diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/storage/dfs/DfsObjDatabaseTest.java b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/storage/dfs/DfsObjDatabaseTest.java
index e515696..c30753e 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/storage/dfs/DfsObjDatabaseTest.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/storage/dfs/DfsObjDatabaseTest.java
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 import static org.eclipse.jgit.internal.storage.dfs.DfsObjDatabase.PackSource.INSERT;
 import static org.eclipse.jgit.internal.storage.pack.PackExt.MULTI_PACK_INDEX;
 import static org.eclipse.jgit.internal.storage.pack.PackExt.PACK;
+import static org.eclipse.jgit.internal.storage.pack.PackExt.REFTABLE;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
@@ -177,12 +178,86 @@ public void getPacks_midxChain_midxDisabled_packsNoMidx()
 				gcPack);
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void getReftables_multipleInsideMidx() throws IOException {
+		db.getObjectDatabase().setUseMultipackIndex(true);
+
+		DfsPackDescription gcPack = pack("aaaa", GC, 100, PACK, REFTABLE);
+		DfsPackDescription compactPack = pack("cccc", COMPACT, 101, PACK,
+				REFTABLE);
+		DfsPackDescription compactTwoPack = pack("bbbb", COMPACT, 102, PACK);
+
+		DfsPackDescription multiPackIndex = pack("xxxx", GC, 104,
+				MULTI_PACK_INDEX);
+		multiPackIndex
+				.setCoveredPacks(List.of(gcPack, compactPack, compactTwoPack));
+
+		db.getObjectDatabase().commitPack(
+				List.of(gcPack, compactPack, compactTwoPack, multiPackIndex),
+				Collections.emptyList());
+
+		DfsReftable[] reftables = db.getObjectDatabase().getReftables();
+		assertReftableList(reftables, gcPack, compactPack);
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void getReftables_midxChain() throws IOException {
+		db.getObjectDatabase().setUseMultipackIndex(true);
+
+		DfsPackDescription gcPack = pack("aaaa", GC, 100, PACK, REFTABLE);
+		DfsPackDescription compactPack = pack("cccc", COMPACT, 101, PACK,
+				REFTABLE);
+		DfsPackDescription insertPack = pack("bbbb", COMPACT, 102, PACK);
+
+		DfsPackDescription midxBase = pack("xxxx", GC, 104, MULTI_PACK_INDEX);
+		midxBase.setCoveredPacks(List.of(gcPack, compactPack, insertPack));
+		db.getObjectDatabase().commitPack(
+				List.of(gcPack, compactPack, insertPack, midxBase), null);
+
+		DfsPackDescription insert1 = pack("insert1", INSERT, 105, PACK,
+				REFTABLE);
+		DfsPackDescription insert2 = pack("insert2", INSERT, 106, PACK);
+		DfsPackDescription midxTip = pack("xxx2", GC, 107, MULTI_PACK_INDEX);
+		midxTip.setCoveredPacks(List.of(insert1, insert2));
+		midxTip.setMultiPackIndexBase(midxBase);
+		db.getObjectDatabase().commitPack(List.of(insert1, insert2, midxTip),
+				null);
+
+		DfsReftable[] reftables = db.getObjectDatabase().getReftables();
+		assertReftableList(reftables, gcPack, compactPack, insert1);
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void getReftables_inAndOutOfMidx() throws IOException {
+		db.getObjectDatabase().setUseMultipackIndex(true);
+
+		DfsPackDescription gcPack = pack("aaaa", GC, 100, PACK, REFTABLE);
+		DfsPackDescription compactPack = pack("cccc", COMPACT, 101, PACK);
+		DfsPackDescription insertPack = pack("bbbb", COMPACT, 102, PACK);
+
+		DfsPackDescription multiPackIndex = pack("xxxx", GC, 104,
+				MULTI_PACK_INDEX);
+		multiPackIndex
+				.setCoveredPacks(List.of(gcPack, compactPack, insertPack));
+		db.getObjectDatabase().commitPack(
+				List.of(gcPack, compactPack, insertPack, multiPackIndex), null);
+
+		DfsPackDescription uncoveredPack = pack("dddd", COMPACT, 103, PACK,
+				REFTABLE);
+		db.getObjectDatabase().commitPack(List.of(uncoveredPack), null);
+
+		DfsReftable[] reftables = db.getObjectDatabase().getReftables();
+		assertReftableList(reftables, gcPack, uncoveredPack);
+	}
+
 	private static DfsPackDescription pack(String name,
-			DfsObjDatabase.PackSource source, long timeMs, PackExt ext) {
+			DfsObjDatabase.PackSource source, long timeMs, PackExt... ext) {
 		DfsPackDescription desc = new DfsPackDescription(repoDesc, name,
 				source);
 		desc.setLastModified(timeMs);
-		desc.addFileExt(ext);
+		for (PackExt packExt : ext) {
+			desc.addFileExt(packExt);
+		}
 		return desc;
 	}
 
