diff --git a/refs.c b/refs.c
index eeb8fb1021..79d5a8b8d4 100644
--- a/refs.c
+++ b/refs.c
@@ -2564,8 +2564,13 @@ int refs_verify_refnames_available(struct ref_store *refs,
 		if (!initial_transaction) {
 			int ok;
 
-			iter = refs_ref_iterator_begin(refs, dirname.buf, NULL, 0,
-						       DO_FOR_EACH_INCLUDE_BROKEN);
+			if (!iter) {
+				iter = refs_ref_iterator_begin(refs, dirname.buf, NULL, 0,
+							       DO_FOR_EACH_INCLUDE_BROKEN);
+			} else if (ref_iterator_seek(iter, dirname.buf) < 0) {
+				goto cleanup;
+			}
+
 			while ((ok = ref_iterator_advance(iter)) == ITER_OK) {
 				if (skip &&
 				    string_list_has_string(skip, iter->refname))
@@ -2578,9 +2583,6 @@ int refs_verify_refnames_available(struct ref_store *refs,
 
 			if (ok != ITER_DONE)
 				BUG("error while iterating over references");
-
-			ref_iterator_free(iter);
-			iter = NULL;
 		}
 
 		extra_refname = find_descendant_ref(dirname.buf, extras, skip);