diff --git a/lisp/vc/vc.el b/lisp/vc/vc.el
index 3a7bb5b2170..3cae49c0b60 100644
--- a/lisp/vc/vc.el
+++ b/lisp/vc/vc.el
@@ -5075,10 +5075,17 @@ called from Lisp with optional argument OK-IF-ALREADY-EXISTS non-nil."
         (unless (memq state '(up-to-date edited added))
           (error "Please %s files before moving them"
 	         (if (stringp state) "check in" "update")))))
-    (vc-call-backend (if dirp
-                         (vc-responsible-backend old)
-                       (vc-backend old))
-                     'rename-file old new)
+    (let ((backend (if dirp
+                       (vc-responsible-backend old)
+                     (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.
+      (unless (and dirp
+                   (all (lambda (x)
+                          (memq (cadr x) '(ignored unregistered)))
+                        (vc-dir-status-files old (list old) backend)))
+        (vc-call-backend backend 'rename-file old new)))
     (vc-file-clearprops old)
     (vc-file-clearprops new)
     ;; Move the actual file (unless the backend did it already)
diff --git a/test/lisp/vc/vc-tests/vc-tests.el b/test/lisp/vc/vc-tests/vc-tests.el
index 77e77ededfb..ca3b62ee9e8 100644
--- a/test/lisp/vc/vc-tests/vc-tests.el
+++ b/test/lisp/vc/vc-tests/vc-tests.el
@@ -651,6 +651,7 @@ This checks also `vc-backend' and `vc-responsible-backend'."
             (make-directory default-directory)
             (vc-test--create-repo-function backend)
 
+            ;; Test mix of registered and unregistered files.
             (let* ((tmp-dir (expand-file-name "dir1/" default-directory))
                    (tmp-name1 (expand-file-name "foo" tmp-dir))
                    (tmp-name2 (expand-file-name "bar" tmp-dir))
@@ -670,7 +671,22 @@ 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 (file-exists-p new-name2)))
+
+            ;; Test only unregistered files.
+            (let* ((tmp-dir (expand-file-name "dir3/" default-directory))
+                   (tmp-name (expand-file-name "foo" tmp-dir))
+                   (new-dir (expand-file-name "dir4/" default-directory))
+                   (new-name (expand-file-name "foo" new-dir)))
+              (make-directory tmp-dir)
+              (write-region "foo" nil tmp-name nil 'nomessage)
+
+              (vc-rename-file (directory-file-name tmp-dir)
+                              (directory-file-name new-dir))
+              (should-not (file-exists-p tmp-name))
+              (should-not (file-exists-p tmp-name))
+              (should (file-exists-p new-name))
+              (should (file-exists-p new-name))))
 
         ;; Save exit.
         (ignore-errors