setup_unpack_trees_porcelain(&opts, "merge");
 
        trees[nr_trees] = parse_tree_indirect(head);
-       if (!trees[nr_trees++])
+       if (!trees[nr_trees++]) {
+               rollback_lock_file(&lock_file);
                return -1;
+       }
        trees[nr_trees] = parse_tree_indirect(remote);
-       if (!trees[nr_trees++])
+       if (!trees[nr_trees++]) {
+               rollback_lock_file(&lock_file);
                return -1;
+       }
        for (i = 0; i < nr_trees; i++) {
                parse_tree(trees[i]);
                init_tree_desc(t+i, trees[i]->buffer, trees[i]->size);
        }
-       if (unpack_trees(nr_trees, t, &opts))
+       if (unpack_trees(nr_trees, t, &opts)) {
+               rollback_lock_file(&lock_file);
                return -1;
+       }
        if (write_locked_index(&the_index, &lock_file, COMMIT_LOCK))
                return error(_("unable to write new index file"));
        return 0;