'
 
@@ -2388,7 +2388,7 @@ do
 
 			format_command $type "delete refs/heads/non-existent" "$head" >stdin &&
 			git update-ref $type --stdin --batch-updates <stdin >stdout &&
-			test_grep "reference does not exist" stdout
+			test_grep "cannot lock ref ${SQ}refs/heads/non-existent${SQ}: unable to resolve reference ${SQ}refs/heads/non-existent${SQ}" stdout
 		)
 	'
 done

-- 
2.51.2