diff --git a/builtin-rm.c b/builtin-rm.c
index 50ae6d54011..e06640cf8d3 100644
--- a/builtin-rm.c
+++ b/builtin-rm.c
@@ -137,6 +137,7 @@ int cmd_rm(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 
 	if (read_cache() < 0)
 		die("index file corrupt");
+	refresh_cache(REFRESH_QUIET);
 
 	pathspec = get_pathspec(prefix, argv);
 	seen = NULL;
diff --git a/t/t3600-rm.sh b/t/t3600-rm.sh
index 558c80edbfa..66aca99fd32 100755
--- a/t/t3600-rm.sh
+++ b/t/t3600-rm.sh
@@ -219,14 +219,23 @@ test_expect_success 'Remove nonexistent file returns nonzero exit status' '
 
 test_expect_success 'Call "rm" from outside the work tree' '
 	mkdir repo &&
-	cd repo &&
-	git init &&
-	echo something > somefile &&
-	git add somefile &&
-	git commit -m "add a file" &&
-	(cd .. &&
-	 git --git-dir=repo/.git --work-tree=repo rm somefile) &&
-	test_must_fail git ls-files --error-unmatch somefile
+	(cd repo &&
+	 git init &&
+	 echo something > somefile &&
+	 git add somefile &&
+	 git commit -m "add a file" &&
+	 (cd .. &&
+	  git --git-dir=repo/.git --work-tree=repo rm somefile) &&
+	test_must_fail git ls-files --error-unmatch somefile)
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'refresh index before checking if it is up-to-date' '
+
+	git reset --hard &&
+	test-chmtime -86400 frotz/nitfol &&
+	git rm frotz/nitfol &&
+	test ! -f frotz/nitfol
+
 '
 
 test_done