diff --git a/git-tag.sh b/git-tag.sh
index 2bde3c05fc..ac269e3277 100755
--- a/git-tag.sh
+++ b/git-tag.sh
@@ -47,8 +47,10 @@ do
     -d)
     	shift
 	tag_name="$1"
-	rm "$GIT_DIR/refs/tags/$tag_name" && \
-	        echo "Deleted tag $tag_name."
+	tag=$(git-show-ref --verify --hash -- "refs/tags/$tag_name") ||
+		die "Seriously, what tag are you talking about?"
+	git-update-ref -m 'tag: delete' -d "refs/tags/$tag_name" "$tag" &&
+		echo "Deleted tag $tag_name."
 	exit $?
 	;;
     -*)
@@ -64,7 +66,7 @@ done
 name="$1"
 [ "$name" ] || usage
 prev=0000000000000000000000000000000000000000
-if test -e "$GIT_DIR/refs/tags/$name"
+if git-show-ref --verify --quiet -- "refs/tags/$name"
 then
     test -n "$force" || die "tag '$name' already exists"
     prev=`git rev-parse "refs/tags/$name"`
@@ -110,6 +112,5 @@ if [ "$annotate" ]; then
     object=$(git-mktag < "$GIT_DIR"/TAG_TMP)
 fi
 
-leading=`expr "refs/tags/$name" : '\(.*\)/'` &&
-mkdir -p "$GIT_DIR/$leading" &&
-GIT_DIR="$GIT_DIR" git update-ref "refs/tags/$name" "$object" "$prev"
+git update-ref "refs/tags/$name" "$object" "$prev"
+
diff --git a/refs.c b/refs.c
index 221eb3896e..aa4c4e0b94 100644
--- a/refs.c
+++ b/refs.c
@@ -621,12 +621,13 @@ struct ref_lock *lock_any_ref_for_update(const char *ref, const unsigned char *o
 	return lock_ref_sha1_basic(ref, old_sha1, NULL);
 }
 
+static struct lock_file packlock;
+
 static int repack_without_ref(const char *refname)
 {
 	struct ref_list *list, *packed_ref_list;
 	int fd;
 	int found = 0;
-	struct lock_file packlock;
 
 	packed_ref_list = get_packed_refs();
 	for (list = packed_ref_list; list; list = list->next) {