diff --git a/reachable.c b/reachable.c
index d4507c4270..aba63ebeb3 100644
--- a/reachable.c
+++ b/reachable.c
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 #include "worktree.h"
 #include "object-store.h"
 #include "pack-bitmap.h"
+#include "pack-mtimes.h"
 
 struct connectivity_progress {
 	struct progress *progress;
@@ -155,6 +156,7 @@ static int add_recent_packed(const struct object_id *oid,
 			     void *data)
 {
 	struct object *obj;
+	timestamp_t mtime = p->mtime;
 
 	if (!want_recent_object(data, oid))
 		return 0;
@@ -163,7 +165,12 @@ static int add_recent_packed(const struct object_id *oid,
 
 	if (obj && obj->flags & SEEN)
 		return 0;
-	add_recent_object(oid, p, nth_packed_object_offset(p, pos), p->mtime, data);
+	if (p->is_cruft) {
+		if (load_pack_mtimes(p) < 0)
+			die(_("could not load cruft pack .mtimes"));
+		mtime = nth_packed_mtime(p, pos);
+	}
+	add_recent_object(oid, p, nth_packed_object_offset(p, pos), mtime, data);
 	return 0;
 }