diff --git a/builtin/commit.c b/builtin/commit.c
index dad4e565443..a66727a612a 100644
--- a/builtin/commit.c
+++ b/builtin/commit.c
@@ -725,11 +725,13 @@ static int prepare_to_commit(const char *index_file, const char *prefix,
 	int clean_message_contents = (cleanup_mode != COMMIT_MSG_CLEANUP_NONE);
 	int old_display_comment_prefix;
 	int merge_contains_scissors = 0;
+	int invoked_hook = 0;
 
 	/* This checks and barfs if author is badly specified */
 	determine_author_info(author_ident);
 
-	if (!no_verify && run_commit_hook(use_editor, index_file, "pre-commit", NULL))
+	if (!no_verify && run_commit_hook(use_editor, index_file, &invoked_hook,
+					  "pre-commit", NULL))
 		return 0;
 
 	if (squash_message) {
@@ -1045,10 +1047,10 @@ static int prepare_to_commit(const char *index_file, const char *prefix,
 		return 0;
 	}
 
-	if (!no_verify && hook_exists("pre-commit")) {
+	if (!no_verify && invoked_hook) {
 		/*
-		 * Re-read the index as pre-commit hook could have updated it,
-		 * and write it out as a tree.  We must do this before we invoke
+		 * Re-read the index as the pre-commit-commit hook was invoked
+		 * and could have updated it. We must do this before we invoke
 		 * the editor and after we invoke run_status above.
 		 */
 		discard_cache();
@@ -1060,7 +1062,7 @@ static int prepare_to_commit(const char *index_file, const char *prefix,
 		return 0;
 	}
 
-	if (run_commit_hook(use_editor, index_file, "prepare-commit-msg",
+	if (run_commit_hook(use_editor, index_file, NULL, "prepare-commit-msg",
 			    git_path_commit_editmsg(), hook_arg1, hook_arg2, NULL))
 		return 0;
 
@@ -1077,7 +1079,8 @@ static int prepare_to_commit(const char *index_file, const char *prefix,
 	}
 
 	if (!no_verify &&
-	    run_commit_hook(use_editor, index_file, "commit-msg", git_path_commit_editmsg(), NULL)) {
+	    run_commit_hook(use_editor, index_file, NULL, "commit-msg",
+			    git_path_commit_editmsg(), NULL)) {
 		return 0;
 	}
 
@@ -1830,7 +1833,8 @@ int cmd_commit(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 
 	repo_rerere(the_repository, 0);
 	run_auto_maintenance(quiet);
-	run_commit_hook(use_editor, get_index_file(), "post-commit", NULL);
+	run_commit_hook(use_editor, get_index_file(), NULL, "post-commit",
+			NULL);
 	if (amend && !no_post_rewrite) {
 		commit_post_rewrite(the_repository, current_head, &oid);
 	}
diff --git a/builtin/merge.c b/builtin/merge.c
index 6128b60942f..0425c9bf2b5 100644
--- a/builtin/merge.c
+++ b/builtin/merge.c
@@ -844,15 +844,18 @@ static void prepare_to_commit(struct commit_list *remoteheads)
 {
 	struct strbuf msg = STRBUF_INIT;
 	const char *index_file = get_index_file();
+	int invoked_hook = 0;
 
-	if (!no_verify && run_commit_hook(0 < option_edit, index_file, "pre-merge-commit", NULL))
+	if (!no_verify && run_commit_hook(0 < option_edit, index_file,
+					  &invoked_hook, "pre-merge-commit",
+					  NULL))
 		abort_commit(remoteheads, NULL);
 	/*
-	 * Re-read the index as pre-merge-commit hook could have updated it,
-	 * and write it out as a tree.  We must do this before we invoke
+	 * Re-read the index as the pre-merge-commit hook was invoked
+	 * and could have updated it. We must do this before we invoke
 	 * the editor and after we invoke run_status above.
 	 */
-	if (hook_exists("pre-merge-commit"))
+	if (invoked_hook)
 		discard_cache();
 	read_cache_from(index_file);
 	strbuf_addbuf(&msg, &merge_msg);
@@ -873,7 +876,8 @@ static void prepare_to_commit(struct commit_list *remoteheads)
 		append_signoff(&msg, ignore_non_trailer(msg.buf, msg.len), 0);
 	write_merge_heads(remoteheads);
 	write_file_buf(git_path_merge_msg(the_repository), msg.buf, msg.len);
-	if (run_commit_hook(0 < option_edit, get_index_file(), "prepare-commit-msg",
+	if (run_commit_hook(0 < option_edit, get_index_file(), NULL,
+			    "prepare-commit-msg",
 			    git_path_merge_msg(the_repository), "merge", NULL))
 		abort_commit(remoteheads, NULL);
 	if (0 < option_edit) {
@@ -882,7 +886,7 @@ static void prepare_to_commit(struct commit_list *remoteheads)
 	}
 
 	if (!no_verify && run_commit_hook(0 < option_edit, get_index_file(),
-					  "commit-msg",
+					  NULL, "commit-msg",
 					  git_path_merge_msg(the_repository), NULL))
 		abort_commit(remoteheads, NULL);
 
diff --git a/builtin/receive-pack.c b/builtin/receive-pack.c
index ec90e10477a..cd658f41d58 100644
--- a/builtin/receive-pack.c
+++ b/builtin/receive-pack.c
@@ -1439,10 +1439,12 @@ static const char *push_to_deploy(unsigned char *sha1,
 static const char *push_to_checkout_hook = "push-to-checkout";
 
