diff --git a/archive.c b/archive.c
index d9e92cc..fb39706 100644
--- a/archive.c
+++ b/archive.c
@@ -77,6 +77,11 @@
 {
 	void *buffer;
 	const struct commit *commit = args->convert ? args->commit : NULL;
+	struct checkout_metadata meta;
+
+	init_checkout_metadata(&meta, args->refname,
+			       args->commit_oid ? args->commit_oid :
+			       (args->tree ? &args->tree->object.oid : NULL), oid);
 
 	path += args->baselen;
 	buffer = read_object_file(oid, type, sizep);
@@ -85,7 +90,7 @@
 		size_t size = 0;
 
 		strbuf_attach(&buf, buffer, *sizep, *sizep + 1);
-		convert_to_working_tree(args->repo->index, path, buf.buf, buf.len, &buf, NULL);
+		convert_to_working_tree(args->repo->index, path, buf.buf, buf.len, &buf, &meta);
 		if (commit)
 			format_subst(commit, buf.buf, buf.len, &buf);
 		buffer = strbuf_detach(&buf, &size);
@@ -385,16 +390,17 @@
 	struct tree *tree;
 	const struct commit *commit;
 	struct object_id oid;
+	char *ref = NULL;
 
 	/* Remotes are only allowed to fetch actual refs */
 	if (remote && !remote_allow_unreachable) {
-		char *ref = NULL;
 		const char *colon = strchrnul(name, ':');
 		int refnamelen = colon - name;
 
 		if (!dwim_ref(name, refnamelen, &oid, &ref))
 			die(_("no such ref: %.*s"), refnamelen, name);
-		free(ref);
+	} else {
+		dwim_ref(name, strlen(name), &oid, &ref);
 	}
 
 	if (get_oid(name, &oid))
@@ -427,6 +433,7 @@
 
 		tree = parse_tree_indirect(&tree_oid);
 	}
+	ar_args->refname = ref;
 	ar_args->tree = tree;
 	ar_args->commit_oid = commit_oid;
 	ar_args->commit = commit;
diff --git a/archive.h b/archive.h
index e60e3dd..3bd96bf 100644
--- a/archive.h
+++ b/archive.h
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 
 struct archiver_args {
 	struct repository *repo;
+	const char *refname;
 	const char *base;
 	size_t baselen;
 	struct tree *tree;
diff --git a/builtin/cat-file.c b/builtin/cat-file.c
index 545fed4..6ecc8ee 100644
--- a/builtin/cat-file.c
+++ b/builtin/cat-file.c
@@ -42,7 +42,10 @@
 			     oid_to_hex(oid), path);
 	if ((type == OBJ_BLOB) && S_ISREG(mode)) {
 		struct strbuf strbuf = STRBUF_INIT;
-		if (convert_to_working_tree(&the_index, path, *buf, *size, &strbuf, NULL)) {
+		struct checkout_metadata meta;
+
+		init_checkout_metadata(&meta, NULL, NULL, oid);
+		if (convert_to_working_tree(&the_index, path, *buf, *size, &strbuf, &meta)) {
 			free(*buf);
 			*size = strbuf.len;
 			*buf = strbuf_detach(&strbuf, NULL);
diff --git a/builtin/checkout.c b/builtin/checkout.c
index 8a28f48..1bdb70d 100644
--- a/builtin/checkout.c
+++ b/builtin/checkout.c
@@ -92,6 +92,8 @@
 	const char *name; /* The short name used */
 	const char *path; /* The full name of a real branch */
 	struct commit *commit; /* The named commit */
+	char *refname; /* The full name of the ref being checked out. */
+	struct object_id oid; /* The object ID of the commit being checked out. */
 	/*
 	 * if not null the branch is detached because it's already
 	 * checked out in this checkout
@@ -360,6 +362,10 @@
 	state.refresh_cache = 1;
 	state.istate = &the_index;
 
+	init_checkout_metadata(&state.meta, info->refname,
+			       info->commit ? &info->commit->object.oid : &info->oid,
+			       NULL);
+
 	enable_delayed_checkout(&state);
 	for (pos = 0; pos < active_nr; pos++) {
 		struct cache_entry *ce = active_cache[pos];
@@ -636,6 +642,13 @@
 {
 	struct strbuf buf = STRBUF_INIT;
 
