diff --git a/test/global_git_config b/test/global_git_config
index f4f47c003..b83ea57b4 100644
--- a/test/global_git_config
+++ b/test/global_git_config
@@ -8,3 +8,12 @@
 	allow = always
 [commit]
 	gpgSign = false
+[maintenance]
+	# Every `git commit` forks `git maintenance run --auto --detach`. Since git
+	# 2.54 that repacks as soon as two objects share the objects/17 fanout
+	# directory, which happens readily in a fixture repo, and `git repack -d`
+	# prunes loose objects while the next fixture command -- or lazygit itself --
+	# is still working in the same repo. That surfaces as
+	# "error: invalid object <hash> for 'file09.txt'" / "Error building trees".
+	# Tests must never race a background repack.
+	auto = false