 static const char *push_to_checkout(unsigned char *hash,
+				    int *invoked_hook,
 				    struct strvec *env,
 				    const char *work_tree)
 {
 	struct run_hooks_opt opt = RUN_HOOKS_OPT_INIT;
+	opt.invoked_hook = invoked_hook;
 
 	strvec_pushf(env, "GIT_WORK_TREE=%s", absolute_path(work_tree));
 	strvec_pushv(&opt.env, env->v);
@@ -1460,6 +1462,7 @@ static const char *update_worktree(unsigned char *sha1, const struct worktree *w
 {
 	const char *retval, *work_tree, *git_dir = NULL;
 	struct strvec env = STRVEC_INIT;
+	int invoked_hook = 0;
 
 	if (worktree && worktree->path)
 		work_tree = worktree->path;
@@ -1477,10 +1480,9 @@ static const char *update_worktree(unsigned char *sha1, const struct worktree *w
 
 	strvec_pushf(&env, "GIT_DIR=%s", absolute_path(git_dir));
 
-	if (!hook_exists(push_to_checkout_hook))
+	retval = push_to_checkout(sha1, &invoked_hook, &env, work_tree);
+	if (!invoked_hook)
 		retval = push_to_deploy(sha1, &env, work_tree);
-	else
-		retval = push_to_checkout(sha1, &env, work_tree);
 
 	strvec_clear(&env);
 	return retval;
diff --git a/commit.c b/commit.c
index e8147a88fc6..cf62ebceae5 100644
--- a/commit.c
+++ b/commit.c
@@ -1697,6 +1697,7 @@ size_t ignore_non_trailer(const char *buf, size_t len)
 }
 
 int run_commit_hook(int editor_is_used, const char *index_file,
+		    int *invoked_hook,
 		    const char *name, ...)
 {
 	struct run_hooks_opt opt = RUN_HOOKS_OPT_INIT;
diff --git a/commit.h b/commit.h
index df42eb434f3..b5a542993c6 100644
--- a/commit.h
+++ b/commit.h
@@ -363,7 +363,8 @@ int compare_commits_by_commit_date(const void *a_, const void *b_, void *unused)
 int compare_commits_by_gen_then_commit_date(const void *a_, const void *b_, void *unused);
 
 LAST_ARG_MUST_BE_NULL
-int run_commit_hook(int editor_is_used, const char *index_file, const char *name, ...);
+int run_commit_hook(int editor_is_used, const char *index_file,
+		    int *invoked_hook, const char *name, ...);
 
 /* Sign a commit or tag buffer, storing the result in a header. */
 int sign_with_header(struct strbuf *buf, const char *keyid);
diff --git a/hook.c b/hook.c
index 17ae65eca31..3cf51460279 100644
--- a/hook.c
+++ b/hook.c
@@ -138,6 +138,9 @@ static int notify_hook_finished(int result,
 	/* |= rc in cb */
 	hook_cb->rc |= result;
 
+	if (hook_cb->invoked_hook)
+		*hook_cb->invoked_hook = 1;
+
 	return 1;
 }
 
@@ -152,6 +155,7 @@ int run_found_hooks(const char *hook_name, const char *hook_path,
 		.rc = 0,
 		.hook_name = hook_name,
 		.options = options,
+		.invoked_hook = options->invoked_hook,
 	};
 	if (options->absolute_path) {
 		strbuf_add_absolute_path(&abs_path, hook_path);
diff --git a/hook.h b/hook.h
index 5f895032341..9d163e6f992 100644
--- a/hook.h
+++ b/hook.h
@@ -57,6 +57,15 @@ struct run_hooks_opt
 	 * for an example.
 	 */
 	consume_sideband_fn consume_sideband;
+
+	/*
+	 * A pointer which if provided will be set to 1 or 0 depending
+	 * on if a hook was invoked (i.e. existed), regardless of
+	 * whether or not that was successful. Used for avoiding
+	 * TOCTOU races in code that would otherwise call hook_exist()
+	 * after a "maybe hook run" to see if a hook was invoked.
+	 */
+	int *invoked_hook;
 };
 
 #define RUN_HOOKS_OPT_INIT { \
@@ -81,6 +90,7 @@ struct hook_cb_data {
 	const char *hook_name;
 	struct hook *run_me;
 	struct run_hooks_opt *options;
+	int *invoked_hook;
 };
 
 /*
diff --git a/sequencer.c b/sequencer.c
index ec2761e47d9..2440b9dccd8 100644
--- a/sequencer.c
+++ b/sequencer.c
@@ -1204,7 +1204,7 @@ static int run_prepare_commit_msg_hook(struct repository *r,
 	} else {
 		arg1 = "message";
 	}
-	if (run_commit_hook(0, r->index_file, "prepare-commit-msg", name,
+	if (run_commit_hook(0, r->index_file, NULL, "prepare-commit-msg", name,
 			    arg1, arg2, NULL))
 		ret = error(_("'prepare-commit-msg' hook failed"));
 
@@ -1534,7 +1534,7 @@ static int try_to_commit(struct repository *r,
 		goto out;
 	}
 
-	run_commit_hook(0, r->index_file, "post-commit", NULL);
+	run_commit_hook(0, r->index_file, NULL, "post-commit", NULL);
 	if (flags & AMEND_MSG)
 		commit_post_rewrite(r, current_head, oid);
 
