diff --git a/internal/gitclone/manager.go b/internal/gitclone/manager.go
index 5583c5d2..a75ee270 100644
--- a/internal/gitclone/manager.go
+++ b/internal/gitclone/manager.go
@@ -81,11 +81,15 @@ type CredentialProvider interface {
 type CredentialProviderProvider func() (CredentialProvider, error)
 
 type Repository struct {
-	mu                 sync.RWMutex
-	config             Config
-	state              State
-	path               string
-	upstreamURL        string
+	// mu guards state and is read-held for minutes during snapshot
+	// generation; a queued writer would park every new reader behind it.
+	mu          sync.RWMutex
+	config      Config
+	state       State
+	path        string
+	upstreamURL string
+	// metaMu guards per-request/per-fetch bookkeeping so it never writes mu.
+	metaMu             sync.Mutex
 	lastFetch          time.Time
 	lastRefCheck       time.Time
 	refCheckValid      bool
@@ -332,15 +336,19 @@ func (r *Repository) UpstreamURL() string {
 }
 
 func (r *Repository) LastFetch() time.Time {
-	r.mu.RLock()
-	defer r.mu.RUnlock()
+	r.metaMu.Lock()
+	defer r.metaMu.Unlock()
 	return r.lastFetch
 }
 
+func (r *Repository) setLastFetch(at time.Time) {
+	r.metaMu.Lock()
+	defer r.metaMu.Unlock()
+	r.lastFetch = at
+}
+
 func (r *Repository) NeedsFetch(fetchInterval time.Duration) bool {
-	r.mu.RLock()
-	defer r.mu.RUnlock()
-	return time.Since(r.lastFetch) >= fetchInterval
+	return time.Since(r.LastFetch()) >= fetchInterval
 }
 
 func (r *Repository) WithReadLock(fn func() error) error {
@@ -361,9 +369,9 @@ func WithReadLockReturn[T any](repo *Repository, fn func() (T, error)) (T, error
 // be replaced with a fresh clone.
 func (r *Repository) ResetToEmpty() {
 	r.mu.Lock()
-	defer r.mu.Unlock()
 	r.state = StateEmpty
-	r.lastFetch = time.Time{}
+	r.mu.Unlock()
+	r.setLastFetch(time.Time{})
 }
 
 // TryStartCloning atomically transitions the repository from StateEmpty to
@@ -411,8 +419,8 @@ func (r *Repository) ConfigureMirror(ctx context.Context, repoPath string) error
 func (r *Repository) MarkReady() {
 	r.mu.Lock()
 	r.state = StateReady
-	r.lastFetch = time.Now()
 	r.mu.Unlock()
+	r.setLastFetch(time.Now())
 }
 
 // Clone starts one mirror clone. Other callers wait for the result.
@@ -477,8 +485,8 @@ func (r *Repository) CloneClaimed(ctx context.Context) error {
 	}
 
 	r.state = StateReady
-	r.lastFetch = time.Now()
 	r.mu.Unlock()
+	r.setLastFetch(time.Now())
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -689,24 +697,22 @@ func (r *Repository) fetchInternal(ctx context.Context, timeout time.Duration, e
 		return errors.Wrapf(err, "git fetch: %s", string(output))
 	}
 
-	r.mu.Lock()
-	r.lastFetch = time.Now()
-	r.mu.Unlock()
+	r.setLastFetch(time.Now())
 	return nil
 }
 
