diff --git a/LibGit2Sharp/Core/Handles/UnownedTreeEntryHandle.cs b/LibGit2Sharp/Core/Handles/UnownedTreeEntryHandle.cs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f2d422d58
--- /dev/null
+++ b/LibGit2Sharp/Core/Handles/UnownedTreeEntryHandle.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+using System;
+
+namespace LibGit2Sharp.Core.Handles;
+
+internal unsafe class UnownedTreeEntryHandle : TreeEntryHandle
+{
+    internal UnownedTreeEntryHandle()
+        : base(IntPtr.Zero, false)
+    {
+    }
+
+    internal UnownedTreeEntryHandle(IntPtr ptr)
+        : base(ptr, false)
+    {
+    }
+}
diff --git a/LibGit2Sharp/Core/NativeMethods.cs b/LibGit2Sharp/Core/NativeMethods.cs
index 0991fbf53..61128f1f4 100644
--- a/LibGit2Sharp/Core/NativeMethods.cs
+++ b/LibGit2Sharp/Core/NativeMethods.cs
@@ -1998,7 +1998,7 @@ internal static extern int git_transport_unregister(
         internal static extern unsafe uint git_tree_entry_filemode(TreeEntryHandle entry);
 
         [DllImport(libgit2, CallingConvention = CallingConvention.Cdecl)]
-        internal static extern unsafe TreeEntryHandle git_tree_entry_byindex(ObjectHandle tree, UIntPtr idx);
+        internal static extern unsafe UnownedTreeEntryHandle git_tree_entry_byindex(ObjectHandle tree, UIntPtr idx);
 
         [DllImport(libgit2, CallingConvention = CallingConvention.Cdecl)]
         internal static extern unsafe int git_tree_entry_bypath(
diff --git a/LibGit2Sharp/Core/Proxy.cs b/LibGit2Sharp/Core/Proxy.cs
index a910e5f85..da76b0609 100644
--- a/LibGit2Sharp/Core/Proxy.cs
+++ b/LibGit2Sharp/Core/Proxy.cs
@@ -3188,13 +3188,7 @@ public static unsafe Mode git_tree_entry_attributes(TreeEntryHandle entry)
 
         public static unsafe TreeEntryHandle git_tree_entry_byindex(ObjectHandle tree, long idx)
         {
-            var handle = NativeMethods.git_tree_entry_byindex(tree, (UIntPtr)idx);
-            if (handle == null)
-            {
-                return null;
-            }
-
-            return new TreeEntryHandle(handle, false);
+            return NativeMethods.git_tree_entry_byindex(tree, (UIntPtr)idx);
         }
 
         public static unsafe TreeEntryHandle git_tree_entry_bypath(RepositoryHandle repo, ObjectId id, string treeentry_path)