diff --git a/app/services/projects/container_repository/destroy_service.rb b/app/services/projects/container_repository/destroy_service.rb
index a8e7eab6068..1f5af7970d6 100644
--- a/app/services/projects/container_repository/destroy_service.rb
+++ b/app/services/projects/container_repository/destroy_service.rb
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ module Projects
       def execute(container_repository)
         return false unless can?(current_user, :update_container_image, project)
 
+        # Delete tags outside of the transaction to avoid hitting an idle-in-transaction timeout
+        container_repository.delete_tags!
         container_repository.destroy
       end
     end
diff --git a/changelogs/unreleased/sh-delete-tags-outside-transaction.yml b/changelogs/unreleased/sh-delete-tags-outside-transaction.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..974da70251e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/unreleased/sh-delete-tags-outside-transaction.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+title: Delete container repository tags outside of transaction
+merge_request: 21679
+author:
+type: fixed
diff --git a/spec/features/container_registry_spec.rb b/spec/features/container_registry_spec.rb
index 9986206f619..0dddf6d3ec5 100644
--- a/spec/features/container_registry_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/features/container_registry_spec.rb
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ describe "Container Registry", :js do
       visit_container_registry
 
       expect_any_instance_of(ContainerRepository)
-        .to receive(:delete_tags!).and_return(true)
+        .to receive(:delete_tags!).twice.and_return(true)
 
       click_on(class: 'js-remove-repo')
     end
diff --git a/spec/services/projects/container_repository/destroy_service_spec.rb b/spec/services/projects/container_repository/destroy_service_spec.rb
index 307ccc88865..af54e1b15e3 100644
--- a/spec/services/projects/container_repository/destroy_service_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/services/projects/container_repository/destroy_service_spec.rb
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ describe Projects::ContainerRepository::DestroyService do
       end
 
       it 'deletes the repository' do
+        expect(repository).to receive(:delete_tags!).twice.and_call_original
         expect { described_class.new(project, user).execute(repository) }.to change { ContainerRepository.all.count }.by(-1)
       end
     end