diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/storage/dfs/DfsObjDatabase.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/storage/dfs/DfsObjDatabase.java
index f6e4c2391..b1d6c0dd1 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/storage/dfs/DfsObjDatabase.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/storage/dfs/DfsObjDatabase.java
@@ -67,6 +67,11 @@ boolean dirty() {
 			return true;
 		}
 
+		@Override
+		void clearDirty() {
+			// Always dirty.
+		}
+
 		@Override
 		public void markDirty() {
 			// Always dirty.
@@ -443,8 +448,10 @@ private PackList scanPacksImpl(PackList old) throws IOException {
 			p.close();
 		if (list.isEmpty())
 			return new PackListImpl(NO_PACKS.packs);
-		if (!foundNew)
+		if (!foundNew) {
+			old.clearDirty();
 			return old;
+		}
 		return new PackListImpl(list.toArray(new DfsPackFile[list.size()]));
 	}
 
@@ -514,6 +521,7 @@ public long getLastModified() {
 		}
 
 		abstract boolean dirty();
+		abstract void clearDirty();
 
 		/**
 		 * Mark pack list as dirty.
@@ -537,6 +545,11 @@ boolean dirty() {
 			return dirty;
 		}
 
+		@Override
+		void clearDirty() {
+			dirty = false;
+		}
+
 		@Override
 		public void markDirty() {
 			dirty = true;