@@ -2669,7 +2669,7 @@ enum ref_transaction_error refs_verify_refnames_available(struct ref_store *refs
 			if (!iter) {
 				iter = refs_ref_iterator_begin(refs, dirname.buf, NULL, 0,
 							       DO_FOR_EACH_INCLUDE_BROKEN);
-			} else if (ref_iterator_seek(iter, dirname.buf) < 0) {
+			} else if (ref_iterator_seek(iter, dirname.buf, 1) < 0) {
 				goto cleanup;
 			}
 

@@ -1300,20 +1300,25 @@ struct ref_iterator *refs_ref_iterator_begin(
 int ref_iterator_advance(struct ref_iterator *ref_iterator);
 
 /*
- * Seek the iterator to the first reference with the given prefix.
- * The prefix is matched as a literal string, without regard for path
+ * Seek the iterator to the first reference matching the given seek string.
+ * The seek string is matched as a literal string, without regard for path
  * separators. If prefix is NULL or the empty string, seek the iterator to the
  * first reference again.
  *
- * This function is expected to behave as if a new ref iterator with the same
- * prefix had been created, but allows reuse of iterators and thus may allow
- * the backend to optimize. Parameters other than the prefix that have been
- * passed when creating the iterator will remain unchanged.
+ * When set_prefix is true, this function behaves as if a new ref iterator
+ * with the same prefix had been created, setting the prefix for subsequent
+ * iteration. When set_prefix is false, the iterator simply seeks to the
+ * specified reference without changing the existing prefix, allowing
+ * iteration to start from that specific reference.
+ *
+ * This function allows reuse of iterators and thus may allow the backend
+ * to optimize. Parameters other than the prefix that have been passed when
+ * creating the iterator will remain unchanged.
  *
  * Returns 0 on success, a negative error code otherwise.
  */
 int ref_iterator_seek(struct ref_iterator *ref_iterator,
-		      const char *prefix);
+		      const char *seek, int set_prefix);
 
 /*
  * If possible, peel the reference currently being viewed by the

@@ -170,12 +170,13 @@ static int debug_ref_iterator_advance(struct ref_iterator *ref_iterator)
 }
 
 static int debug_ref_iterator_seek(struct ref_iterator *ref_iterator,
-				   const char *prefix)
+				   const char *seek, int set_prefix)
 {
 	struct debug_ref_iterator *diter =
 		(struct debug_ref_iterator *)ref_iterator;
-	int res = diter->iter->vtable->seek(diter->iter, prefix);
-	trace_printf_key(&trace_refs, "iterator_seek: %s: %d\n", prefix ? prefix : "", res);
+	int res = diter->iter->vtable->seek(diter->iter, seek, set_prefix);
+	trace_printf_key(&trace_refs, "iterator_seek: %s set_prefix: %d: %d\n",
+			 seek ? seek : "", set_prefix, res);
 	return res;
 }
 

@@ -929,11 +929,11 @@ static int files_ref_iterator_advance(struct ref_iterator *ref_iterator)
 }
 
 static int files_ref_iterator_seek(struct ref_iterator *ref_iterator,
-				   const char *prefix)
+				   const char *seek, int set_prefix)
 {
 	struct files_ref_iterator *iter =
 		(struct files_ref_iterator *)ref_iterator;
-	return ref_iterator_seek(iter->iter0, prefix);
+	return ref_iterator_seek(iter->iter0, seek, set_prefix);
 }
 
 static int files_ref_iterator_peel(struct ref_iterator *ref_iterator,

@@ -2316,7 +2316,8 @@ static int files_reflog_iterator_advance(struct ref_iterator *ref_iterator)
 }
 
 static int files_reflog_iterator_seek(struct ref_iterator *ref_iterator UNUSED,
-				      const char *prefix UNUSED)
+				      const char *seek UNUSED,
+				      int set_prefix UNUSED)
 {
 	BUG("ref_iterator_seek() called for reflog_iterator");
 }

@@ -16,9 +16,9 @@ int ref_iterator_advance(struct ref_iterator *ref_iterator)
 }
 
 int ref_iterator_seek(struct ref_iterator *ref_iterator,
-		      const char *prefix)
+		      const char *seek, int set_prefix)
 {
-	return ref_iterator->vtable->seek(ref_iterator, prefix);
+	return ref_iterator->vtable->seek(ref_iterator, seek, set_prefix);
 }
 
 int ref_iterator_peel(struct ref_iterator *ref_iterator,

@@ -57,7 +57,8 @@ static int empty_ref_iterator_advance(struct ref_iterator *ref_iterator UNUSED)
 }
 
 static int empty_ref_iterator_seek(struct ref_iterator *ref_iterator UNUSED,
-				   const char *prefix UNUSED)
+				   const char *seek UNUSED,
+				   int set_prefix UNUSED)
 {
 	return 0;
 }

