diff --git a/builtin-pack-objects.c b/builtin-pack-objects.c
index 217fd49da9..4004e73e40 100644
--- a/builtin-pack-objects.c
+++ b/builtin-pack-objects.c
@@ -465,7 +465,7 @@ static void write_pack_file(void)
 			char tmpname[PATH_MAX];
 			int fd;
 			snprintf(tmpname, sizeof(tmpname),
-				 "%s/tmp_pack_XXXXXX", get_object_directory());
+				 "%s/pack/tmp_pack_XXXXXX", get_object_directory());
 			fd = xmkstemp(tmpname);
 			pack_tmp_name = xstrdup(tmpname);
 			f = sha1fd(fd, pack_tmp_name);
diff --git a/fast-import.c b/fast-import.c
index d85b3a561f..5473cd4d62 100644
--- a/fast-import.c
+++ b/fast-import.c
@@ -816,7 +816,7 @@ static void start_packfile(void)
 	int pack_fd;
 
 	snprintf(tmpfile, sizeof(tmpfile),
-		"%s/tmp_pack_XXXXXX", get_object_directory());
+		"%s/pack/tmp_pack_XXXXXX", get_object_directory());
 	pack_fd = xmkstemp(tmpfile);
 	p = xcalloc(1, sizeof(*p) + strlen(tmpfile) + 2);
 	strcpy(p->pack_name, tmpfile);
@@ -878,7 +878,7 @@ static char *create_index(void)
 	}
 
 	snprintf(tmpfile, sizeof(tmpfile),
-		"%s/tmp_idx_XXXXXX", get_object_directory());
+		"%s/pack/tmp_idx_XXXXXX", get_object_directory());
 	idx_fd = xmkstemp(tmpfile);
 	f = sha1fd(idx_fd, tmpfile);
 	sha1write(f, array, 256 * sizeof(int));
diff --git a/index-pack.c b/index-pack.c
index a6e91fe3ba..530d820370 100644
--- a/index-pack.c
+++ b/index-pack.c
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ static char *open_pack_file(char *pack_name)
 		if (!pack_name) {
 			static char tmpfile[PATH_MAX];
 			snprintf(tmpfile, sizeof(tmpfile),
-				 "%s/tmp_pack_XXXXXX", get_object_directory());
+				 "%s/pack/tmp_pack_XXXXXX", get_object_directory());
 			output_fd = xmkstemp(tmpfile);
 			pack_name = xstrdup(tmpfile);
 		} else
diff --git a/pack-write.c b/pack-write.c
index 939ed56362..3621f1dd32 100644
--- a/pack-write.c
+++ b/pack-write.c
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ char *write_idx_file(char *index_name, struct pack_idx_entry **objects,
 	if (!index_name) {
 		static char tmpfile[PATH_MAX];
 		snprintf(tmpfile, sizeof(tmpfile),
-			 "%s/tmp_idx_XXXXXX", get_object_directory());
+			 "%s/pack/tmp_idx_XXXXXX", get_object_directory());
 		fd = xmkstemp(tmpfile);
 		index_name = xstrdup(tmpfile);
 	} else {