diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index 7412360..4c836b3 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -8,11 +8,8 @@ jobs:
 
     strategy:
       matrix:
-        python-version: [3.7, 3.8, 3.9]
+        python-version: [3.8, 3.9]
         os: [ubuntu-latest]
-        include:
-          - python-version: 3.6
-            os: ubuntu-20.04
 
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v2
diff --git a/jens/git_wrapper.py b/jens/git_wrapper.py
index 833e04d..8b248e1 100644
--- a/jens/git_wrapper.py
+++ b/jens/git_wrapper.py
@@ -61,6 +61,14 @@ def fetch(repository_path, prune=False):
     def fetch_exec(*args, **kwargs):
         repo = git.Repo(repository_path, odbt=git.GitCmdObjectDB)
         repo.remotes.origin.fetch(*args, **kwargs)
+        # You may face that the repo object leaves lock files behind after fetch, so we need to
+        # clean them up with a forced object delete
+        # Ref: https://github.com/gitpython-developers/GitPython/issues/718#issuecomment-360267779
+        # We suspect this is due to git cat-file calls in fetch implementation together with
+        # using GitCmdObjectDB as the object database
+        # Ref: https://gitpython.readthedocs.io/en/stable/tutorial.html#gitcmdobjectdb
+        # Using GitDB seems to fix the issue but we keep using GitCmdObjectDB for consistency
+        repo.__del__()
 
     fetch_exec(name='fetch', args=args, kwargs=kwargs)
 
diff --git a/puppet-jens.spec b/puppet-jens.spec
index 1029265..4ff3c6c 100644
--- a/puppet-jens.spec
+++ b/puppet-jens.spec
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 Summary: Jens is a Puppet modules/hostgroups librarian
 Name: puppet-jens
 Version: 1.4.1
-Release: 2%{?dist}
+Release: 3%{?dist}
 
 License: GPLv3
 Group: Applications/System
@@ -82,6 +82,9 @@ export GIT_COMMITTER_NAME="RPM build"
 %{_unitdir}/jens-purge-queue.service
 
 %changelog
+* Tue Nov 18 2025 Daniel Juarez <djuarezg@cern.ch> - 1.4.1-3
+- Fix race condition leaving lock files behind after git fetch operations.
+
 * Wed Jun 28 2023 Nacho Barrientos <nacho.barrientos@cern.ch> - 1.4.1-2
 - Rebuild for RHEL9.