diff --git a/object-name.c b/object-name.c
index 88d1313028cf0b..190356ef1e771b 100644
--- a/object-name.c
+++ b/object-name.c
@@ -2052,12 +2052,14 @@ static enum get_oid_result get_oid_with_context_1(struct repository *repo,
 		return -1;
 	}
 	for (cp = name, bracket_depth = 0; *cp; cp++) {
-		if (*cp == '{')
+		if (*(cp+1) == '{' && (*cp == '@' || *cp == '^')) {
+			cp++;
 			bracket_depth++;
-		else if (bracket_depth && *cp == '}')
+		} else if (bracket_depth && *cp == '}') {
 			bracket_depth--;
-		else if (!bracket_depth && *cp == ':')
+		} else if (!bracket_depth && *cp == ':') {
 			break;
+		}
 	}
 	if (*cp == ':') {
 		struct object_id tree_oid;
diff --git a/t/t1006-cat-file.sh b/t/t1006-cat-file.sh
index ff9bf213aa2c73..398865d6ebe9c6 100755
--- a/t/t1006-cat-file.sh
+++ b/t/t1006-cat-file.sh
@@ -240,7 +240,8 @@ test_expect_success "setup" '
 	git config extensions.objectformat $test_hash_algo &&
 	git config extensions.compatobjectformat $test_compat_hash_algo &&
 	echo_without_newline "$hello_content" > hello &&
-	git update-index --add hello
+	git update-index --add hello &&
+	git commit -m "add hello file"
 '
 
 run_blob_tests () {
@@ -602,6 +603,34 @@ test_expect_success FUNNYNAMES '--batch-check, -Z with newline in input' '
 	test_cmp expect actual
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'setup with curly braches in input' '
+	git branch "foo{bar" HEAD &&
+	git branch "foo@" HEAD
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'object reference with curly brace' '
+	git cat-file -p "foo{bar:hello" >actual &&
+	git cat-file -p HEAD:hello >expect &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'object reference with at-sign' '
+	git cat-file -p "foo@@{0}:hello" >actual &&
+	git cat-file -p HEAD:hello >expect &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'setup with commit with colon' '
+	git commit-tree -m "testing: just a bunch of junk" HEAD^{tree} >out &&
+	git branch other $(cat out)
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'object reference via commit text search' '
+	git cat-file -p "other^{/testing:}:hello" >actual &&
+	git cat-file -p HEAD:hello >expect &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
 test_expect_success 'setup blobs which are likely to delta' '
 	test-tool genrandom foo 10240 >foo &&
 	{ cat foo && echo plus; } >foo-plus &&