diff --git a/builtin/checkout.c b/builtin/checkout.c
index 24336e1017..af849c644f 100644
--- a/builtin/checkout.c
+++ b/builtin/checkout.c
@@ -621,9 +621,7 @@ static int reset_tree(struct tree *tree, const struct checkout_opts *o,
 	opts.src_index = &the_index;
 	opts.dst_index = &the_index;
 	init_checkout_metadata(&opts.meta, info->refname,
-			       info->commit ? &info->commit->object.oid :
-			       is_null_oid(&info->oid) ? &tree->object.oid :
-			       &info->oid,
+			       info->commit ? &info->commit->object.oid : &null_oid,
 			       NULL);
 	parse_tree(tree);
 	init_tree_desc(&tree_desc, tree->buffer, tree->size);
diff --git a/t/t2060-switch.sh b/t/t2060-switch.sh
index f9efa29dfb..2c1b8c0d6d 100755
--- a/t/t2060-switch.sh
+++ b/t/t2060-switch.sh
@@ -68,6 +68,14 @@ test_expect_success 'new orphan branch from empty' '
 	test_cmp expected tracked-files
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'orphan branch works with --discard-changes' '
+	test_when_finished git switch master &&
+	echo foo >foo.txt &&
+	git switch --discard-changes --orphan new-orphan2 &&
+	git ls-files >tracked-files &&
+	test_must_be_empty tracked-files
+'
+
 test_expect_success 'switching ignores file of same branch name' '
 	test_when_finished git switch master &&
 	: >first-branch &&