diff --git a/builtin/stash--helper.c b/builtin/stash--helper.c
index 6da0a510b6..296ac9d8a1 100644
--- a/builtin/stash--helper.c
+++ b/builtin/stash--helper.c
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 
 static const char * const git_stash_helper_usage[] = {
 	N_("git stash--helper drop [-q|--quiet] [<stash>]"),
-	N_("git stash--helper ( pop | apply ) [--index] [-q|--quiet] [<stash>]"),
+	N_("git stash--helper apply [--index] [-q|--quiet] [<stash>]"),
 	N_("git stash--helper branch <branchname> [<stash>]"),
 	N_("git stash--helper clear"),
 	NULL
@@ -25,11 +25,6 @@ static const char * const git_stash_helper_drop_usage[] = {
 	NULL
 };
 
-static const char * const git_stash_helper_pop_usage[] = {
-	N_("git stash--helper pop [--index] [-q|--quiet] [<stash>]"),
-	NULL
-};
-
 static const char * const git_stash_helper_apply_usage[] = {
 	N_("git stash--helper apply [--index] [-q|--quiet] [<stash>]"),
 	NULL
@@ -549,36 +544,6 @@ static int drop_stash(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	return ret;
 }
 
-static int pop_stash(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
-{
-	int ret;
-	int index = 0;
-	int quiet = 0;
-	struct stash_info info;
-	struct option options[] = {
-		OPT__QUIET(&quiet, N_("be quiet, only report errors")),
-		OPT_BOOL(0, "index", &index,
-			 N_("attempt to recreate the index")),
-		OPT_END()
-	};
-
-	argc = parse_options(argc, argv, prefix, options,
-			     git_stash_helper_pop_usage, 0);
-
-	if (get_stash_info(&info, argc, argv))
-		return -1;
-
-	assert_stash_ref(&info);
-	if ((ret = do_apply_stash(prefix, &info, index, quiet)))
-		printf_ln(_("The stash entry is kept in case "
-			    "you need it again."));
-	else
-		ret = do_drop_stash(prefix, &info, quiet);
-
-	free_stash_info(&info);
-	return ret;
-}
-
 static int branch_stash(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 {
 	int ret;
@@ -643,8 +608,6 @@ int cmd_stash__helper(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		return !!clear_stash(argc, argv, prefix);
 	else if (!strcmp(argv[0], "drop"))
 		return !!drop_stash(argc, argv, prefix);
-	else if (!strcmp(argv[0], "pop"))
-		return !!pop_stash(argc, argv, prefix);
 	else if (!strcmp(argv[0], "branch"))
 		return !!branch_stash(argc, argv, prefix);
 
diff --git a/git-stash.sh b/git-stash.sh
index 8a9f907aa9..67db321a4c 100755
--- a/git-stash.sh
+++ b/git-stash.sh
@@ -571,6 +571,50 @@ assert_stash_like() {
 	}
 }
 
+is_stash_ref() {
+	is_stash_like "$@" && test -n "$IS_STASH_REF"
+}
+
+assert_stash_ref() {
+	is_stash_ref "$@" || {
+		args="$*"
+		die "$(eval_gettext "'\$args' is not a stash reference")"
+	}
+}
+
+apply_stash () {
+	cd "$START_DIR"
+	git stash--helper apply "$@"
+	res=$?
+	cd_to_toplevel
+	return $res
+}
+
+pop_stash() {
+	assert_stash_ref "$@"
+
+	if apply_stash "$@"
+	then
+		drop_stash "$@"
+	else
+		status=$?
+		say "$(gettext "The stash entry is kept in case you need it again.")"
+		exit $status
+	fi
+}
+
+drop_stash () {
+	assert_stash_ref "$@"
+
+	git reflog delete --updateref --rewrite "${REV}" &&
+		say "$(eval_gettext "Dropped \${REV} (\$s)")" ||
+		die "$(eval_gettext "\${REV}: Could not drop stash entry")"
+
+	# clear_stash if we just dropped the last stash entry
+	git rev-parse --verify --quiet "$ref_stash@{0}" >/dev/null ||
+	clear_stash
+}
+
 test "$1" = "-p" && set "push" "$@"
 
 PARSE_CACHE='--not-parsed'
@@ -628,8 +672,7 @@ drop)
 	;;
 pop)
 	shift
-	cd "$START_DIR"
-	git stash--helper pop "$@"
+	pop_stash "$@"
 	;;
 branch)
 	shift