diff --git a/builtin/worktree.c b/builtin/worktree.c
index 8a654e4ad3..b835b91f63 100644
--- a/builtin/worktree.c
+++ b/builtin/worktree.c
@@ -388,7 +388,7 @@ static void show_worktree_porcelain(struct worktree *wt)
 		printf("HEAD %s\n", sha1_to_hex(wt->head_sha1));
 		if (wt->is_detached)
 			printf("detached\n");
-		else
+		else if (wt->head_ref)
 			printf("branch %s\n", wt->head_ref);
 	}
 	printf("\n");
@@ -408,8 +408,10 @@ static void show_worktree(struct worktree *wt, int path_maxlen, int abbrev_len)
 				find_unique_abbrev(wt->head_sha1, DEFAULT_ABBREV));
 		if (wt->is_detached)
 			strbuf_addstr(&sb, "(detached HEAD)");
-		else
+		else if (wt->head_ref)
 			strbuf_addf(&sb, "[%s]", shorten_unambiguous_ref(wt->head_ref, 0));
+		else
+			strbuf_addstr(&sb, "(error)");
 	}
 	printf("%s\n", sb.buf);
 
diff --git a/t/t2027-worktree-list.sh b/t/t2027-worktree-list.sh
index 1b1b65a6b0..98b5f340e5 100755
--- a/t/t2027-worktree-list.sh
+++ b/t/t2027-worktree-list.sh
@@ -96,4 +96,25 @@ test_expect_success 'bare repo cleanup' '
 	rm -rf bare1
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'broken main worktree still at the top' '
+	git init broken-main &&
+	(
+		cd broken-main &&
+		test_commit new &&
+		git worktree add linked &&
+		cat >expected <<-EOF &&
+		worktree $(pwd)
+		HEAD $_z40
+
+		EOF
+		cd linked &&
+		echo "worktree $(pwd)" >expected &&
+		echo "ref: .broken" >../.git/HEAD &&
+		git worktree list --porcelain | head -n 3 >actual &&
+		test_cmp ../expected actual &&
+		git worktree list | head -n 1 >actual.2 &&
+		grep -F "(error)" actual.2
+	)
+'
+
 test_done
diff --git a/worktree.c b/worktree.c
index f7c1b5e24d..3145522536 100644
--- a/worktree.c
+++ b/worktree.c
@@ -88,16 +88,13 @@ static struct worktree *get_main_worktree(void)
 
 	strbuf_addf(&path, "%s/HEAD", get_git_common_dir());
 
-	if (parse_ref(path.buf, &head_ref, &is_detached) < 0)
-		goto done;
-
 	worktree = xcalloc(1, sizeof(*worktree));
 	worktree->path = strbuf_detach(&worktree_path, NULL);
 	worktree->is_bare = is_bare;
 	worktree->is_detached = is_detached;
-	add_head_info(&head_ref, worktree);
+	if (!parse_ref(path.buf, &head_ref, &is_detached))
+		add_head_info(&head_ref, worktree);
 
-done:
 	strbuf_release(&path);
 	strbuf_release(&worktree_path);
 	strbuf_release(&head_ref);
@@ -173,8 +170,7 @@ struct worktree **get_worktrees(void)
 
 	list = xmalloc(alloc * sizeof(struct worktree *));
 
-	if ((list[counter] = get_main_worktree()))
-		counter++;
+	list[counter++] = get_main_worktree();
 
 	strbuf_addf(&path, "%s/worktrees", get_git_common_dir());
 	dir = opendir(path.buf);