diff --git a/sha1_file.c b/sha1_file.c
index 40b23297b2..263cf71c27 100644
--- a/sha1_file.c
+++ b/sha1_file.c
@@ -673,6 +673,83 @@ void close_pack_windows(struct packed_git *p)
 	}
 }
 
+/*
+ * The LRU pack is the one with the oldest MRU window, preferring packs
+ * with no used windows, or the oldest mtime if it has no windows allocated.
+ */
+static void find_lru_pack(struct packed_git *p, struct packed_git **lru_p, struct pack_window **mru_w, int *accept_windows_inuse)
+{
+	struct pack_window *w, *this_mru_w;
+	int has_windows_inuse = 0;
+
+	/*
+	 * Reject this pack if it has windows and the previously selected
+	 * one does not.  If this pack does not have windows, reject
+	 * it if the pack file is newer than the previously selected one.
+	 */
+	if (*lru_p && !*mru_w && (p->windows || p->mtime > (*lru_p)->mtime))
+		return;
+
+	for (w = this_mru_w = p->windows; w; w = w->next) {
+		/*
+		 * Reject this pack if any of its windows are in use,
+		 * but the previously selected pack did not have any
+		 * inuse windows.  Otherwise, record that this pack
+		 * has windows in use.
+		 */
+		if (w->inuse_cnt) {
+			if (*accept_windows_inuse)
+				has_windows_inuse = 1;
+			else
+				return;
+		}
+
+		if (w->last_used > this_mru_w->last_used)
+			this_mru_w = w;
+
+		/*
+		 * Reject this pack if it has windows that have been
+		 * used more recently than the previously selected pack.
+		 * If the previously selected pack had windows inuse and
+		 * we have not encountered a window in this pack that is
+		 * inuse, skip this check since we prefer a pack with no
+		 * inuse windows to one that has inuse windows.
+		 */
+		if (*mru_w && *accept_windows_inuse == has_windows_inuse &&
+		    this_mru_w->last_used > (*mru_w)->last_used)
+			return;
+	}
+
+	/*
+	 * Select this pack.
+	 */
+	*mru_w = this_mru_w;
+	*lru_p = p;
+	*accept_windows_inuse = has_windows_inuse;
+}
+
+static int close_one_pack(void)
+{
+	struct packed_git *p, *lru_p = NULL;
+	struct pack_window *mru_w = NULL;
+	int accept_windows_inuse = 1;
+
+	for (p = packed_git; p; p = p->next) {
+		if (p->pack_fd == -1)
+			continue;
+		find_lru_pack(p, &lru_p, &mru_w, &accept_windows_inuse);
+	}
+
+	if (lru_p) {
+		close(lru_p->pack_fd);
+		pack_open_fds--;
+		lru_p->pack_fd = -1;
+		return 1;
+	}
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 void unuse_pack(struct pack_window **w_cursor)
 {
 	struct pack_window *w = *w_cursor;
@@ -768,7 +845,7 @@ static int open_packed_git_1(struct packed_git *p)
 			pack_max_fds = 1;
 	}
 
-	while (pack_max_fds <= pack_open_fds && unuse_one_window(NULL, -1))
+	while (pack_max_fds <= pack_open_fds && close_one_pack())
 		; /* nothing */
 
 	p->pack_fd = git_open_noatime(p->pack_name);