diff --git a/fast-import.c b/fast-import.c
index d73f58cbe3f..e380804831f 100644
--- a/fast-import.c
+++ b/fast-import.c
@@ -1419,7 +1419,7 @@ static void mktree(struct tree_content *t, int v, struct strbuf *b)
 
 static void store_tree(struct tree_entry *root)
 {
-	struct tree_content *t = root->tree;
+	struct tree_content *t;
 	unsigned int i, j, del;
 	struct last_object lo = { STRBUF_INIT, 0, 0, /* no_swap */ 1 };
 	struct object_entry *le = NULL;
@@ -1427,6 +1427,10 @@ static void store_tree(struct tree_entry *root)
 	if (!is_null_sha1(root->versions[1].sha1))
 		return;
 
+	if (!root->tree)
+		load_tree(root);
+	t = root->tree;
+
 	for (i = 0; i < t->entry_count; i++) {
 		if (t->entries[i]->tree)
 			store_tree(t->entries[i]);
diff --git a/t/t9300-fast-import.sh b/t/t9300-fast-import.sh
index 9cf5e45ae79..d400442a4a8 100755
--- a/t/t9300-fast-import.sh
+++ b/t/t9300-fast-import.sh
@@ -3107,7 +3107,7 @@ D ""
 
 INPUT_END
 
-test_expect_failure 'U: filedelete root succeeds' '
+test_expect_success 'U: filedelete root succeeds' '
     git fast-import <input
 '
 
@@ -3117,7 +3117,7 @@ EOF
 
 git diff-tree -M -r U^1 U >actual
 
-test_expect_failure 'U: validate root delete result' '
+test_expect_success 'U: validate root delete result' '
 	compare_diff_raw expect actual
 '