diff --git a/builtin/count-objects.c b/builtin/count-objects.c
index ea8bd9e2e2..b054713e1a 100644
--- a/builtin/count-objects.c
+++ b/builtin/count-objects.c
@@ -122,8 +122,7 @@ int cmd_count_objects(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		struct strbuf loose_buf = STRBUF_INIT;
 		struct strbuf pack_buf = STRBUF_INIT;
 		struct strbuf garbage_buf = STRBUF_INIT;
-		if (!get_packed_git(the_repository))
-			prepare_packed_git(the_repository);
+
 		for (p = get_packed_git(the_repository); p; p = p->next) {
 			if (!p->pack_local)
 				continue;
diff --git a/builtin/fsck.c b/builtin/fsck.c
index d40a82b702..f9632353d9 100644
--- a/builtin/fsck.c
+++ b/builtin/fsck.c
@@ -729,8 +729,6 @@ int cmd_fsck(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 			uint32_t total = 0, count = 0;
 			struct progress *progress = NULL;
 
-			prepare_packed_git(the_repository);
-
 			if (show_progress) {
 				for (p = get_packed_git(the_repository); p;
 				     p = p->next) {
diff --git a/builtin/gc.c b/builtin/gc.c
index a78dad51aa..0a667972ab 100644
--- a/builtin/gc.c
+++ b/builtin/gc.c
@@ -174,7 +174,6 @@ static int too_many_packs(void)
 	if (gc_auto_pack_limit <= 0)
 		return 0;
 
-	prepare_packed_git(the_repository);
 	for (cnt = 0, p = get_packed_git(the_repository); p; p = p->next) {
 		if (!p->pack_local)
 			continue;
diff --git a/builtin/pack-objects.c b/builtin/pack-objects.c
index 491ce433da..2f49b03cb1 100644
--- a/builtin/pack-objects.c
+++ b/builtin/pack-objects.c
@@ -3152,7 +3152,6 @@ int cmd_pack_objects(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	if (progress && all_progress_implied)
 		progress = 2;
 
-	prepare_packed_git(the_repository);
 	if (ignore_packed_keep) {
 		struct packed_git *p;
 		for (p = get_packed_git(the_repository); p; p = p->next)
diff --git a/builtin/pack-redundant.c b/builtin/pack-redundant.c
index da6637f7fc..710cd0fb69 100644
--- a/builtin/pack-redundant.c
+++ b/builtin/pack-redundant.c
@@ -631,8 +631,6 @@ int cmd_pack_redundant(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 			break;
 	}
 
-	prepare_packed_git(the_repository);
-
 	if (load_all_packs)
 		load_all();
 	else
diff --git a/fast-import.c b/fast-import.c
index 47981e6db7..37a44752a8 100644
--- a/fast-import.c
+++ b/fast-import.c
@@ -3473,7 +3473,6 @@ int cmd_main(int argc, const char **argv)
 		rc_free[i].next = &rc_free[i + 1];
 	rc_free[cmd_save - 1].next = NULL;
 
-	prepare_packed_git(the_repository);
 	start_packfile();
 	set_die_routine(die_nicely);
 	set_checkpoint_signal();
diff --git a/http-backend.c b/http-backend.c
index c1b1c2d557..88d2a9bc40 100644
--- a/http-backend.c
+++ b/http-backend.c
@@ -519,7 +519,6 @@ static void get_info_packs(struct strbuf *hdr, char *arg)
 	size_t cnt = 0;
 
 	select_getanyfile(hdr);
-	prepare_packed_git(the_repository);
 	for (p = get_packed_git(the_repository); p; p = p->next) {
 		if (p->pack_local)
 			cnt++;
diff --git a/pack-bitmap.c b/pack-bitmap.c
index 57fec38f3f..3f2dab340f 100644
--- a/pack-bitmap.c
+++ b/pack-bitmap.c
@@ -336,7 +336,6 @@ static int open_pack_bitmap(void)
 
 	assert(!bitmap_git.map && !bitmap_git.loaded);
 
-	prepare_packed_git(the_repository);
 	for (p = get_packed_git(the_repository); p; p = p->next) {
 		if (open_pack_bitmap_1(p) == 0)
 			ret = 0;
diff --git a/packfile.c b/packfile.c
index 5d4c8d6e57..0906b8f741 100644
--- a/packfile.c
+++ b/packfile.c
@@ -803,6 +803,7 @@ static void prepare_packed_git_one(struct repository *r, char *objdir, int local
 	strbuf_release(&path);
 }
 
+static void prepare_packed_git(struct repository *r);
 /*
  * Give a fast, rough count of the number of objects in the repository. This
  * ignores loose objects completely. If you have a lot of them, then either
@@ -883,7 +884,7 @@ static void prepare_packed_git_mru(struct repository *r)
 		list_add_tail(&p->mru, &r->objects->packed_git_mru);
 }
 
-void prepare_packed_git(struct repository *r)
+static void prepare_packed_git(struct repository *r)
 {
 	struct alternate_object_database *alt;
 
@@ -907,11 +908,13 @@ void reprepare_packed_git(struct repository *r)
 
 struct packed_git *get_packed_git(struct repository *r)
 {
+	prepare_packed_git(r);
 	return r->objects->packed_git;
 }
 
 struct list_head *get_packed_git_mru(struct repository *r)
 {
+	prepare_packed_git(r);
 	return &r->objects->packed_git_mru;
 }
 
diff --git a/packfile.h b/packfile.h
index fe1a6380e6..efda10329c 100644
--- a/packfile.h
+++ b/packfile.h
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ extern struct packed_git *parse_pack_index(unsigned char *sha1, const char *idx_
 #define PACKDIR_FILE_GARBAGE 4
 extern void (*report_garbage)(unsigned seen_bits, const char *path);
 
-extern void prepare_packed_git(struct repository *r);
 extern void reprepare_packed_git(struct repository *r);
 extern void install_packed_git(struct repository *r, struct packed_git *pack);
 
diff --git a/server-info.c b/server-info.c
index bf5c325867..83460ec0d6 100644
--- a/server-info.c
+++ b/server-info.c
@@ -201,7 +201,6 @@ static void init_pack_info(const char *infofile, int force)
 	objdir = get_object_directory();
 	objdirlen = strlen(objdir);
 
-	prepare_packed_git(the_repository);
 	for (p = get_packed_git(the_repository); p; p = p->next) {
 		/* we ignore things on alternate path since they are
 		 * not available to the pullers in general.
diff --git a/sha1_name.c b/sha1_name.c
index e0b62f3c56..31c013ac7e 100644
--- a/sha1_name.c
+++ b/sha1_name.c
@@ -196,7 +196,6 @@ static void find_short_packed_object(struct disambiguate_state *ds)
 {
 	struct packed_git *p;
 
-	prepare_packed_git(the_repository);
 	for (p = get_packed_git(the_repository); p && !ds->ambiguous;
 	     p = p->next)
 		unique_in_pack(p, ds);
@@ -567,7 +566,6 @@ static void find_abbrev_len_packed(struct min_abbrev_data *mad)
 {
 	struct packed_git *p;
 
-	prepare_packed_git(the_repository);
 	for (p = get_packed_git(the_repository); p; p = p->next)
 		find_abbrev_len_for_pack(p, mad);
 }