diff --git a/builtin-pack-objects.c b/builtin-pack-objects.c
index 4411a480c1..fb5e14d56e 100644
--- a/builtin-pack-objects.c
+++ b/builtin-pack-objects.c
@@ -520,6 +520,7 @@ static void write_pack_file(void)
 
 			snprintf(tmpname, sizeof(tmpname), "%s-%s.pack",
 				 base_name, sha1_to_hex(sha1));
+			free_pack_by_name(tmpname);
 			if (adjust_perm(pack_tmp_name, mode))
 				die("unable to make temporary pack file readable: %s",
 				    strerror(errno));
diff --git a/cache.h b/cache.h
index d1cd6aaf73..42f2f2754b 100644
--- a/cache.h
+++ b/cache.h
@@ -738,6 +738,7 @@ extern int open_pack_index(struct packed_git *);
 extern unsigned char* use_pack(struct packed_git *, struct pack_window **, off_t, unsigned int *);
 extern void close_pack_windows(struct packed_git *);
 extern void unuse_pack(struct pack_window **);
+extern void free_pack_by_name(const char *);
 extern struct packed_git *add_packed_git(const char *, int, int);
 extern const unsigned char *nth_packed_object_sha1(struct packed_git *, uint32_t);
 extern off_t nth_packed_object_offset(const struct packed_git *, uint32_t);
diff --git a/sha1_file.c b/sha1_file.c
index c35469d488..88035a0cd1 100644
--- a/sha1_file.c
+++ b/sha1_file.c
@@ -659,6 +659,37 @@ void unuse_pack(struct pack_window **w_cursor)
 	}
 }
 
+/*
+ * This is used by git-repack in case a newly created pack happens to
+ * contain the same set of objects as an existing one.  In that case
+ * the resulting file might be different even if its name would be the
+ * same.  It is best to close any reference to the old pack before it is
+ * replaced on disk.  Of course no index pointers nor windows for given pack
+ * must subsist at this point.  If ever objects from this pack are requested
+ * again, the new version of the pack will be reinitialized through
+ * reprepare_packed_git().
+ */
+void free_pack_by_name(const char *pack_name)
+{
+	struct packed_git *p, **pp = &packed_git;
+
+	while (*pp) {
+		p = *pp;
+		if (strcmp(pack_name, p->pack_name) == 0) {
+			close_pack_windows(p);
+			if (p->pack_fd != -1)
+				close(p->pack_fd);
+			if (p->index_data)
+				munmap((void *)p->index_data, p->index_size);
+			free(p->bad_object_sha1);
+			*pp = p->next;
+			free(p);
+			return;
+		}
+		pp = &p->next;
+	}
+}
+
 /*
  * Do not call this directly as this leaks p->pack_fd on error return;
  * call open_packed_git() instead.