diff --git a/refs.c b/refs.c
index cdd78b97ac..312c76619f 100644
--- a/refs.c
+++ b/refs.c
@@ -1428,6 +1428,15 @@ int pack_refs(unsigned int flags)
 	return refs->be->pack_refs(refs, flags);
 }
 
+int create_symref(const char *ref_target, const char *refs_heads_master,
+		  const char *logmsg)
+{
+	struct ref_store *refs = get_ref_store(NULL);
+
+	return refs->be->create_symref(refs, ref_target, refs_heads_master,
+				       logmsg);
+}
+
 int ref_transaction_commit(struct ref_transaction *transaction,
 			   struct strbuf *err)
 {
diff --git a/refs/files-backend.c b/refs/files-backend.c
index 5ba2804a86..fc67cc6ec7 100644
--- a/refs/files-backend.c
+++ b/refs/files-backend.c
@@ -3011,12 +3011,16 @@ static int create_symref_locked(struct ref_lock *lock, const char *refname,
 	return 0;
 }
 
-int create_symref(const char *refname, const char *target, const char *logmsg)
+static int files_create_symref(struct ref_store *ref_store,
+			       const char *refname, const char *target,
+			       const char *logmsg)
 {
 	struct strbuf err = STRBUF_INIT;
 	struct ref_lock *lock;
 	int ret;
 
+	files_downcast(ref_store, 0, "create_symref");
+
 	lock = lock_ref_sha1_basic(refname, NULL, NULL, NULL, REF_NODEREF, NULL,
 				   &err);
 	if (!lock) {
@@ -4023,6 +4027,7 @@ struct ref_storage_be refs_be_files = {
 	files_transaction_commit,
 
 	files_pack_refs,
+	files_create_symref,
 
 	files_read_raw_ref,
 	files_verify_refname_available
diff --git a/refs/refs-internal.h b/refs/refs-internal.h
index 256f7f581f..bf96503856 100644
--- a/refs/refs-internal.h
+++ b/refs/refs-internal.h
@@ -501,6 +501,10 @@ typedef int ref_transaction_commit_fn(struct ref_store *refs,
 				      struct strbuf *err);
 
 typedef int pack_refs_fn(struct ref_store *ref_store, unsigned int flags);
+typedef int create_symref_fn(struct ref_store *ref_store,
+			     const char *ref_target,
+			     const char *refs_heads_master,
+			     const char *logmsg);
 
 /*
  * Read a reference from the specified reference store, non-recursively.
@@ -557,6 +561,7 @@ struct ref_storage_be {
 	ref_transaction_commit_fn *transaction_commit;
 
 	pack_refs_fn *pack_refs;
+	create_symref_fn *create_symref;
 
 	read_raw_ref_fn *read_raw_ref;
 	verify_refname_available_fn *verify_refname_available;