diff --git a/midx-write.c b/midx-write.c
index 73d33752ef..13171d7e9c 100644
--- a/midx-write.c
+++ b/midx-write.c
@@ -1151,8 +1151,7 @@ static int write_midx_internal(struct odb_source *source,
 		while (m) {
 			if (flags & MIDX_WRITE_BITMAP && load_midx_revindex(m)) {
 				error(_("could not load reverse index for MIDX %s"),
-				      hash_to_hex_algop(midx_get_checksum_hash(m),
-							m->source->odb->repo->hash_algo));
+				      midx_get_checksum_hex(m));
 				goto cleanup;
 			}
 			ctx.num_multi_pack_indexes_before++;
@@ -1520,8 +1519,7 @@ static int write_midx_internal(struct odb_source *source,
 		for (uint32_t i = 0; i < ctx.num_multi_pack_indexes_before; i++) {
 			uint32_t j = ctx.num_multi_pack_indexes_before - i - 1;
 
-			keep_hashes[j] = xstrdup(hash_to_hex_algop(midx_get_checksum_hash(m),
-								   r->hash_algo));
+			keep_hashes[j] = xstrdup(midx_get_checksum_hex(m));
 			m = m->base_midx;
 		}
 
diff --git a/midx.c b/midx.c
index 1d072bd993..bae4589232 100644
--- a/midx.c
+++ b/midx.c
@@ -24,6 +24,12 @@ void clear_incremental_midx_files_ext(struct odb_source *source, const char *ext
 int cmp_idx_or_pack_name(const char *idx_or_pack_name,
 			 const char *idx_name);
 
+const char *midx_get_checksum_hex(const struct multi_pack_index *m)
+{
+	return hash_to_hex_algop(midx_get_checksum_hash(m),
+				 m->source->odb->repo->hash_algo);
+}
+
 const unsigned char *midx_get_checksum_hash(const struct multi_pack_index *m)
 {
 	return m->data + m->data_len - m->source->odb->repo->hash_algo->rawsz;
diff --git a/midx.h b/midx.h
index 62d6105195..a39bcc9d03 100644
--- a/midx.h
+++ b/midx.h
@@ -85,6 +85,7 @@ struct multi_pack_index {
 #define MIDX_EXT_BITMAP "bitmap"
 #define MIDX_EXT_MIDX "midx"
 
+const char *midx_get_checksum_hex(const struct multi_pack_index *m) /* static buffer */;
 const unsigned char *midx_get_checksum_hash(const struct multi_pack_index *m);
 void get_midx_filename(struct odb_source *source, struct strbuf *out);
 void get_midx_filename_ext(struct odb_source *source, struct strbuf *out,
diff --git a/pack-bitmap.c b/pack-bitmap.c
index 6307bbdf1e..afc7fba019 100644
--- a/pack-bitmap.c
+++ b/pack-bitmap.c
@@ -2819,8 +2819,7 @@ void test_bitmap_walk(struct rev_info *revs)
 
 		if (bitmap_is_midx(found))
 			fprintf_ln(stderr, "Located via MIDX '%s'.",
-				   hash_to_hex_algop(midx_get_checksum_hash(found->midx),
-						     revs->repo->hash_algo));
+				   midx_get_checksum_hex(found->midx));
 		else
 			fprintf_ln(stderr, "Located via pack '%s'.",
 				   hash_to_hex_algop(found->pack->hash,
diff --git a/t/helper/test-read-midx.c b/t/helper/test-read-midx.c
index b8fefb1a12..9d42c58756 100644
--- a/t/helper/test-read-midx.c
+++ b/t/helper/test-read-midx.c
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ static int read_midx_file(const char *object_dir, const char *checksum,
 		return 1;
 
 	if (checksum) {
-		while (m && strcmp(hash_to_hex(midx_get_checksum_hash(m)), checksum))
+		while (m && strcmp(midx_get_checksum_hex(m), checksum))
 			m = m->base_midx;
 		if (!m)
 			return 1;
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ static int read_midx_checksum(const char *object_dir)
 	m = setup_midx(object_dir);
 	if (!m)
 		return 1;
-	printf("%s\n", hash_to_hex(midx_get_checksum_hash(m)));
+	printf("%s\n", midx_get_checksum_hex(m));
 
 	close_midx(m);
 	return 0;