diff --git a/diffcore-break.c b/diffcore-break.c
index 1d9e530a8..5473493e1 100644
--- a/diffcore-break.c
+++ b/diffcore-break.c
@@ -246,6 +246,13 @@ static void merge_broken(struct diff_filepair *p,
 
 	dp = diff_queue(outq, d->one, c->two);
 	dp->score = p->score;
+	/*
+	 * We will be one extra user of the same src side of the
+	 * broken pair, if it was used as the rename source for other
+	 * paths elsewhere.  Increment to mark that the path stays
+	 * in the resulting tree.
+	 */
+	d->one->rename_used++;
 	diff_free_filespec_data(d->two);
 	diff_free_filespec_data(c->one);
 	free(d);
diff --git a/t/t4008-diff-break-rewrite.sh b/t/t4008-diff-break-rewrite.sh
index 27e98a8f9..892046489 100755
--- a/t/t4008-diff-break-rewrite.sh
+++ b/t/t4008-diff-break-rewrite.sh
@@ -123,10 +123,10 @@ test_expect_success \
     'git diff-index -B -M "$tree" >current'
 
 # file0 changed from regular to symlink.  file1 is very close to the preimage of file0.
-# because we break file0, file1 can become a rename of it.
+# the change does not make file0 disappear, so file1 is denoted as a copy of file0
 cat >expected <<\EOF
 :100644 120000 f5deac7be59e7eeab8657fd9ae706fd6a57daed2 67be421f88824578857624f7b3dc75e99a8a1481 T	file0
-:100644 100644 6ff87c4664981e4397625791c8ea3bbb5f2279a3 f5deac7be59e7eeab8657fd9ae706fd6a57daed2 R	file0	file1
+:100644 100644 6ff87c4664981e4397625791c8ea3bbb5f2279a3 f5deac7be59e7eeab8657fd9ae706fd6a57daed2 C	file0	file1
 EOF
 
 test_expect_success \
diff --git a/t/t4023-diff-rename-typechange.sh b/t/t4023-diff-rename-typechange.sh
index 55d549fcf..8c9823765 100755
--- a/t/t4023-diff-rename-typechange.sh
+++ b/t/t4023-diff-rename-typechange.sh
@@ -76,7 +76,8 @@ test_expect_success 'moves and renames' '
 
 	git diff-tree three four -r --name-status -B -M | sort >actual &&
 	{
-		echo "R100	foo	bar"
+		# see -B -M (#6) in t4008
+		echo "C100	foo	bar"
 		echo "T100	foo"
 	} | sort >expect &&
 	test_cmp expect actual