diff --git a/lisp/emacs-lisp/package-vc.el b/lisp/emacs-lisp/package-vc.el
index db54e0e130e..8f0eedd2f88 100644
--- a/lisp/emacs-lisp/package-vc.el
+++ b/lisp/emacs-lisp/package-vc.el
@@ -783,6 +783,7 @@ name from the base name of DIR."
     (package-vc--unpack-1
      (package-desc-create
       :name (intern name)
+      :dir pkg-dir
       :kind 'vc)
      (file-name-as-directory pkg-dir))))