diff --git a/cache.h b/cache.h
index a4465cb6a2a..7265439584f 100644
--- a/cache.h
+++ b/cache.h
@@ -1721,7 +1721,6 @@ extern int copy_file(const char *dst, const char *src, int mode);
 extern int copy_file_with_time(const char *dst, const char *src, int mode);
 
 extern void write_or_die(int fd, const void *buf, size_t count);
-extern int write_or_whine(int fd, const void *buf, size_t count, const char *msg);
 extern int write_or_whine_pipe(int fd, const void *buf, size_t count, const char *msg);
 extern void fsync_or_die(int fd, const char *);
 
diff --git a/send-pack.c b/send-pack.c
index 37ee04ea3bf..299d3038483 100644
--- a/send-pack.c
+++ b/send-pack.c
@@ -36,18 +36,15 @@ int option_parse_push_signed(const struct option *opt,
 	die("bad %s argument: %s", opt->long_name, arg);
 }
 
-static int feed_object(const unsigned char *sha1, int fd, int negative)
+static void feed_object(const unsigned char *sha1, FILE *fh, int negative)
 {
-	char buf[42];
-
 	if (negative && !has_sha1_file(sha1))
-		return 1;
+		return;
 
-	memcpy(buf + negative, sha1_to_hex(sha1), 40);
 	if (negative)
-		buf[0] = '^';
-	buf[40 + negative] = '\n';
-	return write_or_whine(fd, buf, 41 + negative, "send-pack: send refs");
+		putc('^', fh);
+	fputs(sha1_to_hex(sha1), fh);
+	putc('\n', fh);
 }
 
 /*
@@ -73,6 +70,7 @@ static int pack_objects(int fd, struct ref *refs, struct sha1_array *extra, stru
 		NULL,
 	};
 	struct child_process po = CHILD_PROCESS_INIT;
+	FILE *po_in;
 	int i;
 
 	i = 4;
@@ -97,21 +95,22 @@ static int pack_objects(int fd, struct ref *refs, struct sha1_array *extra, stru
 	 * We feed the pack-objects we just spawned with revision
 	 * parameters by writing to the pipe.
 	 */
+	po_in = xfdopen(po.in, "w");
 	for (i = 0; i < extra->nr; i++)
-		if (!feed_object(extra->sha1[i], po.in, 1))
-			break;
+		feed_object(extra->sha1[i], po_in, 1);
 
 	while (refs) {
-		if (!is_null_oid(&refs->old_oid) &&
-		    !feed_object(refs->old_oid.hash, po.in, 1))
-			break;
-		if (!is_null_oid(&refs->new_oid) &&
-		    !feed_object(refs->new_oid.hash, po.in, 0))
-			break;
+		if (!is_null_oid(&refs->old_oid))
+			feed_object(refs->old_oid.hash, po_in, 1);
+		if (!is_null_oid(&refs->new_oid))
+			feed_object(refs->new_oid.hash, po_in, 0);
 		refs = refs->next;
 	}
 
-	close(po.in);
+	fflush(po_in);
+	if (ferror(po_in))
+		die_errno("error writing to pack-objects");
+	fclose(po_in);
 
 	if (args->stateless_rpc) {
 		char *buf = xmalloc(LARGE_PACKET_MAX);
diff --git a/write_or_die.c b/write_or_die.c
index 49e80aa2221..981687945a7 100644
--- a/write_or_die.c
+++ b/write_or_die.c
@@ -94,14 +94,3 @@ int write_or_whine_pipe(int fd, const void *buf, size_t count, const char *msg)
 
 	return 1;
 }
-
-int write_or_whine(int fd, const void *buf, size_t count, const char *msg)
-{
-	if (write_in_full(fd, buf, count) < 0) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "%s: write error (%s)\n",
-			msg, strerror(errno));
-		return 0;
-	}
-
-	return 1;
-}