1 file changed, 27 insertions, 5 deletions
diff --git a/source/ui-clone.c b/source/ui-clone.c
index fcab846..610aaa6 100644
--- a/source/ui-clone.c
+++ b/source/ui-clone.c
@@ -186,11 +186,33 @@ err:
 	cgit_print_error_page(400, "Bad Request", "Bad request");
 }
 
+/*
+ * HEAD is answered from the ref store, the way git's own http-backend answers
+ * it, rather than read off the disk, where a reftable repository keeps only a
+ * placeholder. The target need not exist yet, so an empty repository still
+ * names the branch a first push will create.
+ */
 void cgit_clone_head(void)
 {
-	char *path;
-
-	path = repo_git_path(the_repository, "HEAD");
-	send_file(path);
-	free(path);
+	struct strbuf head = STRBUF_INIT;
+	struct object_id oid;
+	const char *target;
+	int flags;
+
+	target = refs_resolve_ref_unsafe(get_main_ref_store(the_repository), "HEAD", 0, &oid,
+		&flags);
+	if (!target) {
+		cgit_print_error_page(404, "Not Found", "Not found");
+		return;
+	}
+	if (flags & REF_ISSYMREF)
+		strbuf_addf(&head, "ref: %s\n", target);
+	else
+		strbuf_addf(&head, "%s\n", oid_to_hex(&oid));
+	ctx.page.mimetype = "text/plain";
+	ctx.page.filename = "HEAD";
+	ctx.page.size = head.len;
+	cgit_print_http_headers();
+	html_raw(head.buf, head.len);
+	strbuf_release(&head);
 }