diff --git a/t/t6020-bundle-misc.sh b/t/t6020-bundle-misc.sh
index 833205125abf5a..26cf5fa008c85a 100755
--- a/t/t6020-bundle-misc.sh
+++ b/t/t6020-bundle-misc.sh
@@ -559,4 +559,44 @@ test_expect_success 'cloning from filtered bundle has useful error' '
 	grep "cannot clone from filtered bundle" err
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'verify catches unreachable, broken prerequisites' '
+	test_when_finished rm -rf clone-from clone-to &&
+	git init clone-from &&
+	(
+		cd clone-from &&
+		git checkout -b base &&
+		test_commit A &&
+		git checkout -b tip &&
+		git commit --allow-empty -m "will drop by shallow" &&
+		git commit --allow-empty -m "will keep by shallow" &&
+		git commit --allow-empty -m "for bundle, not clone" &&
+		git bundle create tip.bundle tip~1..tip &&
+		git reset --hard HEAD~1 &&
+		git checkout base
+	) &&
+	BAD_OID=$(git -C clone-from rev-parse tip~1) &&
+	TIP_OID=$(git -C clone-from rev-parse tip) &&
+	git clone --depth=1 --no-single-branch \
+		"file://$(pwd)/clone-from" clone-to &&
+	(
+		cd clone-to &&
+
+		# Set up broken history by removing shallow markers
+		git update-ref -d refs/remotes/origin/tip &&
+		rm .git/shallow &&
+
+		# Verify should fail
+		test_must_fail git bundle verify \
+			../clone-from/tip.bundle 2>err &&
+		grep "Could not read $BAD_OID" err &&
+		grep "Failed to traverse parents of commit $TIP_OID" err &&
+
+		# Unbundling should fail
+		test_must_fail git bundle unbundle \
+			../clone-from/tip.bundle 2>err &&
+		grep "Could not read $BAD_OID" err &&
+		grep "Failed to traverse parents of commit $TIP_OID" err
+	)
+'
+
 test_done