diff --git a/src/cargo/sources/git/mod.rs b/src/cargo/sources/git/mod.rs
index 4c01016c249..0b2cb9908e1 100644
--- a/src/cargo/sources/git/mod.rs
+++ b/src/cargo/sources/git/mod.rs
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 //! [CVE-2022-46176]: https://blog.rust-lang.org/2023/01/10/cve-2022-46176.html
 
 pub use self::source::GitSource;
-pub use self::utils::{fetch, GitCheckout, GitDatabase, GitRemote};
+pub use self::utils::{fetch, resolve_ref, GitCheckout, GitDatabase, GitRemote};
 mod known_hosts;
 mod oxide;
 mod source;
diff --git a/src/cargo/sources/git/utils.rs b/src/cargo/sources/git/utils.rs
index 74690d30c7b..7ce43d9bd1f 100644
--- a/src/cargo/sources/git/utils.rs
+++ b/src/cargo/sources/git/utils.rs
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ impl GitRemote {
 
             let resolved_commit_hash = match locked_rev {
                 Some(rev) => db.contains(rev).then_some(rev),
-                None => reference.resolve(&db.repo).ok(),
+                None => resolve_ref(reference, &db.repo).ok(),
             };
             if let Some(rev) = resolved_commit_hash {
                 return Ok((db, rev));
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ impl GitRemote {
         .with_context(|| format!("failed to clone into: {}", into.display()))?;
         let rev = match locked_rev {
             Some(rev) => rev,
-            None => reference.resolve(&repo)?,
+            None => resolve_ref(reference, &repo)?,
         };
 
         Ok((
@@ -207,56 +207,54 @@ impl GitDatabase {
         self.repo.revparse_single(&oid.to_string()).is_ok()
     }
 
-    /// [`GitReference::resolve`]s this reference with this database.
+    /// [`resolve_ref`]s this reference with this database.
     pub fn resolve(&self, r: &GitReference) -> CargoResult<git2::Oid> {
-        r.resolve(&self.repo)
+        resolve_ref(r, &self.repo)
     }
 }
 
-impl GitReference {
-    /// Resolves self to an object ID with objects the `repo` currently has.
-    pub fn resolve(&self, repo: &git2::Repository) -> CargoResult<git2::Oid> {
-        let id = match self {
-            // Note that we resolve the named tag here in sync with where it's
-            // fetched into via `fetch` below.
-            GitReference::Tag(s) => (|| -> CargoResult<git2::Oid> {
-                let refname = format!("refs/remotes/origin/tags/{}", s);
-                let id = repo.refname_to_id(&refname)?;
-                let obj = repo.find_object(id, None)?;
-                let obj = obj.peel(ObjectType::Commit)?;
-                Ok(obj.id())
-            })()
-            .with_context(|| format!("failed to find tag `{}`", s))?,
-
-            // Resolve the remote name since that's all we're configuring in
-            // `fetch` below.
-            GitReference::Branch(s) => {
-                let name = format!("origin/{}", s);
-                let b = repo
-                    .find_branch(&name, git2::BranchType::Remote)
-                    .with_context(|| format!("failed to find branch `{}`", s))?;
-                b.get()
-                    .target()
-                    .ok_or_else(|| anyhow::format_err!("branch `{}` did not have a target", s))?
-            }
+/// Resolves [`GitReference`] to an object ID with objects the `repo` currently has.
+pub fn resolve_ref(gitref: &GitReference, repo: &git2::Repository) -> CargoResult<git2::Oid> {
+    let id = match gitref {
+        // Note that we resolve the named tag here in sync with where it's
+        // fetched into via `fetch` below.
+        GitReference::Tag(s) => (|| -> CargoResult<git2::Oid> {
+            let refname = format!("refs/remotes/origin/tags/{}", s);
+            let id = repo.refname_to_id(&refname)?;
+            let obj = repo.find_object(id, None)?;
+            let obj = obj.peel(ObjectType::Commit)?;
+            Ok(obj.id())
+        })()
+        .with_context(|| format!("failed to find tag `{}`", s))?,
+
+        // Resolve the remote name since that's all we're configuring in
+        // `fetch` below.
+        GitReference::Branch(s) => {
+            let name = format!("origin/{}", s);
+            let b = repo
+                .find_branch(&name, git2::BranchType::Remote)
+                .with_context(|| format!("failed to find branch `{}`", s))?;
+            b.get()
+                .target()
+                .ok_or_else(|| anyhow::format_err!("branch `{}` did not have a target", s))?
+        }
 
-            // We'll be using the HEAD commit
-            GitReference::DefaultBranch => {
-                let head_id = repo.refname_to_id("refs/remotes/origin/HEAD")?;
-                let head = repo.find_object(head_id, None)?;
-                head.peel(ObjectType::Commit)?.id()
-            }
+        // We'll be using the HEAD commit
+        GitReference::DefaultBranch => {
+            let head_id = repo.refname_to_id("refs/remotes/origin/HEAD")?;
+            let head = repo.find_object(head_id, None)?;
+            head.peel(ObjectType::Commit)?.id()
+        }
 
-            GitReference::Rev(s) => {
-                let obj = repo.revparse_single(s)?;
-                match obj.as_tag() {
-                    Some(tag) => tag.target_id(),
-                    None => obj.id(),
-                }
+        GitReference::Rev(s) => {
+            let obj = repo.revparse_single(s)?;
+            match obj.as_tag() {
+                Some(tag) => tag.target_id(),
+                None => obj.id(),
             }
-        };
-        Ok(id)
-    }
+        }
+    };
+    Ok(id)
 }
 
 impl<'a> GitCheckout<'a> {
@@ -1404,7 +1402,7 @@ fn github_fast_path(
         return Ok(FastPathRev::Indeterminate);
     }
 
-    let local_object = reference.resolve(repo).ok();
+    let local_object = resolve_ref(reference, repo).ok();
 
     let github_branch_name = match reference {
         GitReference::Branch(branch) => branch,
diff --git a/src/cargo/sources/registry/remote.rs b/src/cargo/sources/registry/remote.rs
index 841ee3683d9..34df41ffa9b 100644
--- a/src/cargo/sources/registry/remote.rs
+++ b/src/cargo/sources/registry/remote.rs
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ use crate::core::global_cache_tracker;
 use crate::core::{GitReference, PackageId, SourceId};
 use crate::sources::git;
 use crate::sources::git::fetch::RemoteKind;
+use crate::sources::git::resolve_ref;
 use crate::sources::registry::download;
 use crate::sources::registry::MaybeLock;
 use crate::sources::registry::{LoadResponse, RegistryConfig, RegistryData};
@@ -149,7 +150,7 @@ impl<'cfg> RemoteRegistry<'cfg> {
     fn head(&self) -> CargoResult<git2::Oid> {
         if self.head.get().is_none() {
             let repo = self.repo()?;
-            let oid = self.index_git_ref.resolve(repo)?;
+            let oid = resolve_ref(&self.index_git_ref, repo)?;
             self.head.set(Some(oid));
         }
         Ok(self.head.get().unwrap())