diff --git a/refs/ref-cache.c b/refs/ref-cache.c
index c180e0aad74e87125ee78fe619826f4107fc55fd..e5e5df16d85e4003277664d1d87ddad4a91bd234 100644
--- a/refs/ref-cache.c
+++ b/refs/ref-cache.c
@@ -539,7 +539,7 @@ static int cache_ref_iterator_seek(struct ref_iterator *ref_iterator,
 				 */
 				break;
 			}
-		} while (slash);
+		} while (slash && dir->nr);
 	}
 
 	return 0;
diff --git a/t/t6302-for-each-ref-filter.sh b/t/t6302-for-each-ref-filter.sh
index 9b80ea1e3b741471703ea34430c8b43d49a88232..157b8e52431b6a2ccc2ec76d0efd0e562b7dbae1 100755
--- a/t/t6302-for-each-ref-filter.sh
+++ b/t/t6302-for-each-ref-filter.sh
@@ -754,4 +754,69 @@ test_expect_success 'start after used with custom sort order' '
 	test_cmp expect actual
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'start after with packed refs' '
+	test_when_finished "rm -rf repo" &&
+	git init repo &&
+	(
+		cd repo &&
+		test_commit default &&
+
+		git update-ref --stdin <<-\EOF &&
+		create refs/heads/branch @
+		create refs/heads/side @
+		create refs/odd/spot @
+		create refs/tags/one @
+		create refs/tags/two @
+		commit
+		EOF
+
+		cat >expect <<-\EOF &&
+		refs/tags/default
+		refs/tags/one
+		refs/tags/two
+		EOF
+
+		git pack-refs --all &&
+		git for-each-ref --format="%(refname)" --start-after=refs/odd/spot >actual &&
+		test_cmp expect actual
+	)
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'start after with packed refs and some loose refs' '
+	test_when_finished "rm -rf repo" &&
+	git init repo &&
+	(
+		cd repo &&
+		test_commit default &&
+
+		git update-ref --stdin <<-\EOF &&
+		create refs/heads/branch @
+		create refs/heads/side @
+		create refs/odd/spot @
+		create refs/tags/one @
+		create refs/tags/two @
+		commit
+		EOF
+
+		git pack-refs --all &&
+
+		git update-ref --stdin <<-EOF &&
+		create refs/heads/foo @
+		create refs/odd/tee @
+		commit
+		EOF
+
+		cat >expect <<-\EOF &&
+		refs/odd/tee
+		refs/tags/default
+		refs/tags/one
+		refs/tags/two
+		EOF
+
+
+		git for-each-ref --format="%(refname)" --start-after=refs/odd/spot >actual &&
+		test_cmp expect actual
+	)
+'
+
 test_done