diff --git a/refs.c b/refs.c
index 256fef5da0..bee9a4571e 100644
--- a/refs.c
+++ b/refs.c
@@ -9,6 +9,25 @@
 #include "object.h"
 #include "tag.h"
 
+/*
+ * List of all available backends
+ */
+static struct ref_storage_be *refs_backends = &refs_be_files;
+
+static struct ref_storage_be *find_ref_storage_backend(const char *name)
+{
+	struct ref_storage_be *be;
+	for (be = refs_backends; be; be = be->next)
+		if (!strcmp(be->name, name))
+			return be;
+	return NULL;
+}
+
+int ref_storage_backend_exists(const char *name)
+{
+	return find_ref_storage_backend(name) != NULL;
+}
+
 /*
  * How to handle various characters in refnames:
  * 0: An acceptable character for refs
diff --git a/refs.h b/refs.h
index 442c1a5db8..52ea93b8c3 100644
--- a/refs.h
+++ b/refs.h
@@ -544,4 +544,6 @@ int reflog_expire(const char *refname, const unsigned char *sha1,
 		  reflog_expiry_cleanup_fn cleanup_fn,
 		  void *policy_cb_data);
 
+int ref_storage_backend_exists(const char *name);
+
 #endif /* REFS_H */
diff --git a/refs/files-backend.c b/refs/files-backend.c
index c229b56bd5..0102491b13 100644
--- a/refs/files-backend.c
+++ b/refs/files-backend.c
@@ -4066,3 +4066,8 @@ int reflog_expire(const char *refname, const unsigned char *sha1,
 	unlock_ref(lock);
 	return -1;
 }
+
+struct ref_storage_be refs_be_files = {
+	NULL,
+	"files"
+};
diff --git a/refs/refs-internal.h b/refs/refs-internal.h
index 0206e2b959..2c9d134021 100644
--- a/refs/refs-internal.h
+++ b/refs/refs-internal.h
@@ -525,4 +525,12 @@ int do_for_each_ref_iterator(struct ref_iterator *iter,
 int read_raw_ref(const char *refname, unsigned char *sha1,
 		 struct strbuf *referent, unsigned int *type);
 
+/* refs backends */
+struct ref_storage_be {
+	struct ref_storage_be *next;
+	const char *name;
+};
+
+extern struct ref_storage_be refs_be_files;
+
 #endif /* REFS_REFS_INTERNAL_H */