diff --git a/cache.h b/cache.h
index f2ec5c8c14..a0e9727a0b 100644
--- a/cache.h
+++ b/cache.h
@@ -174,6 +174,7 @@ extern int refresh_cache(unsigned int flags);
 
 struct lock_file {
 	struct lock_file *next;
+	char on_list;
 	char filename[PATH_MAX];
 };
 extern int hold_lock_file_for_update(struct lock_file *, const char *path, int);
diff --git a/lockfile.c b/lockfile.c
index 2a2fea3cb6..143d7d85b6 100644
--- a/lockfile.c
+++ b/lockfile.c
@@ -28,9 +28,12 @@ static int lock_file(struct lock_file *lk, const char *path)
 	sprintf(lk->filename, "%s.lock", path);
 	fd = open(lk->filename, O_RDWR | O_CREAT | O_EXCL, 0666);
 	if (0 <= fd) {
-		if (!lk->next) {
+		if (!lk->on_list) {
 			lk->next = lock_file_list;
 			lock_file_list = lk;
+			lk->on_list = 1;
+		}
+		if (lock_file_list) {
 			signal(SIGINT, remove_lock_file_on_signal);
 			atexit(remove_lock_file);
 		}
@@ -38,6 +41,8 @@ static int lock_file(struct lock_file *lk, const char *path)
 			return error("cannot fix permission bits on %s",
 				     lk->filename);
 	}
+	else
+		lk->filename[0] = 0;
 	return fd;
 }
 
diff --git a/refs.c b/refs.c
index 0e156c5dee..1549f2ae06 100644
--- a/refs.c
+++ b/refs.c
@@ -644,7 +644,6 @@ static int repack_without_ref(const char *refname)
 	}
 	if (!found)
 		return 0;
-	memset(&packlock, 0, sizeof(packlock));
 	fd = hold_lock_file_for_update(&packlock, git_path("packed-refs"), 0);
 	if (fd < 0)
 		return error("cannot delete '%s' from packed refs", refname);