diff --git a/sha1_file.c b/sha1_file.c
index 80bac89014..a2ab2b82c3 100644
--- a/sha1_file.c
+++ b/sha1_file.c
@@ -896,7 +896,9 @@ static int stat_sha1_file_the_repository(const unsigned char *sha1,
  * Like stat_sha1_file(), but actually open the object and return the
  * descriptor. See the caveats on the "path" parameter above.
  */
-static int open_sha1_file(const unsigned char *sha1, const char **path)
+#define open_sha1_file(r, s, p) open_sha1_file_##r(s, p)
+static int open_sha1_file_the_repository(const unsigned char *sha1,
+					 const char **path)
 {
 	int fd;
 	struct alternate_object_database *alt;
@@ -939,7 +941,7 @@ static void *map_sha1_file_1(const char *path,
 	if (path)
 		fd = git_open(path);
 	else
-		fd = open_sha1_file(sha1, &path);
+		fd = open_sha1_file(the_repository, sha1, &path);
 	map = NULL;
 	if (fd >= 0) {
 		struct stat st;