diff --git a/lib/src/git.rs b/lib/src/git.rs
index 11fc301e3..ec97024f1 100644
--- a/lib/src/git.rs
+++ b/lib/src/git.rs
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ pub fn import_some_refs(
             mut_repo.set_git_head_target(RefTarget::normal(head_commit_id));
         }
     } else {
-        mut_repo.set_git_head_target(None);
+        mut_repo.set_git_head_target(RefTarget::absent());
     }
 
     let mut changed_git_refs = BTreeMap::new();
@@ -253,7 +253,7 @@ pub fn import_some_refs(
         // TODO: or clean up invalid ref in case it was stored due to historical bug?
         let ref_name = parse_git_ref(&full_name).expect("stored git ref should be parsable");
         if git_ref_filter(&ref_name) {
-            mut_repo.set_git_ref_target(&full_name, None);
+            mut_repo.set_git_ref_target(&full_name, RefTarget::absent());
             changed_git_refs.insert(ref_name, (Some(target), None));
         } else {
             pinned_git_heads.insert(ref_name, target.added_ids().cloned().collect());
@@ -463,7 +463,7 @@ pub fn export_some_refs(
             true
         };
         if success {
-            mut_repo.set_git_ref_target(&git_ref_name, None);
+            mut_repo.set_git_ref_target(&git_ref_name, RefTarget::absent());
         } else {
             failed_branches.push(parsed_ref_name);
         }
@@ -536,10 +536,10 @@ pub fn remove_remote(
         .filter_map(|r| r.starts_with(&prefix).then(|| r.clone()))
         .collect_vec();
     for branch in branches_to_delete {
-        mut_repo.set_remote_branch_target(&branch, remote_name, None);
+        mut_repo.set_remote_branch_target(&branch, remote_name, RefTarget::absent());
     }
     for git_ref in git_refs_to_delete {
-        mut_repo.set_git_ref_target(&git_ref, None);
+        mut_repo.set_git_ref_target(&git_ref, RefTarget::absent());
     }
     Ok(())
 }
@@ -568,7 +568,7 @@ pub fn rename_remote(
         })
         .collect_vec();
     for (old, new, target) in git_refs {
-        mut_repo.set_git_ref_target(&old, None);
+        mut_repo.set_git_ref_target(&old, RefTarget::absent());
         mut_repo.set_git_ref_target(&new, Some(target));
     }
     Ok(())
diff --git a/lib/src/op_store.rs b/lib/src/op_store.rs
index 7a290e19d..d99517409 100644
--- a/lib/src/op_store.rs
+++ b/lib/src/op_store.rs
@@ -143,6 +143,19 @@ impl ContentHash for RefTarget {
 }
 
 impl RefTarget {
+    /// Creates non-conflicting target pointing to no commit.
+    pub fn absent() -> Option<Self> {
+        None
+    }
+
+    /// Returns non-conflicting target pointing to no commit.
+    ///
+    /// This will typically be used in place of `None` returned by map lookup.
+    pub fn absent_ref() -> Option<&'static Self> {
+        // TODO: This will be static ref to Conflict::resolved(None).
+        None
+    }
+
     /// Creates non-conflicting target pointing to a commit.
     pub fn normal(id: CommitId) -> Option<Self> {
         Some(RefTarget::Normal(id))
diff --git a/lib/src/refs.rs b/lib/src/refs.rs
index 62087094c..23ef19bfc 100644
--- a/lib/src/refs.rs
+++ b/lib/src/refs.rs
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ mod tests {
     fn test_classify_branch_push_action_removed() {
         let commit_id1 = CommitId::from_hex("11");
         let branch = BranchTarget {
-            local_target: None,
+            local_target: RefTarget::absent(),
             remote_targets: btreemap! {
                 "origin".to_string() => RefTarget::normal(commit_id1.clone()).unwrap(),
             },
diff --git a/lib/src/simple_op_store.rs b/lib/src/simple_op_store.rs
index 622cbcdd0..df118cc76 100644
--- a/lib/src/simple_op_store.rs
+++ b/lib/src/simple_op_store.rs
@@ -396,7 +396,7 @@ mod tests {
                     }
                 },
                 "deleted".to_string() => BranchTarget {
-                    local_target: None,
+                    local_target: RefTarget::absent(),
                     remote_targets: btreemap! {
                         "origin".to_string() => branch_deleted_origin_target.unwrap(),
                     }
diff --git a/lib/src/view.rs b/lib/src/view.rs
index 6a5e5fe3f..3c5d44e5b 100644
--- a/lib/src/view.rs
+++ b/lib/src/view.rs
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ impl View {
 