@@ -193,4 +268,12 @@ private static void assertPackList(DfsPackFile[] actual,
 			assertEquals(expected[i], actual[i].getPackDescription());
 		}
 	}
+
+	private static void assertReftableList(DfsReftable[] actual,
+			DfsPackDescription... expected) {
+		assertEquals(expected.length, actual.length);
+		for (int i = 0; i < expected.length; i++) {
+			assertEquals(expected[i], actual[i].getPackDescription());
+		}
+	}
 }
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/storage/dfs/DfsObjDatabase.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/storage/dfs/DfsObjDatabase.java
index 97fdd34..7b7a378 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/storage/dfs/DfsObjDatabase.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/storage/dfs/DfsObjDatabase.java
@@ -14,13 +14,13 @@
 import static org.eclipse.jgit.internal.storage.pack.PackExt.BITMAP_INDEX;
 import static org.eclipse.jgit.internal.storage.pack.PackExt.INDEX;
 import static org.eclipse.jgit.internal.storage.pack.PackExt.MULTI_PACK_INDEX;
+import static org.eclipse.jgit.internal.storage.pack.PackExt.REFTABLE;
 
 import java.io.FileNotFoundException;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.Collection;
-import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.Comparator;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.HashSet;
@@ -614,10 +614,10 @@ private PackList scanPacksImpl(PackList old) throws IOException {
 		Map<DfsPackDescription, DfsReftable> reftables = reftableMap(old);
 
 		List<DfsPackDescription> scanned = listPacks();
-		Collections.sort(scanned, packComparator);
+		scanned.sort(packComparator);
 
 		List<DfsPackFile> newPacks = new ArrayList<>(scanned.size());
-		List<DfsReftable> newReftables = new ArrayList<>(scanned.size());
+		List<DfsPackDescription> packsWithReftables = new ArrayList<>();
 		boolean foundNew = false;
 		for (DfsPackDescription dsc : scanned) {
 			DfsPackFile oldPack = packs.remove(dsc);
@@ -627,10 +627,19 @@ private PackList scanPacksImpl(PackList old) throws IOException {
 				newPacks.add(createDfsPackFile(cache, dsc));
 				foundNew = true;
 			} else if (dsc.hasFileExt(MULTI_PACK_INDEX)) {
-				newPacks.add(createDfsPackFileMidx(cache, dsc));
+				newPacks.add(
+						createDfsPackFileMidx(cache, dsc, packsWithReftables));
 				foundNew = true;
 			}
 
+			if (dsc.hasFileExt(REFTABLE)) {
+				packsWithReftables.add(dsc);
+			}
+		}
+
+		List<DfsReftable> newReftables = new ArrayList<>(
+				packsWithReftables.size());
+		for (DfsPackDescription dsc : packsWithReftables) {
 			DfsReftable oldReftable = reftables.remove(dsc);
 			if (oldReftable != null) {
 				newReftables.add(oldReftable);
@@ -645,7 +654,7 @@ private PackList scanPacksImpl(PackList old) throws IOException {
 		if (!foundNew) {
 			return old;
 		}
-		Collections.sort(newReftables, reftableComparator());
+		newReftables.sort(reftableComparator());
 		return new PackList(
 				newPacks.toArray(new DfsPackFile[0]),
 				newReftables.toArray(new DfsReftable[0]));
@@ -653,7 +662,7 @@ private PackList scanPacksImpl(PackList old) throws IOException {
 
 	/**
 	 * Create instances of DfsPackFile
-	 *
+	 * <p>
 	 * Implementors can decide to construct or wrap DfsPackFile in different
 	 * ways.
 	 *
@@ -675,14 +684,19 @@ protected DfsPackFile createDfsPackFile(DfsBlockCache cache,
 	 *            block cache
 	 * @param dsc
 	 *            pack description
+	 * @param containsReftables
+	 *            used to return packs inside this midx that also have reftables
+	 *
 	 * @return the dfs packfile
 	 */
 	protected DfsPackFileMidx createDfsPackFileMidx(DfsBlockCache cache,
-			DfsPackDescription dsc) {
+			DfsPackDescription dsc,
+			List<DfsPackDescription> containsReftables) {
 		DfsPackFileMidx base = null;
 		if (dsc.getMultiPackIndexBase() != null) {
 			// The base is always a multipack index
-			base = createDfsPackFileMidx(cache, dsc.getMultiPackIndexBase());
+			base = createDfsPackFileMidx(cache, dsc.getMultiPackIndexBase(),
+					containsReftables);
 		}
 		// A pack shouldn't be in the pack list and inside a multipack index
 		// at the same time. In that case, we will have it under two
@@ -690,6 +704,8 @@ protected DfsPackFileMidx createDfsPackFileMidx(DfsBlockCache cache,
 		List<DfsPackFile> coveredPacks = dsc.getCoveredPacks().stream()
 				.map(desc -> createDfsPackFile(cache, desc))
 				.collect(Collectors.toUnmodifiableList());
+		dsc.getCoveredPacks().stream().filter(d -> d.hasFileExt(REFTABLE))
+				.forEach(containsReftables::add);
 		return DfsPackFileMidx.create(cache, dsc, coveredPacks, base);
 	}