thodg/libgit2

diff --git a/include/git2/branch.h b/include/git2/branch.h
index 8884df1..7442ece 100644
--- a/include/git2/branch.h
+++ b/include/git2/branch.h
@@ -26,9 +26,9 @@ GIT_BEGIN_DECL
  * this target commit. If `force` is true and a reference
  * already exists with the given name, it'll be replaced.
  *
- * @param oid_out Pointer where to store the OID of the target commit.
+ * The returned reference must be freed by the user.
  *
- * @param repo Repository where to store the branch.
+ * @param ref_out Pointer where to store the underlying reference.
  *
  * @param branch_name Name for the branch; this name is
  * validated for consistency. It should also not conflict with
@@ -46,8 +46,7 @@ GIT_BEGIN_DECL
  * pointing to the provided target commit.
  */
 GIT_EXTERN(int) git_branch_create(
-		git_oid *oid_out,
-		git_repository *repo,
+		git_reference **ref_out,
 		const char *branch_name,
 		const git_object *target,
 		int force);
diff --git a/src/branch.c b/src/branch.c
index a59577d..789f52b 100644
--- a/src/branch.c
+++ b/src/branch.c
@@ -49,8 +49,7 @@ static int create_error_invalid(const char *msg)
 }
 
 int git_branch_create(
-		git_oid *oid_out,
-		git_repository *repo,
+		git_reference **ref_out,
 		const char *branch_name,
 		const git_object *target,
 		int force)
@@ -61,10 +60,7 @@ int git_branch_create(
 	git_buf canonical_branch_name = GIT_BUF_INIT;
 	int error = -1;
 
-	assert(repo && branch_name && target && oid_out);
-
-	if (git_object_owner(target) != repo)
-		return create_error_invalid("The given target does not belong to this repository");
+	assert(branch_name && target && ref_out);
 
 	target_type = git_object_type(target);
 
@@ -91,17 +87,17 @@ int git_branch_create(
 	if (git_buf_joinpath(&canonical_branch_name, GIT_REFS_HEADS_DIR, branch_name) < 0)
 		goto cleanup;
 
-	if (git_reference_create_oid(&branch, repo, git_buf_cstr(&canonical_branch_name), git_object_id(commit), force) < 0)
+	if (git_reference_create_oid(&branch, git_object_owner(commit),
+		git_buf_cstr(&canonical_branch_name), git_object_id(commit), force) < 0)
 		goto cleanup;
 
-	git_oid_cpy(oid_out, git_reference_oid(branch));
+	*ref_out = branch;
 	error = 0;
 
 cleanup:
 	if (target_type == GIT_OBJ_TAG)
 		git_object_free(commit);
 
-	git_reference_free(branch);
 	git_buf_free(&canonical_branch_name);
 	return error;
 }
diff --git a/tests-clar/refs/branches/create.c b/tests-clar/refs/branches/create.c
index 4f5a61b..d539043 100644
--- a/tests-clar/refs/branches/create.c
+++ b/tests-clar/refs/branches/create.c
@@ -2,17 +2,21 @@
 #include "refs.h"
 
 static git_repository *repo;
-static git_oid branch_target_oid;
 static git_object *target;
+static git_reference *branch;
 
 void test_refs_branches_create__initialize(void)
 {
 	cl_fixture_sandbox("testrepo.git");
 	cl_git_pass(git_repository_open(&repo, "testrepo.git"));
+
+	branch = NULL;
 }
 
 void test_refs_branches_create__cleanup(void)
 {
+	git_reference_free(branch);
+
 	git_object_free(target);
 	git_repository_free(repo);
 
@@ -38,54 +42,24 @@ void test_refs_branches_create__can_create_a_local_branch(void)
 {
 	retrieve_known_commit(&target, repo);
 