     fn remove_local_branch(&mut self, name: &str) {
         if let Some(branch) = self.data.branches.get_mut(name) {
-            branch.local_target = None;
+            branch.local_target = RefTarget::absent();
             if branch.remote_targets.is_empty() {
                 self.remove_branch(name);
             }
diff --git a/lib/tests/test_git.rs b/lib/tests/test_git.rs
index 430211dd9..b5a8d9094 100644
--- a/lib/tests/test_git.rs
+++ b/lib/tests/test_git.rs
@@ -888,7 +888,7 @@ fn test_import_refs_empty_git_repo() {
     assert_eq!(repo.view().branches().len(), 0);
     assert_eq!(repo.view().tags().len(), 0);
     assert_eq!(repo.view().git_refs().len(), 0);
-    assert_eq!(repo.view().git_head(), None);
+    assert_eq!(repo.view().git_head(), RefTarget::absent_ref());
 }
 
 #[test]
@@ -1143,7 +1143,7 @@ fn test_import_export_no_auto_local_branch() {
     git::import_refs(mut_repo, &git_repo, &git_settings).unwrap();
 
     let expected_branch = BranchTarget {
-        local_target: None,
+        local_target: RefTarget::absent(),
         remote_targets: btreemap! {
             "origin".to_string() => RefTarget::normal(jj_id(&git_commit)).unwrap(),
         },
@@ -1159,7 +1159,7 @@ fn test_import_export_no_auto_local_branch() {
 
     // Export the branch to git
     assert_eq!(git::export_refs(mut_repo, &git_repo), Ok(vec![]));
-    assert_eq!(mut_repo.get_git_ref("refs/heads/main"), None);
+    assert_eq!(mut_repo.get_git_ref("refs/heads/main"), RefTarget::absent());
 }
 
 #[test]
@@ -1250,7 +1250,7 @@ fn test_export_partial_failure() {
 
     // Now remove the `main` branch and make sure that the `main/sub` gets exported
     // even though it didn't change
-    mut_repo.set_local_branch_target("main", None);
+    mut_repo.set_local_branch_target("main", RefTarget::absent());
     assert_eq!(
         git::export_refs(mut_repo, &git_repo),
         Ok(vec![
@@ -1313,7 +1313,7 @@ fn test_export_reexport_transitions() {
 
     // Make changes on the jj side
     for branch in ["AXA", "AXB", "AXX"] {
-        mut_repo.set_local_branch_target(branch, None);
+        mut_repo.set_local_branch_target(branch, RefTarget::absent());
     }
     for branch in ["XAA", "XAB", "XAX"] {
         mut_repo.set_local_branch_target(branch, RefTarget::normal(commit_a.id().clone()));
diff --git a/lib/tests/test_mut_repo.rs b/lib/tests/test_mut_repo.rs
index 1c9cb5353..06d34e93e 100644
--- a/lib/tests/test_mut_repo.rs
+++ b/lib/tests/test_mut_repo.rs
@@ -490,8 +490,8 @@ fn test_has_changed(use_git: bool) {
 
     mut_repo.remove_public_head(commit2.id());
     mut_repo.remove_head(commit2.id());
-    mut_repo.set_local_branch_target("stable", None);
-    mut_repo.set_remote_branch_target("stable", "origin", None);
+    mut_repo.set_local_branch_target("stable", RefTarget::absent());
+    mut_repo.set_remote_branch_target("stable", "origin", RefTarget::absent());
     assert!(!mut_repo.has_changes());
 
     mut_repo.add_head(&commit2);
@@ -614,5 +614,8 @@ fn test_rename_remote(use_git: bool) {
     mut_repo.set_remote_branch_target("main", "origin", target.clone());
     mut_repo.rename_remote("origin", "upstream");
     assert_eq!(mut_repo.get_remote_branch("main", "upstream"), target);
-    assert_eq!(mut_repo.get_remote_branch("main", "origin"), None);
+    assert_eq!(
+        mut_repo.get_remote_branch("main", "origin"),
+        RefTarget::absent()
+    );
 }
diff --git a/lib/tests/test_refs.rs b/lib/tests/test_refs.rs
index 643ce480d..3ac38b059 100644
--- a/lib/tests/test_refs.rs
+++ b/lib/tests/test_refs.rs
@@ -154,13 +154,13 @@ fn test_merge_ref_targets() {
     // Left removed
     assert_eq!(
         merge_ref_targets(index, None, target3.as_ref(), target3.as_ref()),
-        None
+        RefTarget::absent()
     );
 
