@@ -132,7 +132,8 @@ The historical full-suite counts above predate this correction. A constant
 | `Repo` opening/discovery | Native storage, worktree, object format and empty-tree metadata | Repository-format validation, unsupported layouts/environment and native validation gaps; GIX-1/14/19 |
 | `Repo.rev_parse`, `rev_parse` metadata queries | Revision lookup, common directory, object format, bare flag, worktree root, fixed `modules`/`COMMIT_EDITMSG` locations | Repository-format validation, other metadata paths, symlinked metadata leaves, message searches and describe forms; GIX-1/14/17/22 |
 | Tree enumeration, `ls_tree` | Native tree entries with modes, names, and object IDs | Other command options |
-| Symbolic reference lookup, `symbolic_ref` | Nonrecursive target lookup | Mutation, missing-reference diagnostics |
+| Reference object reads | One exact native lookup for direct, symbolic and absent references | Partial names and native decoding errors |
+| Managed `symbolic_ref` | Nonrecursive target lookup | Mutation, command-level missing-reference diagnostics |
 | Reference enumeration, `for_each_ref` | Sorted reference names and literal prefixes, preserving symbolic aliases | Dangling symbolic refs, root refs, glob patterns, other formats/options |
 | Managed `config --get KEY` | Merged repository config snapshot | Files/streams, enumeration, mutation; GIX-12 |
 | Worktree inventory, `worktree list` | Main and linked worktree metadata, including bare main repositories and locks | Prunable entries; GIX-14 |
 
@@ -270,6 +270,31 @@ def _ls_tree(repo: Any, args: List[str], kwargs: Dict[str, Any]) -> bytes:
         )
 
 
+def reference_info(command: Any, path: str) -> Any:
+    """Read an exact reference target, including an absent reference, in one lookup."""
+    if gix is None:
+        return NotImplemented
+    try:
+        if path != "HEAD" and not path.startswith("refs/"):
+            raise _Unsupported("partial reference names")
+        repo = _repository(command, {})
+        reference = repo.try_find_reference(path)
+        result = None
+        if reference is not None:
+            if reference.name() != os.fsencode(path):
+                raise _Unsupported("partial reference lookup")
+            target = reference.target()
+            name = target.try_name()
+            result = (None, safe_decode(name)) if name is not None else (str(target.try_id()), None)
+    except _Unsupported as exc:
+        return _fallback("Reference.read", str(exc))
+    except gix.Error as exc:
+        _logger.debug("native reference read: %s", exc)
+        return _fallback("Reference.read", "native read diagnostics")
+    record("Reference.read", "native")
+    return result
+
+
 def _symbolic_ref(repo: Any, args: List[str], kwargs: Dict[str, Any]) -> bytes:
     if len(args) != 4 or args[:3] != ["--quiet", "--no-recurse", "--"]:
         raise _Unsupported("reference mutation or options")
 
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 
 from gitdb.exc import BadName, BadObject
 
+from git import _backend
 from git.cmd import Git
 from git.exc import GitCommandError, UnsafeOptionError
 from git.objects.base import Object
@@ -179,6 +180,13 @@ def _get_ref_info_helper(
             raise ValueError("Reference does not exist")
         cls._get_validated_ref_path(repo, ref_path)
         path = os.fspath(ref_path)
+        info = _backend.reference_info(repo.git, path)
+        if info is None:
+            raise ValueError("Reference at %r does not exist or is invalid" % path)
+        if info is not NotImplemented:
+            if info[1] is not None:
+                cls._get_validated_ref_path(repo, info[1])
+            return info
         try:
             target = repo.git._call_process_safe("symbolic_ref", "--quiet", "--no-recurse", "--", path)
             cls._get_validated_ref_path(repo, target)
 
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 
 import pytest
 
-from git import Actor, Commit, Git, Reference, Repo, _backend
+from git import Actor, Commit, Git, Reference, Repo, SymbolicReference, _backend
 from git.exc import GitCommandError, InvalidGitRepositoryError
 from gitdb import IStream
 
@@ -253,6 +253,26 @@ def test_native_tree_and_commit_bytes_match_cli(repo):
         assert commit.replace(message="a changed message").hexsha == native.hexsha
 
 
+def test_native_reference_reads_include_missing_and_dangling_targets(repo):
+    repo.index.commit("initial", skip_hooks=True)
+    repo.git.pack_refs("--all", "--prune")
+    repo.git.symbolic_ref("refs/heads/alias", "refs/heads/absent")
+    paths = ["HEAD", "refs/heads/main", "refs/heads/alias"]
+    with patch.object(_backend, "gix", None):
+        expected = [SymbolicReference._get_ref_info(repo, path) for path in paths]
+        SymbolicReference._check_ref_name_valid("refs/heads/absent")
+        with pytest.raises(ValueError) as missing:
+            SymbolicReference._get_ref_info(repo, "refs/heads/absent")
+    count = _backend.statistics().get(("Git.execute", "CLI process"), 0)
+    with patch.object(Git, "execute", side_effect=AssertionError("unexpected reference CLI call")):
+        assert [SymbolicReference._get_ref_info(repo, path) for path in paths] == expected
+        with pytest.raises(ValueError) as native_missing:
+            SymbolicReference._get_ref_info(repo, "refs/heads/absent")
+        assert str(native_missing.value) == str(missing.value)
+        assert not Reference(repo, "refs/heads/alias").is_valid()
+    assert _backend.statistics().get(("Git.execute", "CLI process"), 0) == count
+
+
 def test_unknown_command_and_storage_environment_use_cli(repo):
     before = _backend.statistics()
     assert repo.git._call_process_safe("status", "--porcelain") == ""