diff --git a/midx-write.c b/midx-write.c
index 65e69d2de7..fface1e93a 100644
--- a/midx-write.c
+++ b/midx-write.c
@@ -929,11 +929,17 @@ static int write_midx_internal(const char *object_dir,
 		for (i = 0; i < ctx.m->num_packs; i++) {
 			ALLOC_GROW(ctx.info, ctx.nr + 1, ctx.alloc);
 
-			if (flags & MIDX_WRITE_REV_INDEX) {
+			if (flags & MIDX_WRITE_REV_INDEX ||
+			    preferred_pack_name) {
 				/*
 				 * If generating a reverse index, need to have
 				 * packed_git's loaded to compare their
 				 * mtimes and object count.
+				 *
+				 * If a preferred pack is specified,
+				 * need to have packed_git's loaded to
+				 * ensure the chosen preferred pack has
+				 * a non-zero object count.
 				 */
 				if (prepare_midx_pack(the_repository, ctx.m, i)) {
 					error(_("could not load pack"));
diff --git a/t/t5319-multi-pack-index.sh b/t/t5319-multi-pack-index.sh
index dd09134db0..10d2a6bf92 100755
--- a/t/t5319-multi-pack-index.sh
+++ b/t/t5319-multi-pack-index.sh
@@ -350,6 +350,29 @@ test_expect_success 'preferred packs must be non-empty' '
 	)
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'preferred pack from existing MIDX without bitmaps' '
+	git init preferred-without-bitmaps &&
+	(
+		cd preferred-without-bitmaps &&
+
+		test_commit one &&
+		pack="$(git pack-objects --all $objdir/pack/pack </dev/null)" &&
+
+		git multi-pack-index write &&
+
+		# make another pack so that the subsequent MIDX write
+		# has something to do
+		test_commit two &&
+		git repack -d &&
+
+		# write a new MIDX without bitmaps reusing the singular
+		# pack from the existing MIDX as the preferred pack in
+		# the new MIDX
+		git multi-pack-index write --preferred-pack=pack-$pack.pack
+	)
+
+'
+
 test_expect_success 'verify multi-pack-index success' '
 	git multi-pack-index verify --object-dir=$objdir
 '