diff --git a/builtin/receive-pack.c b/builtin/receive-pack.c
index 8e3f9bc35f4..73cebc2f552 100644
--- a/builtin/receive-pack.c
+++ b/builtin/receive-pack.c
@@ -856,7 +856,7 @@ static void refuse_unconfigured_deny_delete_current(void)
 static int command_singleton_iterator(void *cb_data, struct object_id *oid);
 static int update_shallow_ref(struct command *cmd, struct shallow_info *si)
 {
-	struct lock_file shallow_lock = LOCK_INIT;
+	struct shallow_lock shallow_lock = SHALLOW_LOCK_INIT;
 	struct oid_array extra = OID_ARRAY_INIT;
 	struct check_connected_options opt = CHECK_CONNECTED_INIT;
 	uint32_t mask = 1 << (cmd->index % 32);
diff --git a/fetch-pack.c b/fetch-pack.c
index 401d028e417..27d2d08cc03 100644
--- a/fetch-pack.c
+++ b/fetch-pack.c
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ static int fetch_fsck_objects = -1;
 static int transfer_fsck_objects = -1;
 static int agent_supported;
 static int server_supports_filtering;
-static struct lock_file shallow_lock;
+static struct shallow_lock shallow_lock;
 static const char *alternate_shallow_file;
 static struct strbuf fsck_msg_types = STRBUF_INIT;
 
diff --git a/shallow.c b/shallow.c
index 76e00893fec..7e0a41ea68b 100644
--- a/shallow.c
+++ b/shallow.c
@@ -92,16 +92,16 @@ static void reset_repository_shallow(struct repository *r)
 	stat_validity_clear(r->parsed_objects->shallow_stat);
 }
 
-int commit_shallow_file(struct repository *r, struct lock_file *lk)
+int commit_shallow_file(struct repository *r, struct shallow_lock *lk)
 {
-	int res = commit_lock_file(lk);
+	int res = commit_lock_file(&lk->lock);
 	reset_repository_shallow(r);
 	return res;
 }
 
-void rollback_shallow_file(struct repository *r, struct lock_file *lk)
+void rollback_shallow_file(struct repository *r, struct shallow_lock *lk)
 {
-	rollback_lock_file(lk);
+	rollback_lock_file(&lk->lock);
 	reset_repository_shallow(r);
 }
 
@@ -366,22 +366,22 @@ const char *setup_temporary_shallow(const struct oid_array *extra)
 	return "";
 }
 
-void setup_alternate_shallow(struct lock_file *shallow_lock,
+void setup_alternate_shallow(struct shallow_lock *shallow_lock,
 			     const char **alternate_shallow_file,
 			     const struct oid_array *extra)
 {
 	struct strbuf sb = STRBUF_INIT;
 	int fd;
 
-	fd = hold_lock_file_for_update(shallow_lock,
+	fd = hold_lock_file_for_update(&shallow_lock->lock,
 				       git_path_shallow(the_repository),
 				       LOCK_DIE_ON_ERROR);
 	check_shallow_file_for_update(the_repository);
 	if (write_shallow_commits(&sb, 0, extra)) {
 		if (write_in_full(fd, sb.buf, sb.len) < 0)
 			die_errno("failed to write to %s",
-				  get_lock_file_path(shallow_lock));
-		*alternate_shallow_file = get_lock_file_path(shallow_lock);
+				  get_lock_file_path(&shallow_lock->lock));
+		*alternate_shallow_file = get_lock_file_path(&shallow_lock->lock);
 	} else
 		/*
 		 * is_repository_shallow() sees empty string as "no
@@ -414,7 +414,7 @@ void advertise_shallow_grafts(int fd)
  */
 void prune_shallow(unsigned options)
 {
-	struct lock_file shallow_lock = LOCK_INIT;
+	struct shallow_lock shallow_lock = SHALLOW_LOCK_INIT;
 	struct strbuf sb = STRBUF_INIT;
 	unsigned flags = SEEN_ONLY;
 	int fd;
@@ -428,14 +428,14 @@ void prune_shallow(unsigned options)
 		strbuf_release(&sb);
 		return;
 	}
-	fd = hold_lock_file_for_update(&shallow_lock,
+	fd = hold_lock_file_for_update(&shallow_lock.lock,
 				       git_path_shallow(the_repository),
 				       LOCK_DIE_ON_ERROR);
 	check_shallow_file_for_update(the_repository);
 	if (write_shallow_commits_1(&sb, 0, NULL, flags)) {
 		if (write_in_full(fd, sb.buf, sb.len) < 0)
 			die_errno("failed to write to %s",
-				  get_lock_file_path(&shallow_lock));
+				  get_lock_file_path(&shallow_lock.lock));
 		commit_shallow_file(the_repository, &shallow_lock);
 	} else {
 		unlink(git_path_shallow(the_repository));
diff --git a/shallow.h b/shallow.h
index b3bf200bf99..5b4a96dcd69 100644
--- a/shallow.h
+++ b/shallow.h
@@ -10,10 +10,25 @@ void set_alternate_shallow_file(struct repository *r, const char *path, int over
 int register_shallow(struct repository *r, const struct object_id *oid);
 int unregister_shallow(const struct object_id *oid);
 int is_repository_shallow(struct repository *r);
+
+/*
+ * Lock for updating the $GIT_DIR/shallow file.
+ *
+ * Use `commit_shallow_file()` to commit an update, or
+ * `rollback_shallow_file()` to roll it back. In either case, any
+ * in-memory cached information about which commits are shallow will be
+ * appropriately invalidated so that future operations reflect the new
+ * state.
+ */
+struct shallow_lock {
+	struct lock_file lock;
+};
+#define SHALLOW_LOCK_INIT { LOCK_INIT }
+
 /* commit $GIT_DIR/shallow and reset stat-validity checks */
-int commit_shallow_file(struct repository *r, struct lock_file *lk);
+int commit_shallow_file(struct repository *r, struct shallow_lock *lk);
 /* rollback $GIT_DIR/shallow and reset stat-validity checks */
-void rollback_shallow_file(struct repository *r, struct lock_file *lk);
+void rollback_shallow_file(struct repository *r, struct shallow_lock *lk);
 
 struct commit_list *get_shallow_commits(struct object_array *heads,
 					int depth, int shallow_flag, int not_shallow_flag);
@@ -22,7 +37,7 @@ struct commit_list *get_shallow_commits_by_rev_list(
 int write_shallow_commits(struct strbuf *out, int use_pack_protocol,
 			  const struct oid_array *extra);
 
-void setup_alternate_shallow(struct lock_file *shallow_lock,
+void setup_alternate_shallow(struct shallow_lock *shallow_lock,
 			     const char **alternate_shallow_file,
 			     const struct oid_array *extra);