diff --git a/integrations/api_repo_raw_test.go b/integrations/api_repo_raw_test.go
index 77b33473c82dc..07533fe77e5d5 100644
--- a/integrations/api_repo_raw_test.go
+++ b/integrations/api_repo_raw_test.go
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ func TestAPIReposRaw(t *testing.T) {
 		"master", // Branch
 		"v1.1",   // Tag
 		"65f1bf27bc3bf70f64657658635e66094edbcb4d", // Commit
+		"65f1bf2", // Shortened Commit
 	} {
 		req := NewRequestf(t, "GET", "/api/v1/repos/%s/repo1/raw/%s/README.md?token="+token, user.Name, ref)
 		session.MakeRequest(t, req, http.StatusOK)
diff --git a/modules/context/api.go b/modules/context/api.go
index c978835af8749..7141bdf8272d3 100644
--- a/modules/context/api.go
+++ b/modules/context/api.go
@@ -413,7 +413,7 @@ func RepoRefForAPI(next http.Handler) http.Handler {
 				return
 			}
 			ctx.Repo.CommitID = ctx.Repo.Commit.ID.String()
-		} else if len(refName) == 40 {
+		} else if len(refName) >= 7 && len(refName) <= 40 {
 			ctx.Repo.CommitID = refName
 			ctx.Repo.Commit, err = ctx.Repo.GitRepo.GetCommit(refName)
 			if err != nil {
diff --git a/modules/context/repo.go b/modules/context/repo.go
index 88f4d2765825f..67fb2045fd074 100644
--- a/modules/context/repo.go
+++ b/modules/context/repo.go
@@ -693,11 +693,8 @@ func getRefName(ctx *Context, pathType RepoRefType) string {
 		if refName := getRefName(ctx, RepoRefTag); len(refName) > 0 {
 			return refName
 		}
-		// For legacy and API support only full commit sha
-		parts := strings.Split(path, "/")
-		if len(parts) > 0 && len(parts[0]) == 40 {
-			ctx.Repo.TreePath = strings.Join(parts[1:], "/")
-			return parts[0]
+		if refName := getRefName(ctx, RepoRefCommit); len(refName) > 0 {
+			return refName
 		}
 		if refName := getRefName(ctx, RepoRefBlob); len(refName) > 0 {
 			return refName
@@ -731,7 +728,8 @@ func getRefName(ctx *Context, pathType RepoRefType) string {
 		return getRefNameFromPath(ctx, path, ctx.Repo.GitRepo.IsTagExist)
 	case RepoRefCommit:
 		parts := strings.Split(path, "/")
-		if len(parts) > 0 && len(parts[0]) >= 7 && len(parts[0]) <= 40 {
+		hasShaLength := len(parts[0]) >= 7 && len(parts[0]) <= 40
+		if len(parts) > 1 && hasShaLength && ctx.Repo.GitRepo.IsCommitExist(parts[0]) {
 			ctx.Repo.TreePath = strings.Join(parts[1:], "/")
 			return parts[0]
 		}
diff --git a/routers/api/v1/api.go b/routers/api/v1/api.go
index 70d7cb40f888a..ce9ad7a495bd1 100644
--- a/routers/api/v1/api.go
+++ b/routers/api/v1/api.go
@@ -763,7 +763,7 @@ func Routes(sessioner func(http.Handler) http.Handler) *web.Route {
 						Put(reqAdmin(), repo.AddTeam).
 						Delete(reqAdmin(), repo.DeleteTeam)
 				}, reqToken())
-				m.Get("/raw/*", context.RepoRefForAPI, reqRepoReader(models.UnitTypeCode), repo.GetRawFile)
+				m.Get("/raw/*", reqRepoReader(models.UnitTypeCode), context.RepoRefForAPI, repo.GetRawFile)
 				m.Get("/archive/*", reqRepoReader(models.UnitTypeCode), repo.GetArchive)
 				m.Combo("/forks").Get(repo.ListForks).
 					Post(reqToken(), reqRepoReader(models.UnitTypeCode), bind(api.CreateForkOption{}), repo.CreateFork)
diff --git a/routers/api/v1/repo/file.go b/routers/api/v1/repo/file.go
index d9451b8090c6c..affab0edbb01b 100644
--- a/routers/api/v1/repo/file.go
+++ b/routers/api/v1/repo/file.go
@@ -23,6 +23,39 @@ import (
 
 // GetRawFile get a file by path on a repository
 func GetRawFile(ctx *context.APIContext) {
+	// swagger:operation GET /repos/{owner}/{repo}/raw/{ref}/{filepath} repository repoGetRawFileOld
+	// ---
+	// summary: Get a file from a repository
+	// deprecated: true
+	// produces:
+	// - application/json
+	// parameters:
+	// - name: owner
+	//   in: path
+	//   description: owner of the repo
+	//   type: string
+	//   required: true
+	// - name: repo
+	//   in: path
+	//   description: name of the repo
+	//   type: string
+	//   required: true
+	// - name: filepath
+	//   in: path
+	//   description: filepath of the file to get
+	//   type: string
+	//   required: true
+	// - name: ref
+	//   in: path
+	//   description: "The name of the commit/branch/tag. Default to the repository’s default branch (usually master)"
+	//   type: string
+	//   deprecated: true
+	// responses:
+	//   200:
+	//     description: success
+	//   "404":
+	//     "$ref": "#/responses/notFound"
+
 	// swagger:operation GET /repos/{owner}/{repo}/raw/{filepath} repository repoGetRawFile
 	// ---
 	// summary: Get a file from a repository
@@ -46,7 +79,7 @@ func GetRawFile(ctx *context.APIContext) {
 	//   required: true
 	// - name: ref
 	//   in: query
-	//   description: "The name of the commit/branch/tag. Default the repository’s default branch (usually master)"
+	//   description: "The name of the commit/branch/tag. Default to the repository’s default branch (usually master)"
 	//   type: string
 	//   required: false
 	// responses:
diff --git a/templates/swagger/v1_json.tmpl b/templates/swagger/v1_json.tmpl
index 6bbc0934811b6..8b6257dfaf7d6 100644
--- a/templates/swagger/v1_json.tmpl
+++ b/templates/swagger/v1_json.tmpl
@@ -8237,7 +8237,7 @@
           },
           {
             "type": "string",
-            "description": "The name of the commit/branch/tag. Default the repository’s default branch (usually master)",
+            "description": "The name of the commit/branch/tag. Default to the repository’s default branch (usually master)",
             "name": "ref",
             "in": "query"
           }
@@ -8252,6 +8252,56 @@
         }
       }
     },
+    "/repos/{owner}/{repo}/raw/{ref}/{filepath}": {
+      "get": {
+        "produces": [
+          "application/json"
+        ],
+        "tags": [
+          "repository"
+        ],
+        "summary": "Get a file from a repository",
+        "operationId": "repoGetRawFileOld",
+        "deprecated": true,
+        "parameters": [
+          {
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "owner of the repo",
+            "name": "owner",
+            "in": "path",
+            "required": true
+          },
+          {
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "name of the repo",
+            "name": "repo",
+            "in": "path",
+            "required": true
+          },
+          {
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "filepath of the file to get",
+            "name": "filepath",
+            "in": "path",
+            "required": true
+          },
+          {
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "The name of the commit/branch/tag. Default to the repository’s default branch (usually master)",
+            "name": "ref",
+            "in": "path"
+          }
+        ],
+        "responses": {
+          "200": {
+            "description": "success"
+          },
+          "404": {
+            "$ref": "#/responses/notFound"
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    },
     "/repos/{owner}/{repo}/releases": {
       "get": {
         "produces": [