diff --git a/refs.c b/refs.c
index 35d4e69687..d75a5dd53d 100644
--- a/refs.c
+++ b/refs.c
@@ -1672,6 +1672,23 @@ int refs_read_raw_ref(struct ref_store *ref_store, const char *refname,
 					   type, failure_errno);
 }
 
+int refs_read_symbolic_ref(struct ref_store *ref_store, const char *refname,
+			   struct strbuf *referent)
+{
+	struct object_id oid;
+	int ret, failure_errno = 0;
+	unsigned int type = 0;
+
+	if (ref_store->be->read_symbolic_ref)
+		return ref_store->be->read_symbolic_ref(ref_store, refname, referent);
+
+	ret = refs_read_raw_ref(ref_store, refname, &oid, referent, &type, &failure_errno);
+	if (ret || !(type & REF_ISSYMREF))
+		return -1;
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 const char *refs_resolve_ref_unsafe(struct ref_store *refs,
 				    const char *refname,
 				    int resolve_flags,
diff --git a/refs.h b/refs.h
index 1ae12c410a..23479c7ee0 100644
--- a/refs.h
+++ b/refs.h
@@ -82,6 +82,9 @@ int read_ref_full(const char *refname, int resolve_flags,
 		  struct object_id *oid, int *flags);
 int read_ref(const char *refname, struct object_id *oid);
 
+int refs_read_symbolic_ref(struct ref_store *ref_store, const char *refname,
+			   struct strbuf *referent);
+
 /*
  * Return 0 if a reference named refname could be created without
  * conflicting with the name of an existing reference. Otherwise,
diff --git a/refs/debug.c b/refs/debug.c
index 2b0771ca53..c590d37720 100644
--- a/refs/debug.c
+++ b/refs/debug.c
@@ -435,6 +435,7 @@ struct ref_storage_be refs_be_debug = {
 
 	debug_ref_iterator_begin,
 	debug_read_raw_ref,
+	NULL,
 
 	debug_reflog_iterator_begin,
 	debug_for_each_reflog_ent,
diff --git a/refs/files-backend.c b/refs/files-backend.c
index f59589d6cc..f3428a9f12 100644
--- a/refs/files-backend.c
+++ b/refs/files-backend.c
@@ -3286,6 +3286,7 @@ struct ref_storage_be refs_be_files = {
 
 	files_ref_iterator_begin,
 	files_read_raw_ref,
+	NULL,
 
 	files_reflog_iterator_begin,
 	files_for_each_reflog_ent,
diff --git a/refs/packed-backend.c b/refs/packed-backend.c
index 27dd8c3922..f56e2cc635 100644
--- a/refs/packed-backend.c
+++ b/refs/packed-backend.c
@@ -1684,6 +1684,7 @@ struct ref_storage_be refs_be_packed = {
 
 	packed_ref_iterator_begin,
 	packed_read_raw_ref,
+	NULL,
 
 	packed_reflog_iterator_begin,
 	packed_for_each_reflog_ent,
diff --git a/refs/refs-internal.h b/refs/refs-internal.h
index 6e15db3ca4..001ef15835 100644
--- a/refs/refs-internal.h
+++ b/refs/refs-internal.h
@@ -649,6 +649,21 @@ typedef int read_raw_ref_fn(struct ref_store *ref_store, const char *refname,
 			    struct object_id *oid, struct strbuf *referent,
 			    unsigned int *type, int *failure_errno);
 
+/*
+ * Read a symbolic reference from the specified reference store. This function
+ * is optional: if not implemented by a backend, then `read_raw_ref_fn` is used
+ * to read the symbolcic reference instead. It is intended to be implemented
+ * only in case the backend can optimize the reading of symbolic references.
+ *
+ * Return 0 on success, or -1 on failure. `referent` will be set to the target
+ * of the symbolic reference on success. This function explicitly does not
+ * distinguish between error cases and the reference not being a symbolic
+ * reference to allow backends to optimize this operation in case symbolic and
+ * non-symbolic references are treated differently.
+ */
+typedef int read_symbolic_ref_fn(struct ref_store *ref_store, const char *refname,
+				 struct strbuf *referent);
+
 struct ref_storage_be {
 	struct ref_storage_be *next;
 	const char *name;
@@ -668,6 +683,7 @@ struct ref_storage_be {
 
 	ref_iterator_begin_fn *iterator_begin;
 	read_raw_ref_fn *read_raw_ref;
+	read_symbolic_ref_fn *read_symbolic_ref;
 
 	reflog_iterator_begin_fn *reflog_iterator_begin;
 	for_each_reflog_ent_fn *for_each_reflog_ent;