diff --git a/builtin/checkout.c b/builtin/checkout.c
index ff4492162d..f1dc56e55f 100644
--- a/builtin/checkout.c
+++ b/builtin/checkout.c
@@ -651,12 +651,8 @@ static void update_refs_for_switch(const struct checkout_opts *opts,
 			}
 		}
 		if (old->path && old->name) {
-			char log_file[PATH_MAX], ref_file[PATH_MAX];
-
-			git_snpath(log_file, sizeof(log_file), "logs/%s", old->path);
-			git_snpath(ref_file, sizeof(ref_file), "%s", old->path);
-			if (!file_exists(ref_file) && file_exists(log_file))
-				remove_path(log_file);
+			if (!ref_exists(old->path) && reflog_exists(old->path))
+				delete_reflog(old->path);
 		}
 	}
 	remove_branch_state();
diff --git a/builtin/reflog.c b/builtin/reflog.c
index c12a9784e6..e8a8fb13b9 100644
--- a/builtin/reflog.c
+++ b/builtin/reflog.c
@@ -369,7 +369,7 @@ static int expire_reflog(const char *ref, const unsigned char *sha1, int unused,
 	if (!lock)
 		return error("cannot lock ref '%s'", ref);
 	log_file = git_pathdup("logs/%s", ref);
-	if (!file_exists(log_file))
+	if (!reflog_exists(ref))
 		goto finish;
 	if (!cmd->dry_run) {
 		newlog_path = git_pathdup("logs/%s.lock", ref);
diff --git a/refs.c b/refs.c
index 728a761648..68982637ed 100644
--- a/refs.c
+++ b/refs.c
@@ -1999,7 +1999,6 @@ int dwim_log(const char *str, int len, unsigned char *sha1, char **log)
 
 	*log = NULL;
 	for (p = ref_rev_parse_rules; *p; p++) {
-		struct stat st;
 		unsigned char hash[20];
 		char path[PATH_MAX];
 		const char *ref, *it;
@@ -2008,12 +2007,9 @@ int dwim_log(const char *str, int len, unsigned char *sha1, char **log)
 		ref = resolve_ref_unsafe(path, hash, 1, NULL);
 		if (!ref)
 			continue;
-		if (!stat(git_path("logs/%s", path), &st) &&
-		    S_ISREG(st.st_mode))
+		if (reflog_exists(path))
 			it = path;
-		else if (strcmp(ref, path) &&
-			 !stat(git_path("logs/%s", ref), &st) &&
-			 S_ISREG(st.st_mode))
+		else if (strcmp(ref, path) && reflog_exists(ref))
 			it = ref;
 		else
 			continue;
@@ -3046,6 +3042,19 @@ int read_ref_at(const char *refname, unsigned long at_time, int cnt,
 	return 1;
 }
 
+int reflog_exists(const char *refname)
+{
+	struct stat st;
+
+	return !lstat(git_path("logs/%s", refname), &st) &&
+		S_ISREG(st.st_mode);
+}
+
+int delete_reflog(const char *refname)
+{
+	return remove_path(git_path("logs/%s", refname));
+}
+
 static int show_one_reflog_ent(struct strbuf *sb, each_reflog_ent_fn fn, void *cb_data)
 {
 	unsigned char osha1[20], nsha1[20];
diff --git a/refs.h b/refs.h
index 0f08def210..09ff483c19 100644
--- a/refs.h
+++ b/refs.h
@@ -161,6 +161,12 @@ extern int read_ref_at(const char *refname, unsigned long at_time, int cnt,
 		       unsigned char *sha1, char **msg,
 		       unsigned long *cutoff_time, int *cutoff_tz, int *cutoff_cnt);
 
+/** Check if a particular reflog exists */
+extern int reflog_exists(const char *refname);
+
+/** Delete a reflog */
+extern int delete_reflog(const char *refname);
+
 /* iterate over reflog entries */
 typedef int each_reflog_ent_fn(unsigned char *osha1, unsigned char *nsha1, const char *, unsigned long, int, const char *, void *);
 int for_each_reflog_ent(const char *refname, each_reflog_ent_fn fn, void *cb_data);
diff --git a/t/t1410-reflog.sh b/t/t1410-reflog.sh
index 236b13a3ab..8cab06f90a 100755
--- a/t/t1410-reflog.sh
+++ b/t/t1410-reflog.sh
@@ -245,4 +245,12 @@ test_expect_success 'gc.reflogexpire=false' '
 
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'checkout should not delete log for packed ref' '
+	test $(git reflog master | wc -l) = 4 &&
+	git branch foo &&
+	git pack-refs --all &&
+	git checkout foo &&
+	test $(git reflog master | wc -l) = 4
+'
+
 test_done