 // EnsureRefsUpToDate checks whether the local mirror's refs match upstream.
 // If refs are stale it returns NeedsFetch=true so the caller can schedule a
 // background fetch via the job scheduler, rather than fetching synchronously
-// on the request path (which would acquire a write lock and block all serving).
+// on the request path.
 func (r *Repository) EnsureRefsUpToDate(ctx context.Context) (needsFetch bool, err error) {
-	r.mu.Lock()
+	r.metaMu.Lock()
 	if r.refCheckValid && time.Since(r.lastRefCheck) < r.config.RefCheckInterval {
-		r.mu.Unlock()
+		r.metaMu.Unlock()
 		return false, nil
 	}
 	r.refCheckValid = false
-	r.mu.Unlock()
+	r.metaMu.Unlock()
 
 	localRefs, err := r.GetLocalRefs(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -730,17 +736,17 @@ func (r *Repository) EnsureRefsUpToDate(ctx context.Context) (needsFetch bool, e
 		}
 		localSHA, exists := localRefs[ref]
 		if !exists || localSHA != upstreamSHA {
-			r.mu.Lock()
+			r.metaMu.Lock()
 			r.refCheckValid = false
-			r.mu.Unlock()
+			r.metaMu.Unlock()
 			return true, nil
 		}
 	}
 
-	r.mu.Lock()
+	r.metaMu.Lock()
 	r.lastRefCheck = time.Now()
 	r.refCheckValid = true
-	r.mu.Unlock()
+	r.metaMu.Unlock()
 	return false, nil
 }
 
@@ -778,9 +784,9 @@ func (r *Repository) EnsureRefs(
 
 	// Invalidate the cached ref-check so the normal transparent path also
 	// re-evaluates after our forced fetch.
-	r.mu.Lock()
+	r.metaMu.Lock()
 	r.refCheckValid = false
-	r.mu.Unlock()
+	r.metaMu.Unlock()
 
 	localRefs, err = r.GetLocalRefs(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/internal/gitclone/manager_test.go b/internal/gitclone/manager_test.go
index acad13ff..8557483d 100644
--- a/internal/gitclone/manager_test.go
+++ b/internal/gitclone/manager_test.go
@@ -289,9 +289,9 @@ func TestRepository_NeedsFetch(t *testing.T) {
 
 	assert.False(t, repo.NeedsFetch(30*time.Minute))
 
-	repo.mu.Lock()
+	repo.metaMu.Lock()
 	repo.lastFetch = time.Now()
-	repo.mu.Unlock()
+	repo.metaMu.Unlock()
 
 	assert.False(t, repo.NeedsFetch(15*time.Minute))
 }
@@ -737,8 +737,8 @@ func TestRepositoryEnsureRefsUpToDateDoesNotCacheLocalError(t *testing.T) {
 	_, err := repo.EnsureRefsUpToDate(t.Context())
 
 	assert.Error(t, err)
-	repo.mu.Lock()
-	defer repo.mu.Unlock()
+	repo.metaMu.Lock()
+	defer repo.metaMu.Unlock()
 	assert.False(t, repo.refCheckValid)
 }
 
@@ -793,17 +793,17 @@ exec %q "$@"
 		time.Sleep(10 * time.Millisecond)
 	}
 
-	repo.mu.Lock()
+	repo.metaMu.Lock()
 	valid := repo.refCheckValid
-	repo.mu.Unlock()
+	repo.metaMu.Unlock()
 	assert.False(t, valid)
 	assert.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(release, nil, 0o644))
 
 	got := <-resultCh
 	assert.NoError(t, got.err)
 	assert.False(t, got.stale)
-	repo.mu.Lock()
-	defer repo.mu.Unlock()
+	repo.metaMu.Lock()
+	defer repo.metaMu.Unlock()
 	assert.True(t, repo.refCheckValid)
 }
 
@@ -878,16 +878,16 @@ exec %q "$@"
 	fresh, err := repo.EnsureRefsUpToDate(t.Context())
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 	assert.False(t, fresh)
-	repo.mu.Lock()
+	repo.metaMu.Lock()
 	assert.True(t, repo.refCheckValid)
-	repo.mu.Unlock()
+	repo.metaMu.Unlock()
 
 	assert.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(releaseStale, nil, 0o644))
 	got := <-staleResult
 	assert.NoError(t, got.err)
 	assert.True(t, got.stale)
-	repo.mu.Lock()
-	defer repo.mu.Unlock()
+	repo.metaMu.Lock()
+	defer repo.metaMu.Unlock()
 	assert.False(t, repo.refCheckValid)
 }
 
