diff --git a/gix-refspec/Cargo.toml b/gix-refspec/Cargo.toml
index f094903805..6000738ae8 100644
--- a/gix-refspec/Cargo.toml
+++ b/gix-refspec/Cargo.toml
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ smallvec = "1.15.1"
 
 [dev-dependencies]
 gix-testtools = { path = "../tests/tools" }
+gix-hash = { path = "../gix-hash", features = ["sha1", "sha256"] }
 insta = "1.46.3"
 
 [package.metadata.docs.rs]
diff --git a/gix-refspec/tests/fixtures/generated-archives/parse_baseline_sha256.tar b/gix-refspec/tests/fixtures/generated-archives/parse_baseline_sha256.tar
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..947fbb4c7a
Binary files /dev/null and b/gix-refspec/tests/fixtures/generated-archives/parse_baseline_sha256.tar differ
diff --git a/gix-refspec/tests/fixtures/match_baseline.sh b/gix-refspec/tests/fixtures/match_baseline.sh
index 74980db9dd..c068b6c0e0 100755
--- a/gix-refspec/tests/fixtures/match_baseline.sh
+++ b/gix-refspec/tests/fixtures/match_baseline.sh
@@ -43,12 +43,24 @@ git clone --shared ./base clone
   baseline "main"
   baseline "v0.0-f1"
   baseline "tags/v0.0-f2"
-  baseline "78b1c1be9421b33a49a7a8176d93eeeafa112da1"
-  baseline "9d2fab1a0ba3585d0bc50922bfdd04ebb59361df"
-  baseline "78b1c1be9421b33a49a7a8176d93eeeafa112da1:special"
-  baseline "78b1c1be9421b33a49a7a8176d93eeeafa112da1:1111111111111111111111111111111111111111"
-  baseline "9d2fab1a0ba3585d0bc50922bfdd04ebb59361df:tags/special"
-  baseline "9d2fab1a0ba3585d0bc50922bfdd04ebb59361df:refs/tags/special"
+  case ${GIX_TEST_FIXTURE_HASH:-sha1} in
+    sha1)
+      baseline "78b1c1be9421b33a49a7a8176d93eeeafa112da1"
+      baseline "9d2fab1a0ba3585d0bc50922bfdd04ebb59361df"
+      baseline "78b1c1be9421b33a49a7a8176d93eeeafa112da1:special"
+      baseline "78b1c1be9421b33a49a7a8176d93eeeafa112da1:1111111111111111111111111111111111111111"
+      baseline "9d2fab1a0ba3585d0bc50922bfdd04ebb59361df:tags/special"
+      baseline "9d2fab1a0ba3585d0bc50922bfdd04ebb59361df:refs/tags/special" ;;
+    sha256)
+      baseline "b071221ea854da2958fba3a37527ca5cf32c4ebcd71ab0b68b6b8f10f04e93ad"
+      baseline "ac050883b75422e0d03bfee760c591b292cbc10cee8ad934480ea5fb2ebc44fe"
+      baseline "b071221ea854da2958fba3a37527ca5cf32c4ebcd71ab0b68b6b8f10f04e93ad:special"
+      baseline "b071221ea854da2958fba3a37527ca5cf32c4ebcd71ab0b68b6b8f10f04e93ad:1111111111111111111111111111111111111111"
+      baseline "ac050883b75422e0d03bfee760c591b292cbc10cee8ad934480ea5fb2ebc44fe:tags/special"
+      baseline "ac050883b75422e0d03bfee760c591b292cbc10cee8ad934480ea5fb2ebc44fe:refs/tags/special" ;;
+    *)
+      exit 1 ;;
+  esac
   baseline "f1:origin/f1"
   baseline "f1:remotes/origin/f1"
   baseline "f1:notes/f1"
diff --git a/gix-refspec/tests/refspec/match_group.rs b/gix-refspec/tests/refspec/match_group.rs
index 032dc36033..845d68d6d6 100644
--- a/gix-refspec/tests/refspec/match_group.rs
+++ b/gix-refspec/tests/refspec/match_group.rs
@@ -1,38 +1,53 @@
 mod single {
     use crate::matching::baseline;
 
