diff --git a/bisect.c b/bisect.c
index 1be8e0a2711df9..985b96ed132516 100644
--- a/bisect.c
+++ b/bisect.c
@@ -471,7 +471,6 @@ static int read_bisect_refs(void)
 }
 
 static GIT_PATH_FUNC(git_path_bisect_names, "BISECT_NAMES")
-static GIT_PATH_FUNC(git_path_bisect_expected_rev, "BISECT_EXPECTED_REV")
 static GIT_PATH_FUNC(git_path_bisect_ancestors_ok, "BISECT_ANCESTORS_OK")
 static GIT_PATH_FUNC(git_path_bisect_run, "BISECT_RUN")
 static GIT_PATH_FUNC(git_path_bisect_start, "BISECT_START")
@@ -707,26 +706,10 @@ static enum bisect_error error_if_skipped_commits(struct commit_list *tried,
 
 static int is_expected_rev(const struct object_id *oid)
 {
-	const char *filename = git_path_bisect_expected_rev();
-	struct stat st;
-	struct strbuf str = STRBUF_INIT;
-	FILE *fp;
-	int res = 0;
-
-	if (stat(filename, &st) || !S_ISREG(st.st_mode))
+	struct object_id expected_oid;
+	if (read_ref("BISECT_EXPECTED_REV", &expected_oid))
 		return 0;
-
-	fp = fopen_or_warn(filename, "r");
-	if (!fp)
-		return 0;
-
-	if (strbuf_getline_lf(&str, fp) != EOF)
-		res = !strcmp(str.buf, oid_to_hex(oid));
-
-	strbuf_release(&str);
-	fclose(fp);
-
-	return res;
+	return oideq(oid, &expected_oid);
 }
 
 enum bisect_error bisect_checkout(const struct object_id *bisect_rev,
@@ -1185,10 +1168,10 @@ int bisect_clean_state(void)
 	struct string_list refs_for_removal = STRING_LIST_INIT_NODUP;
 	for_each_ref_in("refs/bisect", mark_for_removal, (void *) &refs_for_removal);
 	string_list_append(&refs_for_removal, xstrdup("BISECT_HEAD"));
+	string_list_append(&refs_for_removal, xstrdup("BISECT_EXPECTED_REV"));
 	result = delete_refs("bisect: remove", &refs_for_removal, REF_NO_DEREF);
 	refs_for_removal.strdup_strings = 1;
 	string_list_clear(&refs_for_removal, 0);
-	unlink_or_warn(git_path_bisect_expected_rev());
 	unlink_or_warn(git_path_bisect_ancestors_ok());
 	unlink_or_warn(git_path_bisect_log());
 	unlink_or_warn(git_path_bisect_names());
diff --git a/builtin/bisect.c b/builtin/bisect.c
index 35938b05fd1c0b..4e2c43daf57cd7 100644
--- a/builtin/bisect.c
+++ b/builtin/bisect.c
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@
 #include "revision.h"
 
 static GIT_PATH_FUNC(git_path_bisect_terms, "BISECT_TERMS")
-static GIT_PATH_FUNC(git_path_bisect_expected_rev, "BISECT_EXPECTED_REV")
 static GIT_PATH_FUNC(git_path_bisect_ancestors_ok, "BISECT_ANCESTORS_OK")
 static GIT_PATH_FUNC(git_path_bisect_start, "BISECT_START")
 static GIT_PATH_FUNC(git_path_bisect_log, "BISECT_LOG")
@@ -921,7 +920,6 @@ static enum bisect_error bisect_state(struct bisect_terms *terms, int argc,
 	const char *state;
 	int i, verify_expected = 1;
 	struct object_id oid, expected;
-	struct strbuf buf = STRBUF_INIT;
 	struct oid_array revs = OID_ARRAY_INIT;
 
 	if (!argc)
@@ -976,10 +974,8 @@ static enum bisect_error bisect_state(struct bisect_terms *terms, int argc,
 		oid_array_append(&revs, &commit->object.oid);
 	}
 
-	if (strbuf_read_file(&buf, git_path_bisect_expected_rev(), 0) < the_hash_algo->hexsz ||
-	    get_oid_hex(buf.buf, &expected) < 0)
+	if (read_ref("BISECT_EXPECTED_REV", &expected))
 		verify_expected = 0; /* Ignore invalid file contents */
-	strbuf_release(&buf);
 
 	for (i = 0; i < revs.nr; i++) {
 		if (bisect_write(state, oid_to_hex(&revs.oid[i]), terms, 0)) {
@@ -988,7 +984,7 @@ static enum bisect_error bisect_state(struct bisect_terms *terms, int argc,
 		}
 		if (verify_expected && !oideq(&revs.oid[i], &expected)) {
 			unlink_or_warn(git_path_bisect_ancestors_ok());
-			unlink_or_warn(git_path_bisect_expected_rev());
+			delete_ref(NULL, "BISECT_EXPECTED_REV", NULL, REF_NO_DEREF);
 			verify_expected = 0;
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/refs.c b/refs.c
index 8fe34d51e4a6d4..c76ce86bef7b12 100644
--- a/refs.c
+++ b/refs.c
@@ -1840,6 +1840,8 @@ static int is_special_ref(const char *refname)
 	 * There are some exceptions that you might expect to see on this list
 	 * but which are handled exclusively via the reference backend:
 	 *
+	 * - BISECT_EXPECTED_REV
+	 *
 	 * - CHERRY_PICK_HEAD
 	 *
 	 * - HEAD
@@ -1857,7 +1859,6 @@ static int is_special_ref(const char *refname)
 	 */
 	static const char * const special_refs[] = {
 		"AUTO_MERGE",
-		"BISECT_EXPECTED_REV",
 		"FETCH_HEAD",
 		"MERGE_AUTOSTASH",
 		"MERGE_HEAD",
diff --git a/t/t6030-bisect-porcelain.sh b/t/t6030-bisect-porcelain.sh
index 2a5b7d8379c2a9..792c1504bcc7bd 100755
--- a/t/t6030-bisect-porcelain.sh
+++ b/t/t6030-bisect-porcelain.sh
@@ -1176,7 +1176,7 @@ test_expect_success 'git bisect reset cleans bisection state properly' '
 	git bisect bad $HASH4 &&
 	git bisect reset &&
 	test -z "$(git for-each-ref "refs/bisect/*")" &&
-	test_path_is_missing ".git/BISECT_EXPECTED_REV" &&
+	test_ref_missing BISECT_EXPECTED_REV &&
 	test_path_is_missing ".git/BISECT_ANCESTORS_OK" &&
 	test_path_is_missing ".git/BISECT_LOG" &&
 	test_path_is_missing ".git/BISECT_RUN" &&