@@ -958,3 +958,46 @@ func TestMirrorConfigAllowsUnreachableSHA(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("upload-pack rejected unreachable SHA (mirror config should allow it):\n%s", uploadOut)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestRepositoryRequestPathNotBlockedByLongReadLock(t *testing.T) {
+	config := testRepoConfig()
+	config.RefCheckInterval = time.Hour
+	repo := &Repository{
+		state:         StateReady,
+		config:        config,
+		path:          t.TempDir(),
+		upstreamURL:   "https://example.test/org/repo",
+		fetchSem:      make(chan struct{}, 1),
+		refCheckValid: true,
+		lastRefCheck:  time.Now(),
+	}
+	repo.fetchSem <- struct{}{}
+
+	held := make(chan struct{})
+	release := make(chan struct{})
+	defer close(release)
+	go func() {
+		_ = repo.WithReadLock(func() error {
+			close(held)
+			<-release
+			return nil
+		})
+	}()
+	<-held
+
+	done := make(chan struct{})
+	go func() {
+		defer close(done)
+		stale, err := repo.EnsureRefsUpToDate(t.Context())
+		assert.NoError(t, err)
+		assert.False(t, stale)
+		repo.setLastFetch(time.Now())
+		assert.False(t, repo.NeedsFetch(time.Hour))
+		assert.Equal(t, StateReady, repo.State())
+	}()
+	select {
+	case <-done:
+	case <-time.After(5 * time.Second):
+		t.Fatal("request-path bookkeeping blocked behind a held read lock")
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/s3client/s3clienttest/s3clienttest.go b/internal/s3client/s3clienttest/s3clienttest.go
index b0a5d8bd..ed588d91 100644
--- a/internal/s3client/s3clienttest/s3clienttest.go
+++ b/internal/s3client/s3clienttest/s3clienttest.go
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ func startContainer(t *testing.T) {
 			"-p", Port+":9000",
 			"-e", "MINIO_ROOT_USER="+Username,
 			"-e", "MINIO_ROOT_PASSWORD="+Password,
-			"quay.io/minio/minio", "server", "/data",
+			"cgr.dev/chainguard/minio:latest", "server", "/data",
 		)
 		output, err := cmd.CombinedOutput()
 		if err == nil {
diff --git a/internal/strategy/git/git.go b/internal/strategy/git/git.go
index a922c416..46f36efc 100644
--- a/internal/strategy/git/git.go
+++ b/internal/strategy/git/git.go
@@ -457,18 +457,32 @@ func (s *Strategy) serveReadyRepo(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, repo *
 		r.TransferEncoding = nil
 	}
 
-	if s.serveFromBackend(w, r, repo) {
-		// The mirror is missing the requested object — most likely a commit
-		// that was advertised before a concurrent force-push fetch orphaned
-		// it. Fall back to upstream so the client is not left with an error.
-		logger.InfoContext(ctx, "Falling back to upstream due to 'not our ref'", "path", pathValue)
+	if !s.serveFromBackend(w, r, repo) {
+		return nil
+	}
+	replayBody := func() {
 		if bodyBytes != nil {
 			r.Body = io.NopCloser(bytes.NewReader(bodyBytes))
 			r.ContentLength = int64(len(bodyBytes))
 			r.TransferEncoding = nil
 		}
-		s.forwardToUpstream(w, r, host, pathValue)
 	}
+
+	// The missing object is usually a commit the stale mirror has not fetched
+	// yet; fetching is far cheaper than proxying the whole pack from upstream.
+	if err := repo.Fetch(ctx); err != nil {
+		logger.WarnContext(ctx, "Fetch after 'not our ref' failed, forwarding to upstream", "upstream", repo.UpstreamURL(),
+			"error", err)
+	} else {
+		replayBody()
+		if !s.serveFromBackend(w, r, repo) {
+			logger.InfoContext(ctx, "Served from mirror after fetching object missing for 'not our ref'", "path", pathValue)
+			return nil
+		}
+	}
+	logger.InfoContext(ctx, "Falling back to upstream due to 'not our ref'", "path", pathValue)
+	replayBody()
+	s.forwardToUpstream(w, r, host, pathValue)
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/internal/strategy/git/info_refs_test.go b/internal/strategy/git/info_refs_test.go
index bbf9727a..affc4912 100644
--- a/internal/strategy/git/info_refs_test.go
+++ b/internal/strategy/git/info_refs_test.go
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ func (t *infoRefsTransport) RoundTrip(req *http.Request) (*http.Response, error)
 type infoRefsFixture struct {
 	ctx          context.Context
 	handler      http.Handler
+	uploadPack   http.Handler
 	transport    *infoRefsTransport
 	logs         *bytes.Buffer
 	upstreamPath string
@@ -86,10 +87,13 @@ func newInfoRefsFixture(t *testing.T) *infoRefsFixture {
 	strategy.SetHTTPTransport(transport)
 	handler := mux.handlers["GET /git/{host}/{path...}"]
 	assert.NotZero(t, handler)
+	uploadPack := mux.handlers["POST /git/{host}/{path...}"]
+	assert.NotZero(t, uploadPack)
 
