PUT file API returns "ref is missing"

Summary

The project repository files API returns "ref is missing" on a PUT request sending a new commit. I am upgrading from the V3 to V4 API. The documentation doesn't mention anything about a ref in the context of a PUT.

Steps to reproduce

PUT /api/v4/projects/project%2Fname/repository/files/file.ext {"branch":"master","file_path":"file.ext","content":"file content","commit_message":"commit changes"}

Note the file has a size of ~400kB.

What is the current bug behavior?

Response is Status 400 with body: {"error":"ref is missing"}

What is the expected correct behavior?

Something like a 200 OK.

Results of GitLab environment info

Expand for output related to GitLab environment info

System information
System:		Debian 9.5
Current User:	git
Using RVM:	no
Ruby Version:	2.4.4p296
Gem Version:	2.7.6
Bundler Version:1.16.2
Rake Version:	12.3.1
Redis Version:	3.2.11
Git Version:	2.17.1
Sidekiq Version:5.1.3
Go Version:	unknown
GitLab information
Version:	11.0.4
Revision:	edb037c
Directory:	/opt/gitlab/embedded/service/gitlab-rails
DB Adapter:	postgresql
URL:		https://
HTTP Clone URL:	https:///some-group/some-project.git
SSH Clone URL:	git@:some-group/some-project.git
Using LDAP:	yes
Using Omniauth:	no
GitLab Shell
Version:	7.1.4
Repository storage paths:

• default: /var/opt/gitlab/git-data/repositories Hooks: /opt/gitlab/embedded/service/gitlab-shell/hooks Git: /opt/gitlab/embedded/bin/git

Results of GitLab application Check

Expand for output related to the GitLab application check

Checking GitLab Shell ...
GitLab Shell version >= 7.1.4 ? ... OK (7.1.4)
Repo base directory exists?
default... yes
Repo storage directories are symlinks?
default... no
Repo paths owned by git:root, or git:git?
default... yes
Repo paths access is drwxrws---?
default... yes
hooks directories in repos are links: ...
10/2 ... ok
10/3 ... ok
10/4 ... ok
10/5 ... ok
10/6 ... ok
10/8 ... ok
2/9 ... ok
2/10 ... ok
2/11 ... ok
2/12 ... ok
2/13 ... ok
2/14 ... ok
2/15 ... ok
2/16 ... ok
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2/18 ... ok
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2/24 ... ok
2/25 ... ok
28/26 ... ok
28/27 ... ok
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28/30 ... ok
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21/32 ... ok
28/33 ... ok
2/34 ... ok
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27/57 ... ok
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2/63 ... ok
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28/83 ... ok
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2/102 ... ok
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2/105 ... ok
2/106 ... ok
28/107 ... ok
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28/109 ... ok
28/110 ... ok
2/111 ... ok
2/112 ... ok
2/113 ... ok
28/114 ... ok
2/115 ... ok
2/116 ... ok
2/117 ... ok
2/118 ... ok
2/119 ... ok
20/120 ... ok
2/121 ... ok
21/123 ... ok
21/124 ... ok
28/127 ... ok
6/129 ... ok
2/130 ... ok
28/133 ... ok
28/134 ... ok
22/135 ... repository is empty
21/136 ... ok
28/137 ... ok
28/138 ... ok
10/139 ... ok
2/140 ... ok
2/141 ... ok
10/142 ... ok
2/143 ... ok
28/144 ... ok
28/145 ... ok
28/146 ... ok
28/147 ... ok
2/148 ... ok
28/150 ... ok
27/151 ... ok
21/152 ... ok
27/153 ... ok
2/154 ... ok
2/155 ... ok
27/156 ... ok
2/157 ... ok
21/158 ... ok
27/159 ... ok
27/161 ... ok
27/162 ... ok
21/164 ... ok
27/165 ... ok
21/167 ... ok
21/168 ... ok
21/169 ... ok
28/170 ... ok
28/173 ... ok
10/174 ... ok
28/175 ... ok
27/176 ... ok
21/177 ... ok
27/178 ... ok
28/179 ... ok
10/180 ... ok
10/181 ... ok
10/182 ... ok
10/183 ... ok
10/184 ... ok
10/185 ... ok
10/186 ... ok
10/187 ... ok
21/188 ... ok
27/189 ... repository is empty
13/190 ... ok
28/192 ... ok
27/193 ... ok
6/194 ... repository is empty
28/196 ... ok
20/197 ... ok
28/198 ... ok
28/199 ... ok
13/200 ... ok
28/201 ... ok
6/202 ... ok
27/203 ... ok
20/204 ... ok
20/205 ... ok
28/206 ... ok
28/207 ... ok
20/209 ... ok
20/210 ... ok
28/211 ... ok
20/212 ... ok
28/213 ... ok
20/214 ... ok
13/215 ... ok
27/216 ... ok
2/217 ... ok
21/218 ... ok
27/219 ... ok
28/220 ... ok
20/221 ... ok
20/222 ... ok
28/223 ... ok
10/225 ... ok
28/227 ... ok
6/232 ... ok
27/233 ... ok
20/234 ... ok
27/235 ... ok
20/236 ... ok
27/237 ... ok
28/238 ... ok
21/239 ... ok
27/240 ... ok
10/241 ... ok
27/242 ... ok
20/243 ... ok
29/244 ... ok
29/245 ... ok
28/246 ... ok
28/247 ... ok
29/248 ... ok
13/249 ... ok
28/250 ... ok
27/251 ... ok
28/252 ... ok
21/253 ... ok
Running /opt/gitlab/embedded/service/gitlab-shell/bin/check
Check GitLab API access: OK
Redis available via internal API: OK
Access to /var/opt/gitlab/.ssh/authorized_keys: OK
gitlab-shell self-check successful
Checking GitLab Shell ... Finished
Checking Sidekiq ...
Running? ... yes
Number of Sidekiq processes ... 1
Checking Sidekiq ... Finished
Reply by email is disabled in config/gitlab.yml
Checking LDAP ...
Server: ldapmain
LDAP authentication... Failed. Check bind_dn and password configuration values
LDAP users with access to your GitLab server (only showing the first 100 results)

