Function for updating refs.

index e2f8ede..a192fd7 100644
@@ -31,24 +31,19 @@ static void show_new(enum object_type type, unsigned char *sha1_new)
 		find_unique_abbrev(sha1_new, DEFAULT_ABBREV));
 }
 
-static int update_ref(const char *action,
+static int update_ref_env(const char *action,
 		      const char *refname,
 		      unsigned char *sha1,
 		      unsigned char *oldval)
 {
 	char msg[1024];
 	char *rla = getenv("GIT_REFLOG_ACTION");
-	static struct ref_lock *lock;
 
 	if (!rla)
 		rla = "(reflog update)";
-	snprintf(msg, sizeof(msg), "%s: %s", rla, action);
-	lock = lock_any_ref_for_update(refname, oldval, 0);
-	if (!lock)
-		return 1;
-	if (write_ref_sha1(lock, sha1, msg) < 0)
-		return 1;
-	return 0;
+	if (snprintf(msg, sizeof(msg), "%s: %s", rla, action) >= sizeof(msg))
+		error("reflog message too long: %.*s...", 50, msg);
+	return update_ref(msg, refname, sha1, oldval, 0, QUIET_ON_ERR);
 }
 
 static int update_local_ref(const char *name,

@@ -88,7 +83,7 @@ static int update_local_ref(const char *name,
 		fprintf(stderr, "* %s: storing %s\n",
 			name, note);
 		show_new(type, sha1_new);
-		return update_ref(msg, name, sha1_new, NULL);
+		return update_ref_env(msg, name, sha1_new, NULL);
 	}
 
 	if (!hashcmp(sha1_old, sha1_new)) {

@@ -102,7 +97,7 @@ static int update_local_ref(const char *name,
 	if (!strncmp(name, "refs/tags/", 10)) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "* %s: updating with %s\n", name, note);
 		show_new(type, sha1_new);
-		return update_ref("updating tag", name, sha1_new, NULL);
+		return update_ref_env("updating tag", name, sha1_new, NULL);
 	}
 
 	current = lookup_commit_reference(sha1_old);

@@ -117,7 +112,7 @@ static int update_local_ref(const char *name,
 		fprintf(stderr, "* %s: fast forward to %s\n",
 			name, note);
 		fprintf(stderr, "  old..new: %s..%s\n", oldh, newh);
-		return update_ref("fast forward", name, sha1_new, sha1_old);
+		return update_ref_env("fast forward", name, sha1_new, sha1_old);
 	}
 	if (!force) {
 		fprintf(stderr,

@@ -131,7 +126,7 @@ static int update_local_ref(const char *name,
 		"* %s: forcing update to non-fast forward %s\n",
 		name, note);
 	fprintf(stderr, "  old...new: %s...%s\n", oldh, newh);
-	return update_ref("forced-update", name, sha1_new, sha1_old);
+	return update_ref_env("forced-update", name, sha1_new, sha1_old);
 }
 
 static int append_fetch_head(FILE *fp,

index 8339cf1..2ed98e8 100644
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ static const char git_update_ref_usage[] =
 int cmd_update_ref(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 {
 	const char *refname=NULL, *value=NULL, *oldval=NULL, *msg=NULL;
-	struct ref_lock *lock;
 	unsigned char sha1[20], oldsha1[20];
 	int i, delete, ref_flags;
 

@@ -62,10 +61,7 @@ int cmd_update_ref(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	if (oldval && *oldval && get_sha1(oldval, oldsha1))
 		die("%s: not a valid old SHA1", oldval);
 
-	lock = lock_any_ref_for_update(refname, oldval ? oldsha1 : NULL, ref_flags);
-	if (!lock)
-		die("%s: cannot lock the ref", refname);
-	if (write_ref_sha1(lock, sha1, msg) < 0)
-		die("%s: cannot update the ref", refname);
+	update_ref(msg, refname, sha1, oldval ? oldsha1 : NULL,
+						ref_flags, DIE_ON_ERR);
 	return 0;
 }

index 09a2c87..1343f0d 100644
@@ -1455,3 +1455,31 @@ int for_each_reflog(each_ref_fn fn, void *cb_data)
 {
 	return do_for_each_reflog("", fn, cb_data);
 }
+
+int update_ref(const char *action, const char *refname,
+		const unsigned char *sha1, const unsigned char *oldval,
+		int flags, enum action_on_err onerr)
+{
+	static struct ref_lock *lock;
+	lock = lock_any_ref_for_update(refname, oldval, flags);
+	if (!lock) {
+		const char *str = "Cannot lock the ref '%s'.";
+		switch (onerr) {
+		case MSG_ON_ERR: error(str, refname); break;
+		case DIE_ON_ERR: die(str, refname); break;
+		case QUIET_ON_ERR: break;
+		}
+		return 1;
+	}
+	if (write_ref_sha1(lock, sha1, action) < 0) {
+		const char *str = "Cannot update the ref '%s'.";
+		switch (onerr) {
+		case MSG_ON_ERR: error(str, refname); break;
+		case DIE_ON_ERR: die(str, refname); break;
+		case QUIET_ON_ERR: break;
+		}
+		return 1;
+	}
+	return 0;
+}
+

index f234eb7..6eb98a4 100644
@@ -64,4 +64,10 @@ extern int rename_ref(const char *oldref, const char *newref, const char *logmsg
 /** resolve ref in nested "gitlink" repository */
 extern int resolve_gitlink_ref(const char *name, const char *refname, unsigned char *result);
 
+/** lock a ref and then write its file */
+enum action_on_err { MSG_ON_ERR, DIE_ON_ERR, QUIET_ON_ERR };
+int update_ref(const char *action, const char *refname,
+		const unsigned char *sha1, const unsigned char *oldval,
+		int flags, enum action_on_err onerr);
+
 #endif /* REFS_H */

index 9fc8a81..c59eea4 100644
@@ -313,14 +313,9 @@ static int send_pack(int in, int out, struct remote *remote, int nr_refspec, cha
 					if (delete_ref(rs.dst, NULL)) {
 						error("Failed to delete");
 					}
-				} else {
-					lock = lock_any_ref_for_update(rs.dst, NULL, 0);
-					if (!lock)
-						error("Failed to lock");
-					else
-						write_ref_sha1(lock, ref->new_sha1,
-							       "update by push");
-				}
+				} else
+					update_ref("update by push", rs.dst,
+						ref->new_sha1, NULL, 0, 0);
 				free(rs.dst);
 			}
 		}