diff --git a/knotserver/git/post_receive.go b/knotserver/git/post_receive.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..525afb0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/knotserver/git/post_receive.go
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+package git
+
+import (
+	"bufio"
+	"io"
+	"strings"
+)
+
+type PostReceiveLine struct {
+	OldSha string // old sha of reference being updated
+	NewSha string // new sha of reference being updated
+	Ref    string // the reference being updated
+}
+
+func ParsePostReceive(buf io.Reader) ([]PostReceiveLine, error) {
+	scanner := bufio.NewScanner(buf)
+	var lines []PostReceiveLine
+	for scanner.Scan() {
+		line := scanner.Text()
+		parts := strings.SplitN(line, " ", 3)
+		if len(parts) != 3 {
+			continue
+		}
+
+		oldSha := parts[0]
+		newSha := parts[1]
+		ref := parts[2]
+
+		lines = append(lines, PostReceiveLine{
+			OldSha: oldSha,
+			NewSha: newSha,
+			Ref:    ref,
+		})
+	}
+
+	if err := scanner.Err(); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	return lines, nil
+}
diff --git a/knotserver/internal.go b/knotserver/internal.go
index bccffed..610fb8a 100644
--- a/knotserver/internal.go
+++ b/knotserver/internal.go
@@ -1,17 +1,16 @@
 package knotserver
 
 import (
-	"bufio"
 	"context"
 	"log/slog"
 	"net/http"
 	"path/filepath"
-	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/go-chi/chi/v5"
 	"github.com/go-chi/chi/v5/middleware"
 	"tangled.sh/tangled.sh/core/knotserver/config"
 	"tangled.sh/tangled.sh/core/knotserver/db"
+	"tangled.sh/tangled.sh/core/knotserver/git"
 	"tangled.sh/tangled.sh/core/knotserver/notifier"
 	"tangled.sh/tangled.sh/core/rbac"
 )
@@ -70,47 +69,34 @@ func (h *InternalHandle) PostReceiveHook(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request)
 	}
 	gitUserDid := r.Header.Get("X-Git-User-Did")
 
-	var ops []db.Op
-	scanner := bufio.NewScanner(r.Body)
-	for scanner.Scan() {
-		line := scanner.Text()
-		parts := strings.SplitN(line, " ", 3)
-		if len(parts) != 3 {
-			l.Error("invalid payload", "parts", parts)
-			continue
-		}
-
-		tid := TID()
-		oldSha := parts[0]
-		newSha := parts[1]
-		ref := parts[2]
-		op := db.Op{
-			Tid:    tid,
-			Did:    gitUserDid,
-			Repo:   gitRelativeDir,
-			OldSha: oldSha,
-			NewSha: newSha,
-			Ref:    ref,
-		}
-		ops = append(ops, op)
-	}
-
-	if err := scanner.Err(); err != nil {
-		l.Error("failed to read payload", "err", err)
-		return
+	lines, err := git.ParsePostReceive(r.Body)
+	if err != nil {
+		l.Error("failed to parse post-receive payload", "err", err)
+		// non-fatal
 	}
 
-	for _, op := range ops {
-		err := h.db.InsertOp(op, h.n)
+	for _, line := range lines {
+		err := h.updateOpLog(line, gitUserDid, gitRelativeDir)
 		if err != nil {
-			l.Error("failed to insert op", "err", err, "op", op)
-			continue
+			l.Error("failed to insert op", "err", err, "line", line, "did", gitUserDid, "repo", gitRelativeDir)
 		}
 	}
 
 	return
 }
 
+func (h *InternalHandle) updateOpLog(line git.PostReceiveLine, did, repo string) error {
+	op := db.Op{
+		Tid:    TID(),
+		Did:    did,
+		Repo:   repo,
+		OldSha: line.OldSha,
+		NewSha: line.NewSha,
+		Ref:    line.Ref,
+	}
+	return h.db.InsertOp(op, h.n)
+}
+
 func Internal(ctx context.Context, c *config.Config, db *db.DB, e *rbac.Enforcer, l *slog.Logger, n *notifier.Notifier) http.Handler {
 	r := chi.NewRouter()