Checking LDAP ... Finished
Checking GitLab ...
Git configured correctly? ... yes
Database config exists? ... yes
All migrations up? ... yes
Database contains orphaned GroupMembers? ... no
GitLab config exists? ... yes
GitLab config up to date? ... yes
Log directory writable? ... yes
Tmp directory writable? ... yes
Uploads directory exists? ... yes
Uploads directory has correct permissions? ... yes
Uploads directory tmp has correct permissions? ... no
Try fixing it:
sudo chown -R git /var/opt/gitlab/gitlab-rails/uploads
sudo find /var/opt/gitlab/gitlab-rails/uploads -type f -exec chmod 0644 {} ;
sudo find /var/opt/gitlab/gitlab-rails/uploads -type d -not -path /var/opt/gitlab/gitlab-rails/uploads -exec chmod 0700 {} ;
For more information see:
doc/install/installation.md in section "GitLab"
Please fix the error above and rerun the checks.
Init script exists? ... skipped (omnibus-gitlab has no init script)
Init script up-to-date? ... skipped (omnibus-gitlab has no init script)
Projects have namespace: ...
10/2 ... yes
10/3 ... yes
10/4 ... yes
10/5 ... yes
10/6 ... yes
10/8 ... yes
2/9 ... yes
2/10 ... yes
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28/107 ... yes
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28/109 ... yes
28/110 ... yes
2/111 ... yes
2/112 ... yes
2/113 ... yes
28/114 ... yes
2/115 ... yes
2/116 ... yes
2/117 ... yes
2/118 ... yes
2/119 ... yes
20/120 ... yes
2/121 ... yes
21/123 ... yes
21/124 ... yes
28/127 ... yes
6/129 ... yes
2/130 ... yes
28/133 ... yes
28/134 ... yes
22/135 ... yes
21/136 ... yes
28/137 ... yes
28/138 ... yes
10/139 ... yes
2/140 ... yes
2/141 ... yes
10/142 ... yes
2/143 ... yes
28/144 ... yes
28/145 ... yes
28/146 ... yes
28/147 ... yes
2/148 ... yes
28/150 ... yes
27/151 ... yes
21/152 ... yes
27/153 ... yes
2/154 ... yes
2/155 ... yes
27/156 ... yes
2/157 ... yes
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13/190 ... yes
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6/194 ... yes
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20/197 ... yes
28/198 ... yes
28/199 ... yes
13/200 ... yes
28/201 ... yes
6/202 ... yes
27/203 ... yes
20/204 ... yes
20/205 ... yes
28/206 ... yes
28/207 ... yes
20/209 ... yes
20/210 ... yes
28/211 ... yes
20/212 ... yes
28/213 ... yes
20/214 ... yes
13/215 ... yes
27/216 ... yes
2/217 ... yes
21/218 ... yes
27/219 ... yes
28/220 ... yes
20/221 ... yes
20/222 ... yes
28/223 ... yes
10/225 ... yes
28/227 ... yes
6/232 ... yes
27/233 ... yes
20/234 ... yes
27/235 ... yes
20/236 ... yes
27/237 ... yes
28/238 ... yes
21/239 ... yes
27/240 ... yes
10/241 ... yes
27/242 ... yes
20/243 ... yes
29/244 ... yes
29/245 ... yes
28/246 ... yes
28/247 ... yes
29/248 ... yes
13/249 ... yes
28/250 ... yes
27/251 ... yes
28/252 ... yes
21/253 ... yes
Redis version >= 2.8.0? ... yes
Ruby version >= 2.3.5 ? ... yes (2.4.4)
Git version >= 2.9.5 ? ... yes (2.17.1)
Git user has default SSH configuration? ... yes
Active users: ... 
Checking GitLab ... Finished

Possible fixes