diff --git a/builtin/gc.c b/builtin/gc.c
index d16299330916ed..0f7082a182aa1f 100644
--- a/builtin/gc.c
+++ b/builtin/gc.c
@@ -1285,6 +1285,8 @@ static int maintenance_run_tasks(struct maintenance_run_opts *opts)
 	char *lock_path = xstrfmt("%s/maintenance", r->objects->odb->path);
 
 	if (hold_lock_file_for_update(&lk, lock_path, LOCK_NO_DEREF) < 0) {
+		struct stat st;
+		struct strbuf lock_dot_lock = STRBUF_INIT;
 		/*
 		 * Another maintenance command is running.
 		 *
@@ -1295,6 +1297,25 @@ static int maintenance_run_tasks(struct maintenance_run_opts *opts)
 		if (!opts->auto_flag && !opts->quiet)
 			warning(_("lock file '%s' exists, skipping maintenance"),
 				lock_path);
+
+		/*
+		 * Check timestamp on .lock file to see if we should
+		 * delete it to recover from a fail state.
+		 */
+		strbuf_addstr(&lock_dot_lock, lock_path);
+		strbuf_addstr(&lock_dot_lock, ".lock");
+		if (lstat(lock_dot_lock.buf, &st))
+			warning_errno(_("unable to stat '%s'"), lock_dot_lock.buf);
+		else {
+			if (st.st_mtime < time(NULL) - (6 * 60 * 60)) {
+				if (unlink(lock_dot_lock.buf))
+					warning_errno(_("unable to delete stale lock file"));
+				else
+					warning(_("deleted stale lock file"));
+			}
+		}
+
+		strbuf_release(&lock_dot_lock);
 		free(lock_path);
 		return 0;
 	}
diff --git a/t/t7900-maintenance.sh b/t/t7900-maintenance.sh
index 2724a44fe3ef24..b7ded01da4fc1a 100755
--- a/t/t7900-maintenance.sh
+++ b/t/t7900-maintenance.sh
@@ -54,6 +54,23 @@ test_expect_success 'run [--auto|--quiet]' '
 	test_subcommand git gc --no-quiet <run-no-quiet.txt
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'lock file behavior' '
+	test_when_finished git config --unset maintenance.commit-graph.schedule &&
+	git config maintenance.commit-graph.schedule hourly &&
+
+	touch .git/objects/maintenance.lock &&
+	git maintenance run --schedule=hourly --no-quiet 2>err &&
+	grep "lock file .* exists, skipping maintenance" err &&
+
+	test-tool chmtime =-22000 .git/objects/maintenance.lock &&
+	git maintenance run --schedule=hourly --no-quiet 2>err &&
+	grep "deleted stale lock file" err &&
+	test_path_is_missing .git/objects/maintenance.lock &&
+
+	git maintenance run --schedule=hourly 2>err &&
+	test_must_be_empty err
+'
+
 test_expect_success 'maintenance.auto config option' '
 	GIT_TRACE2_EVENT="$(pwd)/default" git commit --quiet --allow-empty -m 1 &&
 	test_subcommand git maintenance run --auto --quiet <default &&