diff --git a/builtin/commit.c b/builtin/commit.c
index 5e2221c..9bf1003 100644
--- a/builtin/commit.c
+++ b/builtin/commit.c
@@ -1627,11 +1627,12 @@
 	const char *index_file, *reflog_msg;
 	char *nl;
 	unsigned char sha1[20];
-	struct ref_lock *ref_lock;
 	struct commit_list *parents = NULL, **pptr = &parents;
 	struct stat statbuf;
 	struct commit *current_head = NULL;
 	struct commit_extra_header *extra = NULL;
+	struct ref_transaction *transaction;
+	struct strbuf err = STRBUF_INIT;
 
 	if (argc == 2 && !strcmp(argv[1], "-h"))
 		usage_with_options(builtin_commit_usage, builtin_commit_options);
@@ -1753,16 +1754,6 @@
 	strbuf_release(&author_ident);
 	free_commit_extra_headers(extra);
 
-	ref_lock = lock_any_ref_for_update("HEAD",
-					   !current_head
-					   ? NULL
-					   : current_head->object.sha1,
-					   0, NULL);
-	if (!ref_lock) {
-		rollback_index_files();
-		die(_("cannot lock HEAD ref"));
-	}
-
 	nl = strchr(sb.buf, '\n');
 	if (nl)
 		strbuf_setlen(&sb, nl + 1 - sb.buf);
@@ -1771,10 +1762,17 @@
 	strbuf_insert(&sb, 0, reflog_msg, strlen(reflog_msg));
 	strbuf_insert(&sb, strlen(reflog_msg), ": ", 2);
 
-	if (write_ref_sha1(ref_lock, sha1, sb.buf) < 0) {
+	transaction = ref_transaction_begin(&err);
+	if (!transaction ||
+	    ref_transaction_update(transaction, "HEAD", sha1,
+				   current_head
+				   ? current_head->object.sha1 : NULL,
+				   0, !!current_head, &err) ||
+	    ref_transaction_commit(transaction, sb.buf, &err)) {
 		rollback_index_files();
-		die(_("cannot update HEAD ref"));
+		die("%s", err.buf);
 	}
+	ref_transaction_free(transaction);
 
 	unlink(git_path("CHERRY_PICK_HEAD"));
 	unlink(git_path("REVERT_HEAD"));
@@ -1803,5 +1801,6 @@
 	if (!quiet)
 		print_summary(prefix, sha1, !current_head);
 
+	strbuf_release(&err);
 	return 0;
 }