diff --git a/refs.c b/refs.c
index 4fe263ef9a..fe1352a344 100644
--- a/refs.c
+++ b/refs.c
@@ -70,16 +70,8 @@ static int check_refname_component(const char *refname, int flags)
 out:
 	if (cp == refname)
 		return 0; /* Component has zero length. */
-	if (refname[0] == '.') {
-		if (!(flags & REFNAME_DOT_COMPONENT))
-			return -1; /* Component starts with '.'. */
-		/*
-		 * Even if leading dots are allowed, don't allow "."
-		 * as a component (".." is prevented by a rule above).
-		 */
-		if (refname[1] == '\0')
-			return -1; /* Component equals ".". */
-	}
+	if (refname[0] == '.')
+		return -1; /* Component starts with '.'. */
 	if (cp - refname >= LOCK_SUFFIX_LEN &&
 	    !memcmp(cp - LOCK_SUFFIX_LEN, LOCK_SUFFIX, LOCK_SUFFIX_LEN))
 		return -1; /* Refname ends with ".lock". */
@@ -290,7 +282,7 @@ static struct ref_entry *create_ref_entry(const char *refname,
 	struct ref_entry *ref;
 
 	if (check_name &&
-	    check_refname_format(refname, REFNAME_ALLOW_ONELEVEL|REFNAME_DOT_COMPONENT))
+	    check_refname_format(refname, REFNAME_ALLOW_ONELEVEL))
 		die("Reference has invalid format: '%s'", refname);
 	len = strlen(refname) + 1;
 	ref = xmalloc(sizeof(struct ref_entry) + len);
diff --git a/refs.h b/refs.h
index 79802d79c0..c61b8f442f 100644
--- a/refs.h
+++ b/refs.h
@@ -229,7 +229,6 @@ extern int for_each_reflog(each_ref_fn, void *);
 
 #define REFNAME_ALLOW_ONELEVEL 1
 #define REFNAME_REFSPEC_PATTERN 2
-#define REFNAME_DOT_COMPONENT 4
 
 /*
  * Return 0 iff refname has the correct format for a refname according
@@ -237,10 +236,7 @@ extern int for_each_reflog(each_ref_fn, void *);
  * If REFNAME_ALLOW_ONELEVEL is set in flags, then accept one-level
  * reference names.  If REFNAME_REFSPEC_PATTERN is set in flags, then
  * allow a "*" wildcard character in place of one of the name
- * components.  No leading or repeated slashes are accepted.  If
- * REFNAME_DOT_COMPONENT is set in flags, then allow refname
- * components to start with "." (but not a whole component equal to
- * "." or "..").
+ * components.  No leading or repeated slashes are accepted.
  */
 extern int check_refname_format(const char *refname, int flags);