diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/RepositoryCacheTest.java b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/RepositoryCacheTest.java
index 6c6292558..8f30fd082 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/RepositoryCacheTest.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/RepositoryCacheTest.java
@@ -173,4 +173,25 @@ public void testUnregister() {
 		assertEquals(0, RepositoryCache.getRegisteredKeys().size());
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void testRepositoryUsageCount() throws Exception {
+		FileKey loc = FileKey.exact(db.getDirectory(), db.getFS());
+		Repository d2 = RepositoryCache.open(loc);
+		assertEquals(1, d2.useCnt.get());
+		RepositoryCache.open(FileKey.exact(loc.getFile(), db.getFS()));
+		assertEquals(2, d2.useCnt.get());
+		d2.close();
+		assertEquals(1, d2.useCnt.get());
+		d2.close();
+		assertEquals(0, d2.useCnt.get());
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testRepositoryUsageCountWithRegisteredRepository() {
+		assertEquals(1, ((Repository) db).useCnt.get());
+		RepositoryCache.register(db);
+		assertEquals(1, ((Repository) db).useCnt.get());
+		db.close();
+		assertEquals(0, ((Repository) db).useCnt.get());
+	}
 }
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/Repository.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/Repository.java
index f8266133a..5546b790e 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/Repository.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/Repository.java
@@ -110,7 +110,8 @@ public static ListenerList getGlobalListenerList() {
 		return globalListeners;
 	}
 
-	private final AtomicInteger useCnt = new AtomicInteger(1);
+	/** Use counter */
+	final AtomicInteger useCnt = new AtomicInteger(1);
 
 	/** Metadata directory holding the repository's critical files. */
 	private final File gitDir;
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/RepositoryCache.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/RepositoryCache.java
index 23cc264c1..58771857b 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/RepositoryCache.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/RepositoryCache.java
@@ -196,15 +196,17 @@ private Repository openRepository(final Key location,
 					db = location.open(mustExist);
 					ref = new SoftReference<Repository>(db);
 					cacheMap.put(location, ref);
+				} else {
+					db.incrementOpen();
 				}
 			}
+		} else {
+			db.incrementOpen();
 		}
-		db.incrementOpen();
 		return db;
 	}
 
 	private void registerRepository(final Key location, final Repository db) {
-		db.incrementOpen();
 		SoftReference<Repository> newRef = new SoftReference<Repository>(db);
 		Reference<Repository> oldRef = cacheMap.put(location, newRef);
 		Repository oldDb = oldRef != null ? oldRef.get() : null;