diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 3152688a..c3f788ca 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ tree.blobs
 tree.subtrees
 tree.children # blobs and subtrees
 
-g.revparse('v2.5:Makefile')
+g.rev_parse('v2.0.0:README.md')
 
 g.branches # returns Git::Branch objects
 g.branches.local
diff --git a/lib/git/base.rb b/lib/git/base.rb
index 27de57de..ae909dcc 100644
--- a/lib/git/base.rb
+++ b/lib/git/base.rb
@@ -634,14 +634,17 @@ def with_temp_working &blk
     # runs git rev-parse to convert the objectish to a full sha
     #
     # @example
-    #   git.revparse("HEAD^^")
-    #   git.revparse('v2.4^{tree}')
-    #   git.revparse('v2.4:/doc/index.html')
+    #   git.rev_parse("HEAD^^")
+    #   git.rev_parse('v2.4^{tree}')
+    #   git.rev_parse('v2.4:/doc/index.html')
     #
-    def revparse(objectish)
-      self.lib.revparse(objectish)
+    def rev_parse(objectish)
+      self.lib.rev_parse(objectish)
     end
 
+    # For backwards compatibility
+    alias revparse rev_parse
+
     def ls_tree(objectish, opts = {})
       self.lib.ls_tree(objectish, opts)
     end
diff --git a/lib/git/lib.rb b/lib/git/lib.rb
index 84eda5a1..4f607e4f 100644
--- a/lib/git/lib.rb
+++ b/lib/git/lib.rb
@@ -311,17 +311,32 @@ def full_log_commits(opts = {})
       process_commit_log_data(full_log)
     end
 
-    def revparse(string)
-      return string if string =~ /^[A-Fa-f0-9]{40}$/  # passing in a sha - just no-op it
-      rev = ['head', 'remotes', 'tags'].map do |d|
-        File.join(@git_dir, 'refs', d, string)
-      end.find do |path|
-        File.file?(path)
-      end
-      return File.read(rev).chomp if rev
-      command('rev-parse', string)
+    # Verify and resolve a Git revision to its full SHA
+    #
+    # @see https://git-scm.com/docs/git-rev-parse git-rev-parse
+    # @see https://git-scm.com/docs/git-rev-parse#_specifying_revisions Valid ways to specify revisions
+    # @see https://git-scm.com/docs/git-rev-parse#Documentation/git-rev-parse.txt-emltrefnamegtemegemmasterememheadsmasterememrefsheadsmasterem Ref disambiguation rules
+    #
+    # @example
+    #   lib.rev_parse('HEAD') # => '9b9b31e704c0b85ffdd8d2af2ded85170a5af87d'
+    #   lib.rev_parse('9b9b31e') # => '9b9b31e704c0b85ffdd8d2af2ded85170a5af87d'
+    #
+    # @param revision [String] the revision to resolve
+    #
+    # @return [String] the full commit hash
+    #
+    # @raise [Git::FailedError] if the revision cannot be resolved
+    # @raise [ArgumentError] if the revision is a string starting with a hyphen
+    #
+    def rev_parse(revision)
+      assert_args_are_not_options('rev', revision)
+
+      command('rev-parse', revision)
     end
 
+    # For backwards compatibility with the old method name
+    alias :revparse :rev_parse
+
     def namerev(string)
       command('name-rev', string).split[1]
     end
diff --git a/lib/git/object.rb b/lib/git/object.rb
index 1ffc1013..083640b6 100644
--- a/lib/git/object.rb
+++ b/lib/git/object.rb
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ def initialize(base, objectish)
       end
 
       def sha
-        @sha ||= @base.lib.revparse(@objectish)
+        @sha ||= @base.lib.rev_parse(@objectish)
       end
 
       def size
diff --git a/tests/units/test_branch.rb b/tests/units/test_branch.rb
index 08707b63..2256f4cb 100644
--- a/tests/units/test_branch.rb
+++ b/tests/units/test_branch.rb
@@ -160,11 +160,11 @@ def test_branch_update_ref
       File.write('foo','rev 2')
       git.add('foo')
       git.commit('rev 2')
-      git.branch('testing').update_ref(git.revparse('HEAD'))
+      git.branch('testing').update_ref(git.rev_parse('HEAD'))
 
       # Expect the call to Branch#update_ref to pass the full ref name for the
       # of the testing branch to Lib#update_ref
-      assert_equal(git.revparse('HEAD'), git.revparse('refs/heads/testing'))
+      assert_equal(git.rev_parse('HEAD'), git.rev_parse('refs/heads/testing'))
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/tests/units/test_lib.rb b/tests/units/test_lib.rb
index be049c7b..c8e035ad 100644
--- a/tests/units/test_lib.rb
+++ b/tests/units/test_lib.rb
@@ -174,10 +174,28 @@ def test_git_ssh_from_environment_is_passed_to_binary
     Git::Base.config.git_ssh = saved_git_ssh
   end
 
-  def test_revparse
-    assert_equal('1cc8667014381e2788a94777532a788307f38d26', @lib.revparse('1cc8667014381')) # commit
-    assert_equal('94c827875e2cadb8bc8d4cdd900f19aa9e8634c7', @lib.revparse('1cc8667014381^{tree}')) #tree
-    assert_equal('ba492c62b6227d7f3507b4dcc6e6d5f13790eabf', @lib.revparse('v2.5:example.txt')) #blob
+  def test_rev_parse_commit
+    assert_equal('1cc8667014381e2788a94777532a788307f38d26', @lib.rev_parse('1cc8667014381')) # commit
+  end
+
+  def test_rev_parse_tree
+    assert_equal('94c827875e2cadb8bc8d4cdd900f19aa9e8634c7', @lib.rev_parse('1cc8667014381^{tree}')) #tree
+  end
+
+  def test_rev_parse_blob
+    assert_equal('ba492c62b6227d7f3507b4dcc6e6d5f13790eabf', @lib.rev_parse('v2.5:example.txt')) #blob
+  end
+
+  def test_rev_parse_with_bad_revision
+    assert_raise(ArgumentError) do
+      @lib.rev_parse('--all')
+    end
+  end
+
+  def test_rev_parse_with_unknown_revision
+    assert_raise(Git::FailedError) do
+      @lib.rev_parse('NOTFOUND')
+    end
   end
 
   def test_object_type
diff --git a/tests/units/test_object.rb b/tests/units/test_object.rb
index 784e81bf..3f31b390 100644
--- a/tests/units/test_object.rb
+++ b/tests/units/test_object.rb
@@ -120,8 +120,8 @@ def test_blob_contents
     assert(block_called)
   end
 
-  def test_revparse
-    sha = @git.revparse('v2.6:example.txt')
+  def test_rev_parse
+    sha = @git.rev_parse('v2.6:example.txt')
     assert_equal('1f09f2edb9c0d9275d15960771b363ca6940fbe3', sha)
   end