-	cl_git_pass(git_branch_create(&branch_target_oid, repo, NEW_BRANCH_NAME, target, 0));
-	cl_git_pass(git_oid_cmp(&branch_target_oid, git_object_id(target)));
-}
-
-void test_refs_branches_create__creating_a_local_branch_triggers_the_creation_of_a_new_direct_reference(void)
-{
-	git_reference *branch;
-
-	retrieve_known_commit(&target, repo);
-
-	cl_git_fail(git_reference_lookup(&branch, repo, GIT_REFS_HEADS_DIR NEW_BRANCH_NAME));
-
-	cl_git_pass(git_branch_create(&branch_target_oid, repo, NEW_BRANCH_NAME, target, 0));
-
-	cl_git_pass(git_reference_lookup(&branch, repo, GIT_REFS_HEADS_DIR NEW_BRANCH_NAME));
-	cl_assert(git_reference_type(branch) == GIT_REF_OID);
-
-	git_reference_free(branch);
+	cl_git_pass(git_branch_create(&branch, NEW_BRANCH_NAME, target, 0));
+	cl_git_pass(git_oid_cmp(git_reference_oid(branch), git_object_id(target)));
 }
 
 void test_refs_branches_create__can_not_create_a_branch_if_its_name_collide_with_an_existing_one(void)
 {
 	retrieve_known_commit(&target, repo);
 
-	cl_git_fail(git_branch_create(&branch_target_oid, repo, "br2", target, 0));
+	cl_git_fail(git_branch_create(&branch, "br2", target, 0));
 }
 
 void test_refs_branches_create__can_force_create_over_an_existing_branch(void)
 {
 	retrieve_known_commit(&target, repo);
 
-	cl_git_pass(git_branch_create(&branch_target_oid, repo, "br2", target, 1));
-	cl_git_pass(git_oid_cmp(&branch_target_oid, git_object_id(target)));
-}
-
-void test_refs_branches_create__can_not_create_a_branch_pointing_at_an_object_unknown_from_the_repository(void)
-{
-	git_repository *repo2;
-
-	/* Open another instance of the same repository */
-	cl_git_pass(git_repository_open(&repo2, cl_fixture("testrepo.git")));
-
-	/* Retrieve a commit object from this different repository */
-	retrieve_known_commit(&target, repo2);
-
-	cl_git_fail(git_branch_create(&branch_target_oid, repo, NEW_BRANCH_NAME, target, 0));
-
-	git_repository_free(repo2);
+	cl_git_pass(git_branch_create(&branch, "br2", target, 1));
+	cl_git_pass(git_oid_cmp(git_reference_oid(branch), git_object_id(target)));
+	cl_assert_equal_s("refs/heads/br2", git_reference_name(branch));
 }
 
 void test_refs_branches_create__creating_a_branch_targeting_a_tag_dereferences_it_to_its_commit(void)
@@ -93,8 +67,8 @@ void test_refs_branches_create__creating_a_branch_targeting_a_tag_dereferences_i
 	/* b25fa35 is a tag, pointing to another tag which points to a commit */
 	retrieve_target_from_oid(&target, repo, "b25fa35b38051e4ae45d4222e795f9df2e43f1d1");
 
-	cl_git_pass(git_branch_create(&branch_target_oid, repo, NEW_BRANCH_NAME, target, 0));
-	cl_git_pass(git_oid_streq(&branch_target_oid, "e90810b8df3e80c413d903f631643c716887138d"));
+	cl_git_pass(git_branch_create(&branch, NEW_BRANCH_NAME, target, 0));
+	cl_git_pass(git_oid_streq(git_reference_oid(branch), "e90810b8df3e80c413d903f631643c716887138d"));
 }
 
 void test_refs_branches_create__can_not_create_a_branch_pointing_to_a_non_commit_object(void)
@@ -102,11 +76,11 @@ void test_refs_branches_create__can_not_create_a_branch_pointing_to_a_non_commit
 	/* 53fc32d is the tree of commit e90810b */
 	retrieve_target_from_oid(&target, repo, "53fc32d17276939fc79ed05badaef2db09990016");
 
-	cl_git_fail(git_branch_create(&branch_target_oid, repo, NEW_BRANCH_NAME, target, 0));
+	cl_git_fail(git_branch_create(&branch, NEW_BRANCH_NAME, target, 0));
 	git_object_free(target);
 
 	/* 521d87c is an annotated tag pointing to a blob */
 	retrieve_target_from_oid(&target, repo, "521d87c1ec3aef9824daf6d96cc0ae3710766d91");
 
-	cl_git_fail(git_branch_create(&branch_target_oid, repo, NEW_BRANCH_NAME, target, 0));
+	cl_git_fail(git_branch_create(&branch, NEW_BRANCH_NAME, target, 0));
 }