diff --git a/refs/files-backend.c b/refs/files-backend.c
index 71628550f2..7ddf0bef7d 100644
--- a/refs/files-backend.c
+++ b/refs/files-backend.c
@@ -3034,10 +3034,12 @@ static int files_transaction_prepare(struct ref_store *ref_store,
 
 		if (update->flags & REF_DELETING &&
 		    !(update->flags & REF_LOG_ONLY) &&
-		    !(update->flags & REF_IS_PRUNING)) {
+		    !(update->flags & REF_IS_PRUNING) &&
+		    !is_root_ref(update->refname)) {
 			/*
-			 * This reference has to be deleted from
-			 * packed-refs if it exists there.
+			 * This reference has to be deleted from packed-refs if it
+			 * exists there. Root refs are never packed, so we do not
+			 * have to delete them from packed-refs.
 			 */
 			if (!packed_transaction) {
 				packed_transaction = ref_store_transaction_begin(
diff --git a/t/t0600-reffiles-backend.sh b/t/t0600-reffiles-backend.sh
index bbbf6fa422..85e170daf4 100755
--- a/t/t0600-reffiles-backend.sh
+++ b/t/t0600-reffiles-backend.sh
@@ -540,4 +540,44 @@ test_expect_success SYMLINKS,!MINGW,!WITH_BREAKING_CHANGES 'core.preferSymlinkRe
 	test "$(test_readlink .git/TEST_SYMREF_HEAD)" = refs/heads/new
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'deleting a root ref does not lock packed-refs' '
+	test_when_finished "rm -rf root-ref" &&
+	git init root-ref &&
+	(
+		cd root-ref &&
+		test_commit initial &&
+		git update-ref AUTO_MERGE HEAD &&
+		git pack-refs --all &&
+		test_path_is_file .git/AUTO_MERGE &&
+		cp .git/packed-refs expect &&
+		: >.git/packed-refs.lock &&
+		git update-ref --no-deref -d AUTO_MERGE &&
+		test_path_is_missing .git/AUTO_MERGE &&
+		test_path_is_file .git/packed-refs.lock &&
+		test_cmp expect .git/packed-refs
+	)
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'deleting root and packed refs in one transaction requires packed-refs lock' '
+	test_when_finished "rm -rf root-ref" &&
+	git init root-ref &&
+	(
+		cd root-ref &&
+		test_commit initial &&
+		git update-ref refs/heads/packed-branch HEAD &&
+		git pack-refs --all &&
+		test_path_is_missing .git/refs/heads/packed-branch &&
+		git update-ref AUTO_MERGE HEAD &&
+		git refs list --include-root-refs >expect &&
+		: >.git/packed-refs.lock &&
+		test_must_fail git update-ref --no-deref --stdin 2>err <<-EOF &&
+		delete AUTO_MERGE
+		delete refs/heads/packed-branch
+		EOF
+		test_grep "Unable to create .*packed-refs.lock" err &&
+		git refs list --include-root-refs >actual &&
+		test_cmp expect actual
+	)
+'
+
 test_done