diff --git a/builtin/gc.c b/builtin/gc.c
index 871a56f1c5..df90fd7f51 100644
--- a/builtin/gc.c
+++ b/builtin/gc.c
@@ -659,8 +659,10 @@ int cmd_gc(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 
 	report_garbage = report_pack_garbage;
 	reprepare_packed_git(the_repository);
-	if (pack_garbage.nr > 0)
+	if (pack_garbage.nr > 0) {
+		close_all_packs(the_repository->objects);
 		clean_pack_garbage();
+	}
 
 	if (gc_write_commit_graph)
 		write_commit_graph_reachable(get_object_directory(), 0,
diff --git a/builtin/repack.c b/builtin/repack.c
index 45583683ee..f9319defe4 100644
--- a/builtin/repack.c
+++ b/builtin/repack.c
@@ -419,6 +419,8 @@ int cmd_repack(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	if (!names.nr && !po_args.quiet)
 		printf("Nothing new to pack.\n");
 
+	close_all_packs(the_repository->objects);
+
 	/*
 	 * Ok we have prepared all new packfiles.
 	 * First see if there are packs of the same name and if so