diff --git a/lockfile.c b/lockfile.c
index d02c3bf901..5330d6ae52 100644
--- a/lockfile.c
+++ b/lockfile.c
@@ -280,6 +280,6 @@ void rollback_lock_file(struct lock_file *lk)
 		if (lk->fd >= 0)
 			close(lk->fd);
 		unlink_or_warn(lk->filename);
+		lk->filename[0] = 0;
 	}
-	lk->filename[0] = 0;
 }