diff --git a/src/libostree/ostree-repo-commit.c b/src/libostree/ostree-repo-commit.c
index 398f6abd..c3bc8368 100644
--- a/src/libostree/ostree-repo-commit.c
+++ b/src/libostree/ostree-repo-commit.c
@@ -368,8 +368,6 @@ write_object (OstreeRepo         *self,
   gsize unpacked_size = 0;
   gboolean indexable = FALSE;
 
-  g_return_val_if_fail (self->in_transaction, FALSE);
-  
   if (g_cancellable_set_error_if_cancelled (cancellable, error))
     return FALSE;
 
@@ -930,6 +928,31 @@ ostree_repo_transaction_set_ref (OstreeRepo *self,
   g_hash_table_replace (self->txn_refs, refspec, g_strdup (checksum));
 }
 
+/**
+ * ostree_repo_set_ref_immediate:
+ * @self: An #OstreeRepo
+ * @remote: (allow-none): A remote for the ref
+ * @ref: The ref to write
+ * @checksum: The checksum to point it to
+ * @cancellable: GCancellable
+ * @error: GError
+ *
+ * This is like ostree_repo_transaction_set_ref(), except it may be
+ * invoked outside of a transaction.  This is presently safe for the
+ * case where we're creating or overwriting an existing ref.
+ */
+gboolean
+ostree_repo_set_ref_immediate (OstreeRepo *self,
+                               const char *remote,
+                               const char *ref,
+                               const char *checksum,
+                               GCancellable  *cancellable,
+                               GError       **error)
+{
+  return _ostree_repo_write_ref (self, remote, ref, checksum,
+                                 cancellable, error);
+}
+
 /**
  * ostree_repo_commit_transaction:
  * @self: An #OstreeRepo
diff --git a/src/libostree/ostree-repo-private.h b/src/libostree/ostree-repo-private.h
index b12e116a..379460ab 100644
--- a/src/libostree/ostree-repo-private.h
+++ b/src/libostree/ostree-repo-private.h
@@ -122,6 +122,14 @@ _ostree_repo_update_refs (OstreeRepo        *self,
                           GCancellable      *cancellable,
                           GError           **error);
 
+gboolean      
+_ostree_repo_write_ref (OstreeRepo    *self,
+                        const char    *remote,
+                        const char    *ref,
+                        const char    *rev,
+                        GCancellable  *cancellable,
+                        GError       **error);
+
 OstreeRepoFile *
 _ostree_repo_file_new_for_commit (OstreeRepo  *repo,
                                   const char  *commit,
diff --git a/src/libostree/ostree-repo-refs.c b/src/libostree/ostree-repo-refs.c
index ba3bedb7..64ae96f7 100644
--- a/src/libostree/ostree-repo-refs.c
+++ b/src/libostree/ostree-repo-refs.c
@@ -570,21 +570,17 @@ ostree_repo_list_refs (OstreeRepo       *self,
   return ret;
 }
 
-static gboolean      
-write_refspec (OstreeRepo    *self,
-               const char    *refspec,
-               const char    *rev,
-               GCancellable  *cancellable,
-               GError       **error)
+gboolean      
+_ostree_repo_write_ref (OstreeRepo    *self,
+                        const char    *remote,
+                        const char    *ref,
+                        const char    *rev,
+                        GCancellable  *cancellable,
+                        GError       **error)
 {
   gboolean ret = FALSE;
-  gs_free char *remote = NULL;
-  gs_free char *name = NULL;
   gs_unref_object GFile *dir = NULL;
 
-  if (!ostree_parse_refspec (refspec, &remote, &name, error))
-    goto out;
-
   if (remote == NULL)
     dir = g_object_ref (self->local_heads_dir);
   else
@@ -600,7 +596,7 @@ write_refspec (OstreeRepo    *self,
 
   if (rev == NULL)
     {
-      gs_unref_object GFile *child = g_file_resolve_relative_path (dir, name);
+      gs_unref_object GFile *child = g_file_resolve_relative_path (dir, ref);
 
       if (g_file_query_exists (child, cancellable))
         {
@@ -610,7 +606,7 @@ write_refspec (OstreeRepo    *self,
     }
   else
     {
-      if (!write_checksum_file (dir, name, rev, cancellable, error))
+      if (!write_checksum_file (dir, ref, rev, cancellable, error))
         goto out;
     }
 
@@ -634,8 +630,14 @@ _ostree_repo_update_refs (OstreeRepo        *self,
     {
       const char *refspec = key;
       const char *rev = value;
+      gs_free char *remote = NULL;
+      gs_free char *ref = NULL;
 
-      if (!write_refspec (self, refspec, rev, cancellable, error))
+      if (!ostree_parse_refspec (refspec, &remote, &ref, error))
+        goto out;
+
+      if (!_ostree_repo_write_ref (self, remote, ref, rev,
+                                   cancellable, error))
         goto out;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/libostree/ostree-repo.h b/src/libostree/ostree-repo.h
index 0ff114b3..562e6c18 100644
--- a/src/libostree/ostree-repo.h
+++ b/src/libostree/ostree-repo.h
@@ -133,6 +133,13 @@ void          ostree_repo_transaction_set_ref     (OstreeRepo *self,
                                                    const char *ref,
                                                    const char *checksum);
 
+gboolean      ostree_repo_set_ref_immediate (OstreeRepo *self,
+                                             const char *remote,
+                                             const char *ref,
+                                             const char *checksum,
+                                             GCancellable  *cancellable,
+                                             GError       **error);
+
 gboolean      ostree_repo_has_object (OstreeRepo           *self,
                                       OstreeObjectType      objtype,
                                       const char           *checksum,
diff --git a/src/ostree/ot-builtin-refs.c b/src/ostree/ot-builtin-refs.c
index 3fbe571f..9c291fba 100644
--- a/src/ostree/ot-builtin-refs.c
+++ b/src/ostree/ot-builtin-refs.c
@@ -67,18 +67,20 @@ ostree_builtin_refs (int argc, char **argv, OstreeRepo *repo, GCancellable *canc
     }
   else
     {
-      if (!ostree_repo_prepare_transaction (repo, NULL, cancellable, error))
-        goto out;
-
       g_hash_table_iter_init (&hashiter, refs);
       while (g_hash_table_iter_next (&hashiter, &hashkey, &hashvalue))
         {
           const char *refspec = hashkey;
-          ostree_repo_transaction_set_refspec (repo, refspec, NULL);
-        }
+          gs_free char *remote = NULL;
+          gs_free char *ref = NULL;
 
-      if (!ostree_repo_commit_transaction (repo, NULL, cancellable, error))
-        goto out;
+          if (!ostree_parse_refspec (refspec, &remote, &ref, error))
+            goto out;
+          
+          if (!ostree_repo_set_ref_immediate (repo, remote, ref, NULL,
+                                              cancellable, error))
+            goto out;
+        }
     }
 
   ret = TRUE;