@@ -224,7 +225,7 @@ static int merge_ref_iterator_advance(struct ref_iterator *ref_iterator)
 }
 
 static int merge_ref_iterator_seek(struct ref_iterator *ref_iterator,
-				   const char *prefix)
+				   const char *seek, int set_prefix)
 {
 	struct merge_ref_iterator *iter =
 		(struct merge_ref_iterator *)ref_iterator;

@@ -234,11 +235,11 @@ static int merge_ref_iterator_seek(struct ref_iterator *ref_iterator,
 	iter->iter0 = iter->iter0_owned;
 	iter->iter1 = iter->iter1_owned;
 
-	ret = ref_iterator_seek(iter->iter0, prefix);
+	ret = ref_iterator_seek(iter->iter0, seek, set_prefix);
 	if (ret < 0)
 		return ret;
 
-	ret = ref_iterator_seek(iter->iter1, prefix);
+	ret = ref_iterator_seek(iter->iter1, seek, set_prefix);
 	if (ret < 0)
 		return ret;
 

@@ -407,13 +408,16 @@ static int prefix_ref_iterator_advance(struct ref_iterator *ref_iterator)
 }
 
 static int prefix_ref_iterator_seek(struct ref_iterator *ref_iterator,
-				    const char *prefix)
+				    const char *seek, int set_prefix)
 {
 	struct prefix_ref_iterator *iter =
 		(struct prefix_ref_iterator *)ref_iterator;
-	free(iter->prefix);
-	iter->prefix = xstrdup_or_null(prefix);
-	return ref_iterator_seek(iter->iter0, prefix);
+
+	if (set_prefix) {
+		free(iter->prefix);
+		iter->prefix = xstrdup_or_null(seek);
+	}
+	return ref_iterator_seek(iter->iter0, seek, set_prefix);
 }
 
 static int prefix_ref_iterator_peel(struct ref_iterator *ref_iterator,

@@ -1004,19 +1004,22 @@ static int packed_ref_iterator_advance(struct ref_iterator *ref_iterator)
 }
 
 static int packed_ref_iterator_seek(struct ref_iterator *ref_iterator,
-				    const char *prefix)
+				    const char *seek, int set_prefix)
 {
 	struct packed_ref_iterator *iter =
 		(struct packed_ref_iterator *)ref_iterator;
 	const char *start;
 
-	if (prefix && *prefix)
-		start = find_reference_location(iter->snapshot, prefix, 0);
+	if (seek && *seek)
+		start = find_reference_location(iter->snapshot, seek, 0);
 	else
 		start = iter->snapshot->start;
 
-	free(iter->prefix);
-	iter->prefix = xstrdup_or_null(prefix);
+	if (set_prefix) {
+		free(iter->prefix);
+		iter->prefix = xstrdup_or_null(seek);
+	}
+
 	iter->pos = start;
 	iter->eof = iter->snapshot->eof;
 

@@ -1194,7 +1197,7 @@ static struct ref_iterator *packed_ref_iterator_begin(
 	iter->repo = ref_store->repo;
 	iter->flags = flags;
 
-	if (packed_ref_iterator_seek(&iter->base, prefix) < 0) {
+	if (packed_ref_iterator_seek(&iter->base, prefix, 1) < 0) {
 		ref_iterator_free(&iter->base);
 		return NULL;
 	}

@@ -434,11 +434,9 @@ static int cache_ref_iterator_advance(struct ref_iterator *ref_iterator)
 	}
 }
 
-static int cache_ref_iterator_seek(struct ref_iterator *ref_iterator,
-				   const char *prefix)
+static int cache_ref_iterator_set_prefix(struct cache_ref_iterator *iter,
+					 const char *prefix)
 {
-	struct cache_ref_iterator *iter =
-		(struct cache_ref_iterator *)ref_iterator;
 	struct cache_ref_iterator_level *level;
 	struct ref_dir *dir;
 

