diff --git a/odb.c b/odb.c
index 98c5c862f5..69a4c203bc 100644
--- a/odb.c
+++ b/odb.c
@@ -285,21 +285,6 @@ static enum odb_read_status do_oid_object_info_extended(struct object_database *
 		if (ret != ODB_READ_NOT_FOUND)
 			corrupt = true;
 
-		/*
-		 * When the object hasn't been found we try a second read and
-		 * tell the sources so. This may cause them to invalidate
-		 * caches or reload on-disk state.
-		 */
-		if (!(flags & OBJECT_INFO_QUICK)) {
-			ret = odb_source_read_object_info(odb->source, real, oi,
-							  flags | OBJECT_INFO_SECOND_READ,
-							  corrupt_err.len ? NULL : &corrupt_err);
-			if (!ret)
-				goto out;
-			if (ret != ODB_READ_NOT_FOUND)
-				corrupt = true;
-		}
-
 		/* Check if it is a missing object */
 		if (odb->repo->fetch_if_missing && repo_has_promisor_remote(odb->repo) &&
 		    !already_retried &&
diff --git a/odb.h b/odb.h
index 0ccc47ee73..dd85b880a7 100644
--- a/odb.h
+++ b/odb.h
@@ -383,18 +383,6 @@ enum object_info_flags {
 	/* Die if object corruption (not just an object being missing) was detected. */
 	OBJECT_INFO_DIE_IF_CORRUPT = (1 << 3),
 
-	/*
-	 * We have already tried reading the object, but it couldn't be found
-	 * via any of the attached sources, and are now doing a second read.
-	 * This second read asks the individual sources to also evaluate
-	 * whether any on-disk state may have changed that may have caused the
-	 * object to appear.
-	 *
-	 * This flag is for internal use, only. The second read only occurs
-	 * when `OBJECT_INFO_QUICK` was not passed.
-	 */
-	OBJECT_INFO_SECOND_READ = (1 << 4),
-
 	/*
 	 * This is meant for bulk prefetching of missing blobs in a partial
 	 * clone. Implies OBJECT_INFO_SKIP_FETCH_OBJECT and OBJECT_INFO_QUICK.
diff --git a/odb/source-files.c b/odb/source-files.c
index 54235821d5..9788a5adf4 100644
--- a/odb/source-files.c
+++ b/odb/source-files.c
@@ -427,7 +427,9 @@ static enum odb_read_status odb_source_files_read_object_info(struct odb_source
 	struct odb_source_files *files = odb_source_files_downcast(source);
 	enum odb_read_status status = ODB_READ_NOT_FOUND;
 	enum odb_read_status ret;
+	bool retry = false;
 
+retry:
 	/*
 	 * Reading an object may fail even though the object exists, for
 	 * example because it is corrupt. Report this failure to the caller in
@@ -435,6 +437,9 @@ static enum odb_read_status odb_source_files_read_object_info(struct odb_source
 	 * prefer the first such error in case multiple reads have failed.
 	 */
 	for (struct odb_files_dir *dir = files->dirs; dir; dir = dir->next) {
+		if (retry)
+			odb_source_prepare(&dir->packed->base, ODB_PREPARE_FLUSH_CACHES);
+
 		ret = odb_source_read_object_info(&dir->packed->base, oid, oi, flags,
 						  status == ODB_READ_NOT_FOUND ? errmsg : NULL);
 		if (!ret)
@@ -444,6 +449,9 @@ static enum odb_read_status odb_source_files_read_object_info(struct odb_source
 	}
 
 	for (struct odb_files_dir *dir = files->dirs; dir; dir = dir->next) {
+		if (retry)
+			break;
+
 		ret = odb_source_read_object_info(&dir->loose->base, oid, oi, flags,
 						  status == ODB_READ_NOT_FOUND ? errmsg : NULL);
 		if (!ret)
@@ -452,6 +460,11 @@ static enum odb_read_status odb_source_files_read_object_info(struct odb_source
 			status = ret;
 	}
 
