diff --git a/lisp/vc/vc.el b/lisp/vc/vc.el
index 3cae49c0b60..344e1c012ac 100644
--- a/lisp/vc/vc.el
+++ b/lisp/vc/vc.el
@@ -5080,11 +5080,13 @@ called from Lisp with optional argument OK-IF-ALREADY-EXISTS non-nil."
                      (vc-backend old))))
       ;; The rename commands for several VCS (at least Bzr, Git and
       ;; Mercurial) will fail if asked to move a directory containing
-      ;; only untracked files.
+      ;; only untracked files.  So skip calling into the backend if OLD
+      ;; is a directory and we walk through the entirety of it without
+      ;; finding any VC-managed files.
       (unless (and dirp
-                   (all (lambda (x)
-                          (memq (cadr x) '(ignored unregistered)))
-                        (vc-dir-status-files old (list old) backend)))
+                   (catch 'done
+                     (vc-file-tree-walk old (lambda (_) (throw 'done nil)))
+                     t))
         (vc-call-backend backend 'rename-file old new)))
     (vc-file-clearprops old)
     (vc-file-clearprops new)
diff --git a/test/lisp/vc/vc-tests/vc-tests.el b/test/lisp/vc/vc-tests/vc-tests.el
index ca3b62ee9e8..732ef12fbdc 100644
--- a/test/lisp/vc/vc-tests/vc-tests.el
+++ b/test/lisp/vc/vc-tests/vc-tests.el
@@ -671,7 +671,9 @@ This checks also `vc-backend' and `vc-responsible-backend'."
               (should-not (file-exists-p tmp-name1))
               (should-not (file-exists-p tmp-name2))
               (should (file-exists-p new-name1))
-              (should (file-exists-p new-name2)))
+              (should (vc-registered new-name1))
+              (should (file-exists-p new-name2))
+              (should-not (vc-registered new-name2)))
 
             ;; Test only unregistered files.
             (let* ((tmp-dir (expand-file-name "dir3/" default-directory))
@@ -684,9 +686,26 @@ This checks also `vc-backend' and `vc-responsible-backend'."
               (vc-rename-file (directory-file-name tmp-dir)
                               (directory-file-name new-dir))
               (should-not (file-exists-p tmp-name))
+              (should (file-exists-p new-name))
+              (should-not (vc-registered new-name)))
+
+            ;; Test only registered files.
+
+            (let* ((tmp-dir (expand-file-name "dir5/" default-directory))
+                   (tmp-name (expand-file-name "foo" tmp-dir))
+                   (new-dir (expand-file-name "dir6/" default-directory))
+                   (new-name (expand-file-name "foo" new-dir)))
+              (make-directory tmp-dir)
+              (write-region "foo" nil tmp-name nil 'nomessage)
+              (vc-register `(,backend
+                             (,(file-relative-name tmp-name
+                                                   default-directory))))
+
+              (vc-rename-file (directory-file-name tmp-dir)
+                              (directory-file-name new-dir))
               (should-not (file-exists-p tmp-name))
               (should (file-exists-p new-name))
-              (should (file-exists-p new-name))))
+              (should (vc-registered new-name))))
 
         ;; Save exit.
         (ignore-errors