diff --git a/cache-tree.c b/cache-tree.c
index 2440d1dc89..2690113a6a 100644
--- a/cache-tree.c
+++ b/cache-tree.c
@@ -604,6 +604,7 @@ int write_index_as_tree(unsigned char *sha1, struct index_state *index_state, co
 {
 	int entries, was_valid, newfd;
 	struct lock_file *lock_file;
+	int ret = 0;
 
 	/*
 	 * We can't free this memory, it becomes part of a linked list
@@ -614,8 +615,10 @@ int write_index_as_tree(unsigned char *sha1, struct index_state *index_state, co
 	newfd = hold_lock_file_for_update(lock_file, index_path, LOCK_DIE_ON_ERROR);
 
 	entries = read_index_from(index_state, index_path);
-	if (entries < 0)
-		return WRITE_TREE_UNREADABLE_INDEX;
+	if (entries < 0) {
+		ret = WRITE_TREE_UNREADABLE_INDEX;
+		goto out;
+	}
 	if (flags & WRITE_TREE_IGNORE_CACHE_TREE)
 		cache_tree_free(&index_state->cache_tree);
 
@@ -624,8 +627,10 @@ int write_index_as_tree(unsigned char *sha1, struct index_state *index_state, co
 
 	was_valid = cache_tree_fully_valid(index_state->cache_tree);
 	if (!was_valid) {
-		if (cache_tree_update(index_state, flags) < 0)
-			return WRITE_TREE_UNMERGED_INDEX;
+		if (cache_tree_update(index_state, flags) < 0) {
+			ret = WRITE_TREE_UNMERGED_INDEX;
+			goto out;
+		}
 		if (0 <= newfd) {
 			if (!write_locked_index(index_state, lock_file, COMMIT_LOCK))
 				newfd = -1;
@@ -641,17 +646,19 @@ int write_index_as_tree(unsigned char *sha1, struct index_state *index_state, co
 	if (prefix) {
 		struct cache_tree *subtree;
 		subtree = cache_tree_find(index_state->cache_tree, prefix);
-		if (!subtree)
-			return WRITE_TREE_PREFIX_ERROR;
+		if (!subtree) {
+			ret = WRITE_TREE_PREFIX_ERROR;
+			goto out;
+		}
 		hashcpy(sha1, subtree->oid.hash);
 	}
 	else
 		hashcpy(sha1, index_state->cache_tree->oid.hash);
 
+out:
 	if (0 <= newfd)
 		rollback_lock_file(lock_file);
-
-	return 0;
+	return ret;
 }
 
 int write_cache_as_tree(unsigned char *sha1, int flags, const char *prefix)