diff --git a/changelogs/unreleased/xeodon-gitlab-ce-fix-45743-master-fix-gitaly-delete-refs.yml b/changelogs/unreleased/xeodon-gitlab-ce-fix-45743-master-fix-gitaly-delete-refs.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..94da4d74300
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/unreleased/xeodon-gitlab-ce-fix-45743-master-fix-gitaly-delete-refs.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+title: Fix error when deleting an empty list of refs
+merge_request:
+author:
+type: fixed
diff --git a/lib/gitlab/git/repository.rb b/lib/gitlab/git/repository.rb
index cc9db136c63..c02d431bc34 100644
--- a/lib/gitlab/git/repository.rb
+++ b/lib/gitlab/git/repository.rb
@@ -2367,7 +2367,7 @@ module Gitlab
       end
 
       def gitaly_delete_refs(*ref_names)
-        gitaly_ref_client.delete_refs(refs: ref_names)
+        gitaly_ref_client.delete_refs(refs: ref_names) if ref_names.any?
       end
 
       def rugged_remove_remote(remote_name)
diff --git a/spec/lib/gitlab/git/repository_spec.rb b/spec/lib/gitlab/git/repository_spec.rb
index 2b5710ac401..01a51573922 100644
--- a/spec/lib/gitlab/git/repository_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/gitlab/git/repository_spec.rb
@@ -600,6 +600,10 @@ describe Gitlab::Git::Repository, seed_helper: true do
         end
       end
 
+      it 'does not fail when deleting an empty list of refs' do
+        expect { repo.delete_refs(*[]) }.not_to raise_error
+      end
+
       it 'raises an error if it failed' do
         expect { repo.delete_refs('refs\heads\fix') }.to raise_error(Gitlab::Git::Repository::GitError)
       end