diff --git a/commit-graph.c b/commit-graph.c
index 8b29c6de24..b1d3e5bf94 100644
--- a/commit-graph.c
+++ b/commit-graph.c
@@ -548,9 +548,15 @@ int open_commit_graph_chain(const char *chain_file,
 		close(*fd);
 		return 0;
 	}
-	if (st->st_size <= the_hash_algo->hexsz) {
+	if (st->st_size < the_hash_algo->hexsz) {
 		close(*fd);
-		errno = ENOENT;
+		if (!st->st_size) {
+			/* treat empty files the same as missing */
+			errno = ENOENT;
+		} else {
+			warning("commit-graph chain file too small");
+			errno = EINVAL;
+		}
 		return 0;
 	}
 	return 1;
diff --git a/t/t5324-split-commit-graph.sh b/t/t5324-split-commit-graph.sh
index a5ac0440f1..be58545810 100755
--- a/t/t5324-split-commit-graph.sh
+++ b/t/t5324-split-commit-graph.sh
@@ -342,6 +342,18 @@ test_expect_success 'verify after commit-graph-chain corruption (tip)' '
 	)
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'verify notices too-short chain file' '
+	git clone --no-hardlinks . verify-chain-short &&
+	(
+		cd verify-chain-short &&
+		git commit-graph verify &&
+		echo "garbage" >$graphdir/commit-graph-chain &&
+		test_must_fail git commit-graph verify 2>test_err &&
+		grep -v "^+" test_err >err &&
+		grep "commit-graph chain file too small" err
+	)
+'
+
 test_expect_success 'verify across alternates' '
 	git clone --no-hardlinks . verify-alt &&
 	(