+	/*
+	 * If this is a ref, resolve it; otherwise, look up the OID for our
+	 * expression.  Failure here is okay.
+	 */
+	if (!dwim_ref(branch->name, strlen(branch->name), &branch->oid, &branch->refname))
+		repo_get_oid_committish(the_repository, branch->name, &branch->oid);
+
 	strbuf_branchname(&buf, branch->name, INTERPRET_BRANCH_LOCAL);
 	if (strcmp(buf.buf, branch->name))
 		branch->name = xstrdup(buf.buf);
diff --git a/cache.h b/cache.h
index 37c899b..9b24e5d 100644
--- a/cache.h
+++ b/cache.h
@@ -1679,6 +1679,7 @@
 	const char *base_dir;
 	int base_dir_len;
 	struct delayed_checkout *delayed_checkout;
+	struct checkout_metadata meta;
 	unsigned force:1,
 		 quiet:1,
 		 not_new:1,
diff --git a/convert.c b/convert.c
index 6261921..5aa87d4 100644
--- a/convert.c
+++ b/convert.c
@@ -2006,3 +2006,25 @@
 {
 	return filter->vtbl->filter(filter, input, isize_p, output, osize_p);
 }
+
+void init_checkout_metadata(struct checkout_metadata *meta, const char *refname,
+			    const struct object_id *treeish,
+			    const struct object_id *blob)
+{
+	memset(meta, 0, sizeof(*meta));
+	if (refname)
+		meta->refname = refname;
+	if (treeish)
+		oidcpy(&meta->treeish, treeish);
+	if (blob)
+		oidcpy(&meta->blob, blob);
+}
+
+void clone_checkout_metadata(struct checkout_metadata *dst,
+			     const struct checkout_metadata *src,
+			     const struct object_id *blob)
+{
+	memcpy(dst, src, sizeof(*dst));
+	if (blob)
+		oidcpy(&dst->blob, blob);
+}
diff --git a/convert.h b/convert.h
index 894e01c..e29d102 100644
--- a/convert.h
+++ b/convert.h
@@ -103,6 +103,23 @@
 				   const char *path);
 
 /*
+ * Initialize the checkout metadata with the given values.  Any argument may be
+ * NULL if it is not applicable.  The treeish should be a commit if that is
+ * available, and a tree otherwise.
+ *
+ * The refname is not copied and must be valid for the lifetime of the struct.
+ * THe object IDs are copied.
+ */
+void init_checkout_metadata(struct checkout_metadata *meta, const char *refname,
+			    const struct object_id *treeish,
+			    const struct object_id *blob);
+
+/* Copy the metadata from src to dst, updating the blob. */
+void clone_checkout_metadata(struct checkout_metadata *dst,
+			     const struct checkout_metadata *src,
+			     const struct object_id *blob);
+
+/*
  * Reset the internal list of attributes used by convert_to_git and
  * convert_to_working_tree.
  */
diff --git a/diff.c b/diff.c
index 12761c8..1010d80 100644
--- a/diff.c
+++ b/diff.c
@@ -4062,6 +4062,9 @@
 	struct strbuf tempfile = STRBUF_INIT;
 	char *path_dup = xstrdup(path);
 	const char *base = basename(path_dup);
+	struct checkout_metadata meta;
+
+	init_checkout_metadata(&meta, NULL, NULL, oid);
 
 	/* Generate "XXXXXX_basename.ext" */
 	strbuf_addstr(&tempfile, "XXXXXX_");
@@ -4071,7 +4074,7 @@
 	if (!temp->tempfile)
 		die_errno("unable to create temp-file");
 	if (convert_to_working_tree(istate, path,
-			(const char *)blob, (size_t)size, &buf, NULL)) {
+			(const char *)blob, (size_t)size, &buf, &meta)) {
 		blob = buf.buf;
 		size = buf.len;
 	}
diff --git a/entry.c b/entry.c
index 4b2d9b2..00b4903 100644
--- a/entry.c
+++ b/entry.c
@@ -264,6 +264,9 @@
 	size_t newsize = 0;
 	struct stat st;
 	const struct submodule *sub;
+	struct checkout_metadata meta;
+
+	clone_checkout_metadata(&meta, &state->meta, &ce->oid);
 
 	if (ce_mode_s_ifmt == S_IFREG) {
 		struct stream_filter *filter = get_stream_filter(state->istate, ce->name,
@@ -315,13 +318,13 @@
 		 */
 		if (dco && dco->state != CE_NO_DELAY) {
 			ret = async_convert_to_working_tree(state->istate, ce->name, new_blob,
-							    size, &buf, NULL, dco);
+							    size, &buf, &meta, dco);
 			if (ret && string_list_has_string(&dco->paths, ce->name)) {
 				free(new_blob);
 				goto delayed;
 			}
 		} else
-			ret = convert_to_working_tree(state->istate, ce->name, new_blob, size, &buf, NULL);
+			ret = convert_to_working_tree(state->istate, ce->name, new_blob, size, &buf, &meta);
 
 		if (ret) {
 			free(new_blob);
diff --git a/t/t0021/rot13-filter.pl b/t/t0021/rot13-filter.pl
index 4701072..c43cf43 100644
--- a/t/t0021/rot13-filter.pl
+++ b/t/t0021/rot13-filter.pl
@@ -135,7 +135,13 @@
 				if ( exists $DELAY{$pathname} and $DELAY{$pathname}{"requested"} == 0 ) {
 					$DELAY{$pathname}{"requested"} = 1;
 				}
+			} elsif ($buffer =~ /^(ref|treeish|blob)=/) {
+				# Do nothing.
 			} else {
+				# In general, filters need to be graceful about
+				# new metadata, since it's documented that we
+				# can pass any key-value pairs, but for tests,
+				# let's be a little stricter.
 				die "Unknown message '$buffer'";
 			}