diff --git a/sha1_file.c b/sha1_file.c
index 097c372d03..7c0ace646a 100644
--- a/sha1_file.c
+++ b/sha1_file.c
@@ -391,8 +391,9 @@ static int alt_odb_usable(struct raw_object_store *o,
  * terminating NUL.
  */
 static void read_info_alternates(const char * relative_base, int depth);
-static int link_alt_odb_entry(const char *entry, const char *relative_base,
-	int depth, const char *normalized_objdir)
+#define link_alt_odb_entry(r, e, rb, d, n) link_alt_odb_entry_##r(e, rb, d, n)
+static int link_alt_odb_entry_the_repository(const char *entry,
+	const char *relative_base, int depth, const char *normalized_objdir)
 {
 	struct alternate_object_database *ent;
 	struct strbuf pathbuf = STRBUF_INIT;
@@ -489,7 +490,8 @@ static void link_alt_odb_entries(const char *alt, int sep,
 		alt = parse_alt_odb_entry(alt, sep, &entry);
 		if (!entry.len)
 			continue;
-		link_alt_odb_entry(entry.buf, relative_base, depth, objdirbuf.buf);
+		link_alt_odb_entry(the_repository, entry.buf,
+				   relative_base, depth, objdirbuf.buf);
 	}
 	strbuf_release(&entry);
 	strbuf_release(&objdirbuf);