diff --git a/builtin/add.c b/builtin/add.c
index 60ffbede2b..ad418a5952 100644
--- a/builtin/add.c
+++ b/builtin/add.c
@@ -393,7 +393,7 @@ int cmd_add(int argc,
 	char *seen = NULL;
 	char *ps_matched = NULL;
 	struct lock_file lock_file = LOCK_INIT;
-	struct odb_transaction *transaction;
+	struct odb_transaction *transaction = NULL;
 
 	repo_config(repo, add_config, NULL);
 
@@ -600,7 +600,7 @@ int cmd_add(int argc,
 
 	if (chmod_arg && pathspec.nr)
 		exit_status |= chmod_pathspec(repo, &pathspec, chmod_arg[0], show_only);
-	odb_transaction_commit(transaction);
+	odb_transaction_commit_and_finalize_or_die(transaction);
 
 finish:
 	if (write_locked_index(repo->index, &lock_file,
diff --git a/builtin/receive-pack.c b/builtin/receive-pack.c
index d74b787148..ed1edcbe93 100644
--- a/builtin/receive-pack.c
+++ b/builtin/receive-pack.c
@@ -2720,6 +2720,7 @@ int cmd_receive_pack(int argc,
 		use_keepalive = KEEPALIVE_ALWAYS;
 		execute_commands(commands, unpack_status, &si, transaction,
 				 &push_options);
+		odb_transaction_finalize(transaction);
 		delete_tempfile(&pack_lockfile);
 		sigchain_push(SIGPIPE, SIG_IGN);
 		if (report_status_v2)
diff --git a/builtin/unpack-objects.c b/builtin/unpack-objects.c
index 4263edfbec..d6a2d616d9 100644
--- a/builtin/unpack-objects.c
+++ b/builtin/unpack-objects.c
@@ -603,7 +603,7 @@ static void unpack_all(void)
 		unpack_one(i);
 		display_progress(progress, i + 1);
 	}
-	odb_transaction_commit(transaction);
+	odb_transaction_commit_and_finalize_or_die(transaction);
 	stop_progress(&progress);
 
 	if (delta_list)
diff --git a/builtin/update-index.c b/builtin/update-index.c
index 241abd4332..b25d4ecb10 100644
--- a/builtin/update-index.c
+++ b/builtin/update-index.c
@@ -1156,7 +1156,7 @@ int cmd_update_index(int argc,
 			 * a transaction.
 			 */
 			if (transaction && verbose) {
-				odb_transaction_commit(transaction);
+				odb_transaction_commit_and_finalize_or_die(transaction);
 				transaction = NULL;
 			}
 
@@ -1224,7 +1224,7 @@ int cmd_update_index(int argc,
 	/*
 	 * By now we have added all of the new objects
 	 */
-	odb_transaction_commit(transaction);
+	odb_transaction_commit_and_finalize_or_die(transaction);
 
 	if (split_index > 0) {
 		if (repo_config_get_split_index(the_repository) == 0)
diff --git a/cache-tree.c b/cache-tree.c
index d92f513286..a220372a42 100644
--- a/cache-tree.c
+++ b/cache-tree.c
@@ -538,7 +538,7 @@ int cache_tree_update(struct index_state *istate, int flags)
 	i = update_one(istate->cache_tree, istate->cache, istate->cache_nr,
 		       "", 0, &skip, flags);
 	if (!inflight)
-		odb_transaction_commit(transaction);
+		odb_transaction_commit_and_finalize_or_die(transaction);
 	trace2_region_leave("cache_tree", "update", istate->repo);
 	trace_performance_leave("cache_tree_update");
 	if (i < 0)
diff --git a/object-file.c b/object-file.c
index ec35c318bc..4d03c167d5 100644
--- a/object-file.c
+++ b/object-file.c
@@ -965,7 +965,7 @@ int index_fd(struct index_state *istate, struct object_id *oid,
 								  xsize_t(st->st_size),
 								  oid);
 			if (!inflight)
-				odb_transaction_commit(transaction);
+				odb_transaction_commit_and_finalize_or_die(transaction);
 		} else {
 			ret = hash_blob_stream(&stream,
 					       the_repository->hash_algo, oid,
diff --git a/odb/transaction.c b/odb/transaction.c
index dab7da6a9a..9e9a982778 100644
--- a/odb/transaction.c
+++ b/odb/transaction.c
@@ -33,6 +33,20 @@ int odb_transaction_commit(struct odb_transaction *transaction)
 
 	ret = transaction->commit(transaction);
 	transaction->source->odb->transaction = NULL;
+
+	return ret;
+}
+
+int odb_transaction_finalize(struct odb_transaction *transaction)
+{
+	int ret = 0;
+
+	if (!transaction)
+		return 0;
+
+	if (transaction->finalize)
+		ret = transaction->finalize(transaction);
+
 	free(transaction);
 
 	return ret;
diff --git a/odb/transaction.h b/odb/transaction.h
index 4cb2eafcbf..6ed39b3d0e 100644
--- a/odb/transaction.h
+++ b/odb/transaction.h
@@ -22,6 +22,13 @@ struct odb_transaction {
 	 */
 	int (*commit)(struct odb_transaction *transaction);
 
+	/*
+	 * Optional ODB source specific callback invoked when the transaction
+	 * needs to perform any deferred cleanup after objects have been
+	 * committed. Returns 0 on success, a negative error code otherwise.
+	 */
+	int (*finalize)(struct odb_transaction *transaction);
+
 	/*
 	 * This callback is expected to write the given object stream into
 	 * the ODB transaction. Note that for now, only blobs support streaming.
@@ -75,6 +82,22 @@ static inline void odb_transaction_begin_or_die(struct object_database *odb,
  */
 int odb_transaction_commit(struct odb_transaction *transaction);
 
+/*
+ * Finalizes an ODB transaction, performing any deferred cleanup and freeing it.
+ * Must be called for every successfully started transaction. Note that, if the
+ * specified transaction is NULL, the function is a no-op. Returns 0 on success,
+ * a negative error code otherwise.
+ */
+int odb_transaction_finalize(struct odb_transaction *transaction);
+
+static inline void odb_transaction_commit_and_finalize_or_die(struct odb_transaction *transaction)
+{
+	if (odb_transaction_commit(transaction))
+		die(_("failed to commit ODB transaction"));
+	if (odb_transaction_finalize(transaction))
+		die(_("failed to finalize ODB transaction"));
+}
+
 /*
  * Writes the object in the provided stream into the transaction. The resulting
  * object ID is written into the out pointer. Returns 0 on success, a negative
diff --git a/read-cache.c b/read-cache.c
index 6c449f393d..0cd0ef85ec 100644
--- a/read-cache.c
+++ b/read-cache.c
@@ -4049,7 +4049,7 @@ int add_files_to_cache(struct repository *repo, const char *prefix,
 		odb_transaction_begin_or_die(repo->objects, &transaction, 0);
 	run_diff_files(&rev, DIFF_RACY_IS_MODIFIED);
 	if (!inflight)
-		odb_transaction_commit(transaction);
+		odb_transaction_commit_and_finalize_or_die(transaction);
 
 	release_revisions(&rev);
 	return !!data.add_errors;