diff --git a/refs/reftable-backend.c b/refs/reftable-backend.c
index bffed9257f..e555be4671 100644
--- a/refs/reftable-backend.c
+++ b/refs/reftable-backend.c

@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #include "../git-compat-util.h"
 #include "../abspath.h"
 #include "../chdir-notify.h"
+#include "../dir.h"
 #include "../environment.h"
 #include "../gettext.h"
 #include "../hash.h"

@@ -343,6 +344,56 @@ static int reftable_be_create_on_disk(struct ref_store *ref_store,
 	return 0;
 }

+static int reftable_be_remove_on_disk(struct ref_store *ref_store,
+				      struct strbuf *err)
+{
+	struct reftable_ref_store *refs =
+		reftable_be_downcast(ref_store, REF_STORE_WRITE, "remove");
+	struct strbuf sb = STRBUF_INIT;
+	int ret = 0;
+
+	/*
+	 * Release the ref store such that all stacks are closed. This is
+	 * required so that the "tables.list" file is not open anymore, which
+	 * would otherwise make it impossible to remove the file on Windows.
+	 */
+	reftable_be_release(ref_store);
+
+	strbuf_addf(&sb, "%s/reftable", refs->base.gitdir);
+	if (remove_dir_recursively(&sb, 0) < 0) {
+		strbuf_addf(err, "could not delete reftables: %s",
+			    strerror(errno));
+		ret = -1;
+	}
+	strbuf_reset(&sb);
+
+	strbuf_addf(&sb, "%s/HEAD", refs->base.gitdir);
+	if (unlink(sb.buf) < 0) {
+		strbuf_addf(err, "could not delete stub HEAD: %s",
+			    strerror(errno));
+		ret = -1;
+	}
+	strbuf_reset(&sb);
+
+	strbuf_addf(&sb, "%s/refs/heads", refs->base.gitdir);
+	if (unlink(sb.buf) < 0) {
+		strbuf_addf(err, "could not delete stub heads: %s",
+			    strerror(errno));
+		ret = -1;
+	}
+	strbuf_reset(&sb);
+
+	strbuf_addf(&sb, "%s/refs", refs->base.gitdir);
+	if (rmdir(sb.buf) < 0) {
+		strbuf_addf(err, "could not delete stub heads: %s",