ret = lock_ref_for_update(refs, update, transaction,
                                          head_ref, &affected_refnames, err);
                if (ret)
-                       break;
+                       goto cleanup;
 
                if (update->flags & REF_DELETING &&
                    !(update->flags & REF_LOG_ONLY) &&
                        goto cleanup;
                }
                backend_data->packed_refs_locked = 1;
-               ret = ref_transaction_prepare(packed_transaction, err);
+
+               if (is_packed_transaction_needed(refs->packed_ref_store,
+                                                packed_transaction)) {
+                       ret = ref_transaction_prepare(packed_transaction, err);
+               } else {
+                       /*
+                        * We can skip rewriting the `packed-refs`
+                        * file. But we do need to leave it locked, so
+                        * that somebody else doesn't pack a reference
+                        * that we are trying to delete.
+                        */
+                       if (ref_transaction_abort(packed_transaction, err)) {
+                               ret = TRANSACTION_GENERIC_ERROR;
+                               goto cleanup;
+                       }
+                       backend_data->packed_transaction = NULL;
+               }
        }
 
 cleanup: