diff --git a/git/refs/log.py b/git/refs/log.py
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@
__all__ = ["RefLog", "RefLogEntry"]

from mmap import mmap
-import os.path as osp
import re
import time as _time

@@ -212,8 +211,11 @@ def path(cls, ref: "SymbolicReference") -> str:

        :param ref:
            :class:`~git.refs.symbolic.SymbolicReference` instance
        """
-        return osp.join(ref.repo.git_dir, "logs", to_native_path(ref.path))

    @classmethod
    def iter_entries(cls, stream: Union[str, "BytesIO", mmap]) -> Iterator[RefLogEntry]:

diff --git a/git/refs/symbolic.py b/git/refs/symbolic.py
@@ -110,6 +110,32 @@ def name(self) -> str:
    def abspath(self) -> PathLike:
        return join_path_native(_git_dir(self.repo, self.path), self.path)

    @classmethod
    def _get_packed_refs_path(cls, repo: "Repo") -> str:
        return os.path.join(repo.common_dir, "packed-refs")
@@ -485,7 +511,7 @@ def set_reference(
            # END handle non-existing
        # END retrieve old hexsha

-        fpath = self.abspath
        assure_directory_exists(fpath, is_file=True)

        lfd = LockedFD(fpath)
@@ -632,7 +658,7 @@ def delete(cls, repo: "Repo", path: PathLike) -> None:
            Alternatively the symbolic reference to be deleted.
        """
        full_ref_path = cls.to_full_path(path)
-        abs_path = os.path.join(repo.common_dir, full_ref_path)
        if os.path.exists(abs_path):
            os.remove(abs_path)
        else:
@@ -695,9 +721,8 @@ def _create(
        symbolic reference. Otherwise it will be resolved to the corresponding object
        and a detached symbolic reference will be created instead.
        """
-        git_dir = _git_dir(repo, path)
        full_ref_path = cls.to_full_path(path)
-        abs_ref_path = os.path.join(git_dir, full_ref_path)

        # Figure out target data.
        target = reference
@@ -789,8 +814,8 @@ def rename(self, new_path: PathLike, force: bool = False) -> "SymbolicReference"
        if self.path == new_path:
            return self

-        new_abs_path = os.path.join(_git_dir(self.repo, new_path), new_path)
-        cur_abs_path = os.path.join(_git_dir(self.repo, self.path), self.path)
        if os.path.isfile(new_abs_path):
            if not force:
                # If they point to the same file, it's not an error.

diff --git a/git/util.py b/git/util.py
@@ -289,7 +289,7 @@ def join_path(a: PathLike, *p: PathLike) -> PathLike:

if sys.platform == "win32":

-    def to_native_path_windows(path: PathLike) -> PathLike:
        path = os.fspath(path)
        return path.replace("/", "\\")


diff --git a/test/test_refs.py b/test/test_refs.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
# This module is part of GitPython and is released under the
# 3-Clause BSD License: https://opensource.org/license/bsd-3-clause/

from itertools import chain
import os.path as osp
from pathlib import Path
@@ -18,6 +19,7 @@
    RefLog,
    Reference,
    RemoteReference,
    SymbolicReference,
    TagReference,
)
@@ -29,6 +31,18 @@


class TestRefs(TestBase):
    def test_from_path(self):
        # Should be able to create any reference directly.
        for ref_type in (Reference, Head, TagReference, RemoteReference):
@@ -648,6 +662,115 @@ def test_refs_outside_repo(self):
            ref_file_name = Path(ref_file.name).name
            self.assertRaises(BadName, self.rorepo.commit, f"../../{ref_file_name}")

    def test_validity_ref_names(self):
        """Ensure ref names are checked for validity.