diff --git a/object-file.c b/object-file.c
index ff0cffe68e..495a359200 100644
--- a/object-file.c
+++ b/object-file.c
@@ -2035,6 +2035,8 @@ static int freshen_packed_object(const struct object_id *oid)
 	struct pack_entry e;
 	if (!find_pack_entry(the_repository, oid, &e))
 		return 0;
+	if (e.p->is_cruft)
+		return 0;
 	if (e.p->freshened)
 		return 1;
 	if (!freshen_file(e.p->pack_name))
diff --git a/t/t5329-pack-objects-cruft.sh b/t/t5329-pack-objects-cruft.sh
index 70a6a9553c..b481224b93 100755
--- a/t/t5329-pack-objects-cruft.sh
+++ b/t/t5329-pack-objects-cruft.sh
@@ -711,4 +711,29 @@ test_expect_success 'MIDX bitmaps tolerate reachable cruft objects' '
 	)
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'cruft objects are freshend via loose' '
+	git init repo &&
+	test_when_finished "rm -fr repo" &&
+	(
+		cd repo &&
+
+		echo "cruft" >contents &&
+		blob="$(git hash-object -w -t blob contents)" &&
+		loose="$objdir/$(test_oid_to_path $blob)" &&
+
+		test_commit base &&
+
+		git repack --cruft -d &&
+
+		test_path_is_missing "$loose" &&
+		test-tool pack-mtimes "$(basename "$(ls $packdir/pack-*.mtimes)")" >cruft &&
+		grep "$blob" cruft &&
+
+		# write the same object again
+		git hash-object -w -t blob contents &&
+
+		test_path_is_file "$loose"
+	)
+'
+
 test_done