+    fn test_hashes() -> (String, String) {
+        let annotated_tag = match gix_testtools::hash_kind_from_env() {
+            gix_hash::Kind::Sha1 => "78b1c1be9421b33a49a7a8176d93eeeafa112da1",
+            gix_hash::Kind::Sha256 => "b071221ea854da2958fba3a37527ca5cf32c4ebcd71ab0b68b6b8f10f04e93ad",
+            _ => unimplemented!(),
+        };
+        let initial_commit = match gix_testtools::hash_kind_from_env() {
+            gix_hash::Kind::Sha1 => "9d2fab1a0ba3585d0bc50922bfdd04ebb59361df",
+            gix_hash::Kind::Sha256 => "ac050883b75422e0d03bfee760c591b292cbc10cee8ad934480ea5fb2ebc44fe",
+            _ => unimplemented!(),
+        };
+
+        (annotated_tag.into(), initial_commit.into())
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn fetch_only() {
+        let (annotated_tag, initial_commit) = test_hashes();
+
         baseline::agrees_with_fetch_specs(Some("refs/heads/main"));
         baseline::agrees_with_fetch_specs(Some("heads/main"));
         baseline::agrees_with_fetch_specs(Some("main"));
         baseline::agrees_with_fetch_specs(Some("v0.0-f1"));
         baseline::agrees_with_fetch_specs(Some("tags/v0.0-f2"));
-        baseline::of_objects_always_matches_if_the_server_has_the_object(Some(
-            "78b1c1be9421b33a49a7a8176d93eeeafa112da1",
-        ));
-        baseline::of_objects_always_matches_if_the_server_has_the_object(Some(
-            "9d2fab1a0ba3585d0bc50922bfdd04ebb59361df",
-        ));
+        baseline::of_objects_always_matches_if_the_server_has_the_object(Some(annotated_tag.as_ref()));
+        baseline::of_objects_always_matches_if_the_server_has_the_object(Some(initial_commit.as_ref()));
     }
 
     #[test]
     fn fetch_and_update() {
+        let (annotated_tag, initial_commit) = test_hashes();
+
         baseline::of_objects_with_destinations_are_written_into_given_local_branches(
-            Some("78b1c1be9421b33a49a7a8176d93eeeafa112da1:special"),
-            ["78b1c1be9421b33a49a7a8176d93eeeafa112da1:refs/heads/special"],
+            Some(format!("{annotated_tag}:special").as_ref()),
+            [format!("{annotated_tag}:refs/heads/special").as_ref()],
         );
         baseline::of_objects_with_destinations_are_written_into_given_local_branches(
-            Some("78b1c1be9421b33a49a7a8176d93eeeafa112da1:1111111111111111111111111111111111111111"),
-            ["78b1c1be9421b33a49a7a8176d93eeeafa112da1:refs/heads/1111111111111111111111111111111111111111"],
+            Some(format!("{annotated_tag}:1111111111111111111111111111111111111111").as_ref()),
+            [format!("{annotated_tag}:refs/heads/1111111111111111111111111111111111111111").as_ref()],
         );
         baseline::of_objects_with_destinations_are_written_into_given_local_branches(
-            Some("9d2fab1a0ba3585d0bc50922bfdd04ebb59361df:tags/special"),
-            ["9d2fab1a0ba3585d0bc50922bfdd04ebb59361df:refs/tags/special"],
+            Some(format!("{initial_commit}:tags/special").as_ref()),
+            [format!("{initial_commit}:refs/tags/special").as_ref()],
         );
         baseline::of_objects_with_destinations_are_written_into_given_local_branches(
-            Some("9d2fab1a0ba3585d0bc50922bfdd04ebb59361df:refs/tags/special"),
-            ["9d2fab1a0ba3585d0bc50922bfdd04ebb59361df:refs/tags/special"],
+            Some(format!("{initial_commit}:refs/tags/special").as_ref()),
+            [format!("{initial_commit}:refs/tags/special").as_ref()],
         );
 
         baseline::agrees_but_observable_refs_are_vague(Some("f1:origin/f1"), ["refs/heads/f1:refs/heads/origin/f1"]);
diff --git a/gix-refspec/tests/refspec/spec.rs b/gix-refspec/tests/refspec/spec.rs
index 4b31a14474..1a17db24e4 100644
--- a/gix-refspec/tests/refspec/spec.rs
+++ b/gix-refspec/tests/refspec/spec.rs
@@ -53,6 +53,12 @@ mod prefix {
             parse("e69de29bb2d1d6434b8b29ae775ad8c2e48c5391").to_ref().prefix(),
             None
         );
+        assert_eq!(
+            parse("b071221ea854da2958fba3a37527ca5cf32c4ebcd71ab0b68b6b8f10f04e93ad")
+                .to_ref()
+                .prefix(),
+            None
+        );
     }
 
