diff --git a/refs.c b/refs.c
index 8a38e0822f..0d239e15b0 100644
--- a/refs.c
+++ b/refs.c
@@ -920,7 +920,7 @@ int delete_ref(const char *refname, const unsigned char *sha1, int delopt)
 	lock = lock_ref_sha1_basic(refname, sha1, 0, &flag);
 	if (!lock)
 		return 1;
-	if (!(flag & REF_ISPACKED)) {
+	if (!(flag & REF_ISPACKED) || flag & REF_ISSYMREF) {
 		/* loose */
 		const char *path;
 
diff --git a/t/t1400-update-ref.sh b/t/t1400-update-ref.sh
index 8139cd6cc9..bd589268fc 100755
--- a/t/t1400-update-ref.sh
+++ b/t/t1400-update-ref.sh
@@ -82,6 +82,17 @@ test_expect_success "delete symref without dereference" '
 '
 cp -f .git/HEAD.orig .git/HEAD
 
+test_expect_success "delete symref without dereference when the referred ref is packed" '
+	echo foo >foo.c &&
+	git add foo.c &&
+	git commit -m foo &&
+	git pack-refs --all &&
+	git update-ref --no-deref -d HEAD &&
+	! test -f .git/HEAD
+'
+cp -f .git/HEAD.orig .git/HEAD
+git update-ref -d $m
+
 test_expect_success '(not) create HEAD with old sha1' "
 	test_must_fail git update-ref HEAD $A $B
 "