@@ -336,8 +336,9 @@ def _parse_object_header(self, header_line):
 		"""
 		tokens = header_line.split()
 		if len(tokens) != 3:
-			raise ValueError( "SHA named %s could not be resolved" % tokens[0] )
-			
+			raise ValueError("SHA named %s could not be resolved" % tokens[0] )
+		if len(tokens[0]) != 40:
+			raise ValueError("Failed to parse header: %r" % header_line) 
 		return (tokens[0], tokens[1], int(tokens[2]))
 
 	def __prepare_ref(self, ref):
 
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ def __getitem__(self,item):
 		if isinstance(item, basestring):
 			# compatability
 			for obj in self._cache:
-				if obj.path == item:
+				if obj.name == item:
 					return obj
 			# END for each obj
 			raise KeyError( "Blob or Tree named %s not found" % item )
 
@@ -349,12 +349,12 @@ def iter_trees(self, *args, **kwargs):
 		"""
 		return ( c.tree for c in self.iter_commits(*args, **kwargs) )
 
-	def tree(self, ref=None):
+	def tree(self, rev=None):
 		"""
-		The Tree object for the given treeish reference
+		The Tree object for the given treeish revision
 
-		``ref``
-			is a Ref instance defaulting to the active_branch if None.
+		``rev``
+			is a revision pointing to a Treeish ( being a commit or tree )
 
 		Examples::
 
@@ -364,32 +364,19 @@ def tree(self, ref=None):
 			``git.Tree``
 			
 		NOTE
-			A ref is requried here to assure you point to a commit or tag. Otherwise
-			it is not garantueed that you point to the root-level tree.
-			
 			If you need a non-root level tree, find it by iterating the root tree. Otherwise
 			it cannot know about its path relative to the repository root and subsequent 
 			operations might have unexpected results.
 		"""
-		if ref is None:
-			ref = self.active_branch
-		if not isinstance(ref, Reference):
-			raise ValueError( "Reference required, got %r" % ref )
-		
-		
-		# As we are directly reading object information, we must make sure
-		# we truly point to a tree object. We resolve the ref to a sha in all cases
-		# to assure the returned tree can be compared properly. Except for
-		# heads, ids should always be hexshas
-		hexsha, typename, size = self.git.get_object_header( ref )
-		if typename != "tree":
-			# will raise if this is not a valid tree
-			hexsha, typename, size = self.git.get_object_header( str(ref)+'^{tree}' )
-		# END tree handling
-		ref = hexsha
-		
-		# the root has an empty relative path and the default mode
-		return Tree(self, ref, 0, '')
+		if rev is None:
+			rev = self.active_branch
+		
+		c = Object.new(self, rev)
+		if c.type == "commit":
+			return c.tree
+		elif c.type == "tree":
+			return c
+		raise ValueError( "Revision %s did not point to a treeish, but to %s" % (rev, c))
 
 	def iter_commits(self, rev=None, paths='', **kwargs):
 		"""
 
@@ -38,6 +38,14 @@ def test_heads_should_populate_head_data(self):
 
 		assert isinstance(self.rorepo.heads.master, Head)
 		assert isinstance(self.rorepo.heads['master'], Head)
+		
+	def test_tree_from_revision(self):
+		tree = self.rorepo.tree('0.1.6')
+		assert tree.type == "tree"
+		assert self.rorepo.tree(tree) == tree
+		
+		# try from invalid revision that does not exist
+		self.failUnlessRaises(ValueError, self.rorepo.tree, 'hello world')
 
 	@patch_object(Git, '_call_process')
 	def test_commits(self, git):
 
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ def setUp(self):
 
 
 	def test_traverse(self):
-		root = self.repo.tree()
+		root = self.repo.tree('0.1.6')
 		num_recursive = 0
 		all_items = list()
 		for obj in root.traverse():