@@ -112,6 +112,9 @@ def _get_ref_info(self):
 			# END for each packed ref
 		# END handle packed refs
 
+		if tokens is None:
+			raise ValueError("Reference at %r does not exist" % self.path)
+		
 		# is it a reference ?
 		if tokens[0] == 'ref:':
 			return (None, tokens[1])
@@ -417,7 +420,6 @@ def rename(self, new_path, force=False):
 	def _iter_items(cls, repo, common_path = None):
 		if common_path is None:
 			common_path = cls._common_path_default
-		
 		rela_paths = set()
 
 		# walk loose refs
@@ -516,7 +518,7 @@ def __init__(self, repo, path):
 			
 		"""
 		if not path.startswith(self._common_path_default+'/'):
-			raise ValueError("Cannot instantiate %s from path %s" % ( self.__class__.__name__, path ))
+			raise ValueError("Cannot instantiate %r from path %s" % ( self.__class__.__name__, path ))
 		super(Reference, self).__init__(repo, path)
 
 
 
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ def _has_lock(self):
 			pid = int(fp.read())
 			fp.close()
 		except IOError:
-			raise AssertionError("GitConfigParser has a lock but the lock file at %s could not be read" % lock_file)
+			raise AssertionError("The lock file at %s could not be read" % lock_file)
 
 		if pid != os.getpid():
 			raise AssertionError("We claim to own the lock at %s, but it was not owned by our process: %i" % (lock_file, os.getpid()))
 
@@ -274,6 +274,10 @@ def test_head_reset(self, rw_repo):
 			assert ref_new_name.object == orig_obj
 			assert ref_new_name == ref
 		# END for each name type
+		
+		# References that don't exist trigger an error if we want to access them
+		self.failUnlessRaises(ValueError, getattr, Reference(rw_repo, "refs/doesntexist"), 'commit')
+		
 		# exists, fail unless we force
 		ex_ref_path = far_away_head.path
 		self.failUnlessRaises(OSError, ref.rename, ex_ref_path)