diff --git a/refs.c b/refs.c
index c28bd6a818..e72510813e 100644
--- a/refs.c
+++ b/refs.c
@@ -1418,10 +1418,14 @@ struct ref_iterator *refs_ref_iterator_begin(
 {
 	struct ref_iterator *iter;
 
-	if (ref_paranoia < 0)
-		ref_paranoia = git_env_bool("GIT_REF_PARANOIA", 0);
-	if (ref_paranoia)
-		flags |= DO_FOR_EACH_INCLUDE_BROKEN;
+	if (!(flags & DO_FOR_EACH_INCLUDE_BROKEN)) {
+		if (ref_paranoia < 0)
+			ref_paranoia = git_env_bool("GIT_REF_PARANOIA", 0);
+		if (ref_paranoia) {
+			flags |= DO_FOR_EACH_INCLUDE_BROKEN;
+			flags |= DO_FOR_EACH_OMIT_DANGLING_SYMREFS;
+		}
+	}
 
 	iter = refs->be->iterator_begin(refs, prefix, flags);
 
diff --git a/t/t5312-prune-corruption.sh b/t/t5312-prune-corruption.sh
index 1522a4ba8e..d8ec5a7462 100755
--- a/t/t5312-prune-corruption.sh
+++ b/t/t5312-prune-corruption.sh
@@ -62,6 +62,13 @@ test_expect_success 'destructive repack keeps packed object' '
 	git cat-file -e $bogus
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'destructive repack not confused by dangling symref' '
+	test_when_finished "git symbolic-ref -d refs/heads/dangling" &&
+	git symbolic-ref refs/heads/dangling refs/heads/does-not-exist &&
+	git repack -ad &&
+	test_must_fail git cat-file -e $bogus
+'
+
 # We create two new objects here, "one" and "two". Our
 # main branch points to "two", which is deleted,
 # corrupting the repository. But we'd like to make sure