+	if (!retry && !(flags & OBJECT_INFO_QUICK)) {
+		retry = true;
+		goto retry;
+	}
+
 	return status;
 }
 
diff --git a/odb/source-loose.c b/odb/source-loose.c
index 0664634938..180ce7403f 100644
--- a/odb/source-loose.c
+++ b/odb/source-loose.c
@@ -222,16 +222,6 @@ static enum odb_read_status odb_source_loose_read_object_info(struct odb_source
 {
 	struct odb_source_loose *loose = odb_source_loose_downcast(source);
 	static struct strbuf buf = STRBUF_INIT;
-
-	/*
-	 * The second read shouldn't cause new loose objects to show up, unless
-	 * there was a race condition with a secondary process. We don't care
-	 * about this case though, so we simply skip reading loose objects a
-	 * second time.
-	 */
-	if (flags & OBJECT_INFO_SECOND_READ)
-		return ODB_READ_NOT_FOUND;
-
 	odb_loose_path(loose, &buf, oid);
 	return read_object_info_from_path(loose, buf.buf, oid, oi, flags, errmsg);
 }
diff --git a/odb/source-packed.c b/odb/source-packed.c
index 2226fbd313..48fe00c2bc 100644
--- a/odb/source-packed.c
+++ b/odb/source-packed.c
@@ -52,12 +52,11 @@ static int find_pack_entry(struct odb_source_packed *store,
 	 * packs, and repreparing the on-disk pack set does not reload the
 	 * borrowed, cached MIDX, so scan its packs directly for the survivor.
 	 *
-	 * Do this only on the second read, by which point repreparing packs has
-	 * already had a chance to find an object merely relocated into a new,
-	 * uncovered pack; only a genuine hidden duplicate reaches here.
+	 * Skip the scan for quick lookups, which are expected to accept false
+	 * negatives in favor of speed.
 	 */
 	if (midx_result == MIDX_FILL_OWNER_UNAVAILABLE &&
-	    (flags & OBJECT_INFO_SECOND_READ)) {
+	    !(flags & OBJECT_INFO_QUICK)) {
 		struct multi_pack_index *m = store->midx;
 		uint32_t i;
 
@@ -86,14 +85,6 @@ static enum odb_read_status odb_source_packed_read_object_info(struct odb_source
 	struct pack_entry e;
 	int ret;
 
-	/*
-	 * In case the first read didn't surface the object, we have to reload
-	 * packfiles. This may cause us to discover new packfiles that have
-	 * been added since the last time we have prepared the packfile store.
-	 */
-	if (flags & OBJECT_INFO_SECOND_READ)
-		odb_source_prepare(source, ODB_PREPARE_FLUSH_CACHES);
-
 	if (!find_pack_entry(packed, oid, &e, flags, &bad_pack)) {
 		/*
 		 * The lookup may have failed because the object is known to be
diff --git a/odb/source.h b/odb/source.h
index 1867347dfc..0cfe762376 100644
--- a/odb/source.h
+++ b/odb/source.h
@@ -119,13 +119,6 @@ struct odb_source {
 	 *   - `OBJECT_INFO_QUICK` indicates it is fine to use caches without
 	 *     re-verifying the data.
 	 *
-	 *   - `OBJECT_INFO_SECOND_READ` indicates that the initial object
-	 *     lookup has failed and that the object sources should check
-	 *     whether any of its on-disk state has changed that may have
-	 *     caused the object to appear. Sources are free to ignore the
-	 *     second read in case they know that the first read would have
-	 *     already surfaced the object without reloading any on-disk state.
-	 *
 	 * The callback is expected to return an `enum odb_read_status`. Please
 	 * refer to the individual values that can be returned. In case reading
 	 * the object has failed with a generic error and `errmsg` is non-NULL,