@@ -469,6 +467,79 @@ static int cache_ref_iterator_seek(struct ref_iterator *ref_iterator,
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static int cache_ref_iterator_seek(struct ref_iterator *ref_iterator,
+				   const char *seek, int set_prefix)
+{
+	struct cache_ref_iterator *iter =
+		(struct cache_ref_iterator *)ref_iterator;
+
+	if (set_prefix) {
+		return cache_ref_iterator_set_prefix(iter, seek);
+	} else if (seek && *seek) {
+		struct cache_ref_iterator_level *level;
+		const char *slash = seek;
+		struct ref_dir *dir;
+
+		dir = get_ref_dir(iter->cache->root);
+
+		if (iter->prime_dir)
+			prime_ref_dir(dir, seek);
+
+		iter->levels_nr = 1;
+		level = &iter->levels[0];
+		level->index = -1;
+		level->dir = dir;
+
+		/*
+		 * Breakdown the provided seek path and assign the correct
+		 * indexing to each level as needed.
+		 */
+		do {
+			int len, idx;
+			int cmp = 0;
+
+			sort_ref_dir(dir);
+
+			slash = strchr(slash, '/');
+			len = slash ? slash - seek : (int)strlen(seek);
+
+			for (idx = 0; idx < dir->nr; idx++) {
+				cmp = strncmp(seek, dir->entries[idx]->name, len);
+				if (cmp <= 0)
+					break;
+			}
+			/* don't overflow the index */
+			idx = idx >= dir->nr ? dir->nr - 1 : idx;
+
+			if (slash)
+				slash = slash + 1;
+
+			level->index = idx;
+			if (dir->entries[idx]->flag & REF_DIR) {
+				/* push down a level */
+				dir = get_ref_dir(dir->entries[idx]);
+
+				ALLOC_GROW(iter->levels, iter->levels_nr + 1,
+					   iter->levels_alloc);
+				level = &iter->levels[iter->levels_nr++];
+				level->dir = dir;
+				level->index = -1;
+			} else {
+				/* reduce the index so the leaf node is iterated over */
+				if (cmp <= 0 && !slash)
+					level->index = idx - 1;
+				/*
+				 * while the seek path may not be exhausted, our
+				 * match is exhausted at a leaf node.
+				 */
+				break;
+			}
+		} while (slash);
+	}
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 static int cache_ref_iterator_peel(struct ref_iterator *ref_iterator,
 				   struct object_id *peeled)
 {

@@ -509,7 +580,7 @@ struct ref_iterator *cache_ref_iterator_begin(struct ref_cache *cache,
 	iter->cache = cache;
 	iter->prime_dir = prime_dir;
 
-	if (cache_ref_iterator_seek(&iter->base, prefix) < 0) {
+	if (cache_ref_iterator_seek(&iter->base, prefix, 1) < 0) {
 		ref_iterator_free(&iter->base);
 		return NULL;
 	}

@@ -353,11 +353,12 @@ void base_ref_iterator_init(struct ref_iterator *iter,
 typedef int ref_iterator_advance_fn(struct ref_iterator *ref_iterator);
 
 /*
- * Seek the iterator to the first reference matching the given prefix. Should
- * behave the same as if a new iterator was created with the same prefix.
+ * Seek the iterator to the first matching reference. If set_prefix is set,
+ * it would behave the same as if a new iterator was created with the same
+ * prefix.
  */
 typedef int ref_iterator_seek_fn(struct ref_iterator *ref_iterator,
-				 const char *prefix);
+				 const char *seek, int set_prefix);
 
 /*
  * Peels the current ref, returning 0 for success or -1 for failure.

@@ -719,15 +719,17 @@ static int reftable_ref_iterator_advance(struct ref_iterator *ref_iterator)
 }
 
 static int reftable_ref_iterator_seek(struct ref_iterator *ref_iterator,
-				      const char *prefix)
+				      const char *seek, int set_prefix)
 {
 	struct reftable_ref_iterator *iter =
 		(struct reftable_ref_iterator *)ref_iterator;
 
-	free(iter->prefix);
-	iter->prefix = xstrdup_or_null(prefix);
-	iter->prefix_len = prefix ? strlen(prefix) : 0;
-	iter->err = reftable_iterator_seek_ref(&iter->iter, prefix);
+	if (set_prefix) {
+		free(iter->prefix);
+		iter->prefix = xstrdup_or_null(seek);
+		iter->prefix_len = seek ? strlen(seek) : 0;
+	}
+	iter->err = reftable_iterator_seek_ref(&iter->iter, seek);
 
 	return iter->err;
 }

@@ -839,7 +841,7 @@ static struct reftable_ref_iterator *ref_iterator_for_stack(struct reftable_ref_
 	if (ret)
 		goto done;
 
-	ret = reftable_ref_iterator_seek(&iter->base, prefix);
+	ret = reftable_ref_iterator_seek(&iter->base, prefix, 1);
 	if (ret)
 		goto done;
 

@@ -2042,7 +2044,8 @@ static int reftable_reflog_iterator_advance(struct ref_iterator *ref_iterator)
 }
 
 static int reftable_reflog_iterator_seek(struct ref_iterator *ref_iterator UNUSED,
-					 const char *prefix UNUSED)
+					 const char *seek UNUSED,
+					 int set_prefix UNUSED)
 {
 	BUG("reftable reflog iterator cannot be seeked");
 	return -1;