diff --git a/c_src/reference.c b/c_src/reference.c
index 7fd59d2..ab050af 100644
--- a/c_src/reference.c
+++ b/c_src/reference.c
@@ -211,15 +211,13 @@ geef_reference_to_id(ErlNifEnv *env, int argc, const ERL_NIF_TERM argv[])
 	memcpy(name, bin.data, bin.size);
 	name[bin.size] = '\0';
 
-	if (git_reference_name_to_id(&id, repo->repo, name) < 0) {
-		enif_release_binary(&bin);
+	if (git_reference_name_to_id(&id, repo->repo, name) < 0)
 		return geef_error(env);
-	}
 
 	if (geef_oid_bin(&bin, &id) < 0)
 		return atoms.error;
 
-	return enif_make_binary(env, &bin);
+	return enif_make_tuple2(env, atoms.ok, enif_make_binary(env, &bin));
 }
 
 ERL_NIF_TERM
diff --git a/src/geef_ref.erl b/src/geef_ref.erl
index fd555db..9af77ea 100644
--- a/src/geef_ref.erl
+++ b/src/geef_ref.erl
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 -module(geef_ref).
 
--export([lookup/2, resolve/1, target/1]).
+-export([lookup/2, resolve/1, target/1, name_to_id/2]).
 
 -include("geef_records.hrl").
 
@@ -33,3 +33,12 @@ target(#ref{handle=Handle,type=symbolic}) ->
 target(#ref{handle=Handle,type=oid}) ->
     Oid = geef:reference_target(Handle),
     #oid{oid=Oid}.
+
+-spec name_to_id(repo(), iolist()) -> {ok, oid()} | {error, binary()}.
+name_to_id(#repo{handle=Handle}, Name) ->
+    case geef:reference_to_id(Handle, Name) of
+	{ok, Oid} ->
+	    {ok, #oid{oid=Oid}};
+	Other ->
+	    Other
+    end.