diff --git a/run-command.c b/run-command.c
index f72e72cce7..e2dc624377 100644
--- a/run-command.c
+++ b/run-command.c
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 #include "string-list.h"
 #include "quote.h"
 #include "config.h"
+#include "packfile.h"
 
 void child_process_init(struct child_process *child)
 {
@@ -740,6 +741,9 @@ fail_pipe:
 
 	fflush(NULL);
 
+	if (cmd->close_object_store)
+		close_object_store(the_repository->objects);
+
 #ifndef GIT_WINDOWS_NATIVE
 {
 	int notify_pipe[2];
@@ -1044,6 +1048,7 @@ int run_command_v_opt_cd_env_tr2(const char **argv, int opt, const char *dir,
 	cmd.use_shell = opt & RUN_USING_SHELL ? 1 : 0;
 	cmd.clean_on_exit = opt & RUN_CLEAN_ON_EXIT ? 1 : 0;
 	cmd.wait_after_clean = opt & RUN_WAIT_AFTER_CLEAN ? 1 : 0;
+	cmd.close_object_store = opt & RUN_CLOSE_OBJECT_STORE ? 1 : 0;
 	cmd.dir = dir;
 	cmd.env = env;
 	cmd.trace2_child_class = tr2_class;
diff --git a/run-command.h b/run-command.h
index 3893193f32..ad207daced 100644
--- a/run-command.h
+++ b/run-command.h
@@ -134,6 +134,14 @@ struct child_process {
 	 */
 	unsigned use_shell:1;
 
+	/**
+	 * Release any open file handles to the object store before running
+	 * the command; This is necessary e.g. when the spawned process may
+	 * want to repack because that would delete `.pack` files (and on
+	 * Windows, you cannot delete files that are still in use).
+	 */
+	unsigned close_object_store:1;
+
 	unsigned stdout_to_stderr:1;
 	unsigned clean_on_exit:1;
 	unsigned wait_after_clean:1;
@@ -240,6 +248,7 @@ int run_auto_maintenance(int quiet);
 #define RUN_USING_SHELL			(1<<4)
 #define RUN_CLEAN_ON_EXIT		(1<<5)
 #define RUN_WAIT_AFTER_CLEAN		(1<<6)
+#define RUN_CLOSE_OBJECT_STORE		(1<<7)
 
 /**
  * Convenience functions that encapsulate a sequence of