     // Right removed
     assert_eq!(
         merge_ref_targets(index, target3.as_ref(), target3.as_ref(), None),
-        None
+        RefTarget::absent()
     );
 
     // Left removed, right moved forward
diff --git a/lib/tests/test_revset.rs b/lib/tests/test_revset.rs
index cd3c135d4..5d6ce36b1 100644
--- a/lib/tests/test_revset.rs
+++ b/lib/tests/test_revset.rs
@@ -1624,7 +1624,7 @@ fn test_evaluate_expression_git_refs(use_git: bool) {
             [commit3.id().clone(), commit4.id().clone()],
         ),
     );
-    mut_repo.set_git_ref_target("refs/tags/tag2", None);
+    mut_repo.set_git_ref_target("refs/tags/tag2", RefTarget::absent());
     assert_eq!(
         resolve_commit_ids(mut_repo, "git_refs()"),
         vec![
@@ -1713,7 +1713,7 @@ fn test_evaluate_expression_branches(use_git: bool) {
             [commit3.id().clone(), commit4.id().clone()],
         ),
     );
-    mut_repo.set_local_branch_target("branch3", None);
+    mut_repo.set_local_branch_target("branch3", RefTarget::absent());
     assert_eq!(
         resolve_commit_ids(mut_repo, "branches()"),
         vec![
@@ -1822,7 +1822,7 @@ fn test_evaluate_expression_remote_branches(use_git: bool) {
             [commit3.id().clone(), commit4.id().clone()],
         ),
     );
-    mut_repo.set_remote_branch_target("branch3", "origin", None);
+    mut_repo.set_remote_branch_target("branch3", "origin", RefTarget::absent());
     assert_eq!(
         resolve_commit_ids(mut_repo, "remote_branches()"),
         vec![
diff --git a/lib/tests/test_rewrite.rs b/lib/tests/test_rewrite.rs
index 61b004200..653c8d94e 100644
--- a/lib/tests/test_rewrite.rs
+++ b/lib/tests/test_rewrite.rs
@@ -1313,7 +1313,7 @@ fn test_rebase_descendants_branch_delete_modify_abandon() {
     let mut tx = repo.start_transaction(&settings, "test");
     tx.mut_repo().record_abandoned_commit(commit_b.id().clone());
     tx.mut_repo().rebase_descendants(&settings).unwrap();
-    assert_eq!(tx.mut_repo().get_local_branch("main"), None);
+    assert_eq!(tx.mut_repo().get_local_branch("main"), RefTarget::absent());
 }
 
 #[test_case(false ; "local backend")]
diff --git a/src/commands/branch.rs b/src/commands/branch.rs
index ff11b1fe6..3e618c957 100644
--- a/src/commands/branch.rs
+++ b/src/commands/branch.rs
@@ -279,7 +279,8 @@ fn cmd_branch_delete(
     let branch_term = make_branch_term(names.iter().collect_vec().as_slice());
     let mut tx = workspace_command.start_transaction(&format!("delete {branch_term}"));
     for branch_name in names.iter() {
-        tx.mut_repo().set_local_branch_target(branch_name, None);
+        tx.mut_repo()
+            .set_local_branch_target(branch_name, RefTarget::absent());
     }
     tx.finish(ui)?;
     if names.len() > 1 {
diff --git a/src/commands/operation.rs b/src/commands/operation.rs
index 258bddffb..9e5892cfd 100644
--- a/src/commands/operation.rs
+++ b/src/commands/operation.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 use std::collections::{BTreeMap, BTreeSet};
 
 use clap::Subcommand;
-use jj_lib::op_store::{BranchTarget, RefTargetExt as _};
+use jj_lib::op_store::{BranchTarget, RefTarget, RefTargetExt as _};
 use jj_lib::operation;
 use jj_lib::repo::Repo;
 
@@ -187,7 +187,8 @@ fn view_with_desired_portions_restored(
         let local_target = new_view
             .branches
             .get(branch_name)
-            .and_then(|br| br.local_target.clone());
+            .map(|br| br.local_target.clone())
+            .unwrap_or_else(RefTarget::absent);
         let remote_targets = branch_source_view
             .branches
             .get(branch_name)