     fn parse(spec: &str) -> RefSpec {
@@ -117,6 +123,10 @@ mod expand_prefixes {
     #[test]
     fn object_names_expand_to_nothing() {
         assert_eq!(parse("e69de29bb2d1d6434b8b29ae775ad8c2e48c5391").len(), 0);
+        assert_eq!(
+            parse("b071221ea854da2958fba3a37527ca5cf32c4ebcd71ab0b68b6b8f10f04e93ad").len(),
+            0
+        );
     }
 
     fn parse(spec: &str) -> Vec<String> {
diff --git a/gix/Cargo.toml b/gix/Cargo.toml
index ccde5a2270..52fceed453 100644
--- a/gix/Cargo.toml
+++ b/gix/Cargo.toml
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ comfort = [
 #! Support for various hash algorithms is controlled here. The idea is to allow applications to
 #! compile in only the ones they need, which is why within the entire `gix` stack there is no
 #! crate that sets an algorithm, except for the top-level `gix` crate for convenience.
-#! 
+#!
 #! At least one hash algorithm must be enabled for compilation to succeed.
 
 ## Enable support for the SHA-1 hash throughout the `gix` stack.
@@ -120,6 +120,13 @@ sha1 = [
     "gix-worktree-stream?/sha1",
 ]
 
+## Enable support for the SHA-256 hash throughout the `gix` stack.
+##
+## Note that, as of 2026-03-02, only `gix-hash` offers that flag yet.
+sha256 = [
+    "gix-hash/sha256",
+]
+
 #! #### Components
 #!
 #! A component is a distinct feature which may be comprised of one or more methods around a particular topic.
diff --git a/justfile b/justfile
index 9e4663c678..8435909f23 100755
--- a/justfile
+++ b/justfile
@@ -182,6 +182,8 @@ check:
     cargo check -p gix --no-default-features --features interrupt --tests
     cargo check -p gix --no-default-features --features blame --tests
     cargo check -p gix --no-default-features --features sha1
+    cargo check -p gix --no-default-features --features sha1,sha256
+    cargo check -p gix --no-default-features 2>&1 >/dev/null | grep 'Please set either the `sha1` or the `sha256` feature flag'
     cargo check -p gix-odb --features serde 2>&1 >/dev/null | grep 'Please set either the `sha1` or the `sha256` feature flag'
     cargo check -p gix-odb --features sha1,serde
     cargo check --no-default-features --features max-control,sha1
@@ -230,6 +232,8 @@ unit-tests:
     cargo nextest run -p gix-protocol --features blocking-client --no-fail-fast
     cargo nextest run -p gix-protocol --features async-client --no-fail-fast
     cargo nextest run -p gix-blame --no-fail-fast
+    env GIX_TEST_FIXTURE_HASH=sha1 cargo nextest run -p gix-refspec --no-fail-fast
+    env GIX_TEST_FIXTURE_HASH=sha256 cargo nextest run -p gix-refspec --no-fail-fast
     cargo nextest run -p gix --no-default-features --no-fail-fast
     cargo nextest run -p gix --no-default-features --features basic,comfort,max-performance-safe --no-fail-fast
     cargo nextest run -p gix --no-default-features --features basic,extras,comfort,need-more-recent-msrv --no-fail-fast
diff --git a/tests/tools/src/lib.rs b/tests/tools/src/lib.rs
index f236f8ea00..5d01e02876 100644
--- a/tests/tools/src/lib.rs
+++ b/tests/tools/src/lib.rs
@@ -1266,8 +1266,13 @@ where
     Ok((script_result_directory, res))
 }
 
-fn hash_kind_from_env() -> gix_hash::Kind {
-    env::var_os("GIX_TEST_FIXTURE_HASH").and_then(|value| value.into_string().ok()).map(|object_kind| {
+/// Returns the hash function that is used when creating or loading test fixtures. The value
+/// returned is derived from the environment variable `GIX_TEST_FIXTURE_HASH`. Use this, e. g.,
+/// when you need to run different assertions depending on the hash function used in a specific
+/// fixture.
+pub fn hash_kind_from_env() -> gix_hash::Kind {
+    static FIXTURE_HASH: LazyLock<gix_hash::Kind> = LazyLock::new(|| {
+        env::var_os("GIX_TEST_FIXTURE_HASH").and_then(|value| value.into_string().ok()).map(|object_kind| {
         gix_hash::Kind::from_str(&object_kind).unwrap_or_else(|_| {
                     panic!(
                         "GIX_TEST_FIXTURE_HASH was set to {object_kind} which is an invalid value. Valid values are {}. Exiting.",
@@ -1275,6 +1280,8 @@ fn hash_kind_from_env() -> gix_hash::Kind {
                     )
                 })
     }).unwrap_or_default()
+    });
+    *FIXTURE_HASH
 }
 
 #[cfg(windows)]