diff --git a/cache-tree.c b/cache-tree.c
index 32772b956..feace8bd9 100644
--- a/cache-tree.c
+++ b/cache-tree.c
@@ -592,7 +592,7 @@ static struct cache_tree *cache_tree_find(struct cache_tree *it, const char *pat
 	return it;
 }
 
-int write_cache_as_tree(unsigned char *sha1, int flags, const char *prefix)
+int write_index_as_tree(unsigned char *sha1, struct index_state *index_state, const char *index_path, int flags, const char *prefix)
 {
 	int entries, was_valid, newfd;
 	struct lock_file *lock_file;
@@ -603,23 +603,23 @@ int write_cache_as_tree(unsigned char *sha1, int flags, const char *prefix)
 	 */
 	lock_file = xcalloc(1, sizeof(struct lock_file));
 
-	newfd = hold_locked_index(lock_file, 1);
+	newfd = hold_lock_file_for_update(lock_file, index_path, LOCK_DIE_ON_ERROR);
 
-	entries = read_cache();
+	entries = read_index_from(index_state, index_path);
 	if (entries < 0)
 		return WRITE_TREE_UNREADABLE_INDEX;
 	if (flags & WRITE_TREE_IGNORE_CACHE_TREE)
-		cache_tree_free(&(active_cache_tree));
+		cache_tree_free(&index_state->cache_tree);
 
-	if (!active_cache_tree)
-		active_cache_tree = cache_tree();
+	if (!index_state->cache_tree)
+		index_state->cache_tree = cache_tree();
 
-	was_valid = cache_tree_fully_valid(active_cache_tree);
+	was_valid = cache_tree_fully_valid(index_state->cache_tree);
 	if (!was_valid) {
-		if (cache_tree_update(&the_index, flags) < 0)
+		if (cache_tree_update(index_state, flags) < 0)
 			return WRITE_TREE_UNMERGED_INDEX;
 		if (0 <= newfd) {
-			if (!write_locked_index(&the_index, lock_file, COMMIT_LOCK))
+			if (!write_locked_index(index_state, lock_file, COMMIT_LOCK))
 				newfd = -1;
 		}
 		/* Not being able to write is fine -- we are only interested
@@ -631,14 +631,14 @@ int write_cache_as_tree(unsigned char *sha1, int flags, const char *prefix)
 	}
 
 	if (prefix) {
-		struct cache_tree *subtree =
-			cache_tree_find(active_cache_tree, prefix);
+		struct cache_tree *subtree;
+		subtree = cache_tree_find(index_state->cache_tree, prefix);
 		if (!subtree)
 			return WRITE_TREE_PREFIX_ERROR;
 		hashcpy(sha1, subtree->sha1);
 	}
 	else
-		hashcpy(sha1, active_cache_tree->sha1);
+		hashcpy(sha1, index_state->cache_tree->sha1);
 
 	if (0 <= newfd)
 		rollback_lock_file(lock_file);
@@ -646,6 +646,11 @@ int write_cache_as_tree(unsigned char *sha1, int flags, const char *prefix)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+int write_cache_as_tree(unsigned char *sha1, int flags, const char *prefix)
+{
+	return write_index_as_tree(sha1, &the_index, get_index_file(), flags, prefix);
+}
+
 static void prime_cache_tree_rec(struct cache_tree *it, struct tree *tree)
 {
 	struct tree_desc desc;
diff --git a/cache-tree.h b/cache-tree.h
index aa7b3e4a0..41c574663 100644
--- a/cache-tree.h
+++ b/cache-tree.h
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ int update_main_cache_tree(int);
 #define WRITE_TREE_UNMERGED_INDEX (-2)
 #define WRITE_TREE_PREFIX_ERROR (-3)
 
+int write_index_as_tree(unsigned char *sha1, struct index_state *index_state, const char *index_path, int flags, const char *prefix);
 int write_cache_as_tree(unsigned char *sha1, int flags, const char *prefix);
 void prime_cache_tree(struct index_state *, struct tree *);