 	return &infoRefsFixture{
 		ctx:          ctx,
 		handler:      handler,
+		uploadPack:   uploadPack,
 		transport:    transport,
 		logs:         logs,
 		upstreamPath: upstreamPath,
diff --git a/internal/strategy/git/not_our_ref_test.go b/internal/strategy/git/not_our_ref_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c400b3b0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/strategy/git/not_our_ref_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+package git_test
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"net/http"
+	"net/http/httptest"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/alecthomas/assert/v2"
+)
+
+func pkt(line string) string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("%04x%s", len(line)+4, line)
+}
+
+func (f *infoRefsFixture) requestUploadPack(t *testing.T, want string) *httptest.ResponseRecorder {
+	t.Helper()
+	body := pkt("want "+want+"\n") + "0000" + pkt("done\n")
+	req := httptest.NewRequestWithContext(f.ctx, http.MethodPost,
+		"/git/example.test/org/repo/git-upload-pack", strings.NewReader(body))
+	req.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/x-git-upload-pack-request")
+	req.SetPathValue("host", "example.test")
+	req.SetPathValue("path", "org/repo/git-upload-pack")
+	w := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	f.uploadPack.ServeHTTP(w, req)
+	return w
+}
+
+func TestUploadPackNotOurRefFetchesAndServesFromMirror(t *testing.T) {
+	fixture := newInfoRefsFixture(t)
+	setInfoRefsLsRemote(t, fixture.upstreamPath, false)
+	wantSHA := fixture.commitUpstream(t)
+
+	w := fixture.requestUploadPack(t, wantSHA)
+
+	assert.Equal(t, http.StatusOK, w.Code)
+	assert.Equal(t, int32(0), fixture.transport.hits.Load())
+	assert.Contains(t, w.Header().Get("Content-Type"), "application/x-git-upload-pack-result")
+	assert.Contains(t, fixture.logs.String(), "Served from mirror after fetching object missing for 'not our ref'")
+	assert.Equal(t, wantSHA, runInfoRefsGit(t, "-C", fixture.mirrorPath, "rev-parse", "refs/heads/main"))
+}
+
+func TestUploadPackNotOurRefUnreachableUpstreamForwards(t *testing.T) {
+	fixture := newInfoRefsFixture(t)
+	setInfoRefsLsRemote(t, fixture.upstreamPath, false)
+
+	w := fixture.requestUploadPack(t, strings.Repeat("a", 40))
+
+	assert.Equal(t, http.StatusOK, w.Code)
+	assert.Equal(t, int32(1), fixture.transport.hits.Load())
+	assert.Equal(t, "proxied-info-refs", w.Body.String())
+	assert.Contains(t, fixture.logs.String(), "Falling back to upstream due to 'not our ref'")
+}