diff --git a/src/base.rs b/src/base.rs
index 6262cb3..901a3ff 100644
--- a/src/base.rs
+++ b/src/base.rs
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ pub fn read_tree(oid: String) {
 pub fn commit(message: &str) -> String {
     let mut commit = format!("tree {}\n", write_tree(".".to_owned()));
 
-    let head = data::get_ref("HEAD".to_owned());
+    let head = data::get_ref("HEAD".to_owned(), true);
     if head.value != "" {
         commit += format!("parent {}\n", head.value).as_str();
     }
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ pub fn commit(message: &str) -> String {
             value: oid.clone(),
             symbolic: false,
         },
+        true,
     );
     return oid;
 }
@@ -145,6 +146,7 @@ pub fn checkout(oid: String) {
             value: oid,
             symbolic: false,
         },
+        true,
     );
 }
 
@@ -155,6 +157,7 @@ pub fn create_tag(name: String, oid: String) {
             value: oid,
             symbolic: false,
         },
+        true,
     );
 }
 
@@ -171,7 +174,7 @@ pub fn get_oid(mut name: String) -> String {
     ];
 
     for reference in refs_to_try.into_iter() {
-        let found = data::get_ref(reference.clone());
+        let found = data::get_ref(reference.clone(), false);
         if found.value != "" {
             return found.value;
         } else {
@@ -200,6 +203,7 @@ pub fn create_branch(name: String, oid: String) {
             value: oid,
             symbolic: false,
         },
+        true,
     );
 }
 
diff --git a/src/data.rs b/src/data.rs
index d6c9487..40098e1 100644
--- a/src/data.rs
+++ b/src/data.rs
@@ -49,9 +49,9 @@ pub fn get_object(hash: String, expected: String) -> String {
     return data;
 }
 
-pub fn update_ref(mut reference: String, value: RefValue) {
+pub fn update_ref(mut reference: String, value: RefValue, deref: bool) {
     assert!(!value.symbolic);
-    reference = get_ref_internal(reference).0;
+    reference = get_ref_internal(reference, deref).0;
     let path = format!("{}/{}", RGIT_DIR, reference);
     let mut parents = Path::new(&path).ancestors();
     parents.next();
@@ -61,13 +61,13 @@ pub fn update_ref(mut reference: String, value: RefValue) {
     fs::write(path, value.value).expect("Failed to updated HEAD");
 }
 
-pub fn get_ref(reference: String) -> RefValue {
-    return get_ref_internal(reference).1;
+pub fn get_ref(reference: String, deref: bool) -> RefValue {
+    return get_ref_internal(reference, deref).1;
 }
 
-pub fn iter_refs() -> Vec<(String, RefValue)> {
+pub fn iter_refs(deref: bool) -> Vec<(String, RefValue)> {
     let mut refs: Vec<(String, RefValue)> = vec![];
-    refs.push(("HEAD".to_owned(), get_ref("HEAD".to_owned())));
+    refs.push(("HEAD".to_owned(), get_ref("HEAD".to_owned(), deref)));
 
     for entry in WalkDir::new(format!("{}/refs/", RGIT_DIR)) {
         let item = entry.unwrap();
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ pub fn iter_refs() -> Vec<(String, RefValue)> {
             let relative_path = item.path().strip_prefix(RGIT_DIR).unwrap();
             refs.push((
                 relative_path.to_str().unwrap().to_owned(),
-                get_ref(relative_path.to_str().unwrap().to_owned()),
+                get_ref(relative_path.to_str().unwrap().to_owned(), deref),
             ));
         }
     }
@@ -85,20 +85,18 @@ pub fn iter_refs() -> Vec<(String, RefValue)> {
     return refs;
 }
 
-pub fn get_ref_internal(reference: String) -> (String, RefValue) {
+pub fn get_ref_internal(reference: String, deref: bool) -> (String, RefValue) {
     let ref_path = format!("{}/{}", RGIT_DIR, reference);
-    let value = fs::read_to_string(ref_path).unwrap_or("".to_owned());
+    let mut value = fs::read_to_string(ref_path).unwrap_or("".to_owned());
+    let symbolic = !value.is_empty() && value.starts_with("ref:");
 
-    if !value.is_empty() && value.starts_with("ref:") {
+    if symbolic {
         let new_ref: Vec<&str> = value.splitn(2, ":").collect();
-        return get_ref_internal(new_ref[1].to_owned());
+        value = new_ref[1].to_owned();
+        if deref {
+            return get_ref_internal(value, deref);
+        }
     }
 
-    return (
-        reference,
-        RefValue {
-            value,
-            symbolic: false,
-        },
-    );
+    return (reference, RefValue { value, symbolic });
 }
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 69ee2d0..9dd46e0 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -164,10 +164,12 @@ fn tag(matches: ArgMatches) {
 fn k() {
     let mut dot = "digraph commits {\n".to_owned();
     let mut oids = VecDeque::new();
-    for refinfo in data::iter_refs() {
+    for refinfo in data::iter_refs(false) {
         dot.push_str(&format!("\"{}\" [shape=note]\n", refinfo.0));
         dot.push_str(&format!("\"{}\" -> \"{}\"", refinfo.0, refinfo.1.value));
-        oids.push_back(refinfo.1.value);
+        if !refinfo.1.symbolic {
+            oids.push_back(refinfo.1.value);
+        }
     }
 
     for oid in base::iter_commits_and_parents(oids) {