diff --git a/refs.c b/refs.c
index da74a2b29a..9d1685bcba 100644
--- a/refs.c
+++ b/refs.c
@@ -1753,26 +1753,18 @@ int delete_ref(const char *refname, const unsigned char *sha1, int delopt)
 	struct ref_lock *lock;
 	int err, i = 0, ret = 0, flag = 0;
 
-	lock = lock_ref_sha1_basic(refname, sha1, 0, &flag);
+	lock = lock_ref_sha1_basic(refname, sha1, delopt, &flag);
 	if (!lock)
 		return 1;
 	if (!(flag & REF_ISPACKED) || flag & REF_ISSYMREF) {
 		/* loose */
-		const char *path;
-
-		if (!(delopt & REF_NODEREF)) {
-			i = strlen(lock->lk->filename) - 5; /* .lock */
-			lock->lk->filename[i] = 0;
-			path = lock->lk->filename;
-		} else {
-			path = git_path("%s", refname);
-		}
-		err = unlink_or_warn(path);
+		i = strlen(lock->lk->filename) - 5; /* .lock */
+		lock->lk->filename[i] = 0;
+		err = unlink_or_warn(lock->lk->filename);
 		if (err && errno != ENOENT)
 			ret = 1;
 
-		if (!(delopt & REF_NODEREF))
-			lock->lk->filename[i] = '.';
+		lock->lk->filename[i] = '.';
 	}
 	/* removing the loose one could have resurrected an earlier
 	 * packed one.  Also, if it was not loose we need to repack