diff --git a/repo/content/content_manager.go b/repo/content/content_manager.go
index 3056262eb..507c349a2 100644
--- a/repo/content/content_manager.go
+++ b/repo/content/content_manager.go
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@
 	"encoding/hex"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
-	"reflect"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
@@ -69,7 +68,7 @@ type Manager struct {
 	locked bool
 
 	pendingPacks     map[blob.ID]*pendingPackInfo
-	packIndexBuilder packIndexBuilder // contents that are in index currently being built (current pack and all packs saved but not committed)
+	packIndexBuilder packIndexBuilder // contents that are in index currently being built (all packs saved but not committed)
 
 	disableIndexFlushCount int
 	flushPackIndexesAfter  time.Time // time when those indexes should be flushed
@@ -94,28 +93,29 @@ func (bm *Manager) DeleteContent(contentID ID) error {
 
 	log.Debugf("DeleteContent(%q)", contentID)
 
-	// We have this content in current pack index and it's already deleted there.
+	// remove from all pending packs
+	for _, pp := range bm.pendingPacks {
+		if bi, ok := pp.currentPackItems[contentID]; ok && !bi.Deleted {
+			delete(pp.currentPackItems, contentID)
+			return nil
+		}
+	}
+
+	// if found in committed index, add another entry that's marked for deletion
 	if bi, ok := bm.packIndexBuilder[contentID]; ok {
 		if !bi.Deleted {
-			if bi.PackBlobID == "" {
-				// added and never committed, just forget about it.
-				delete(bm.packIndexBuilder, contentID)
-				for _, pp := range bm.pendingPacks {
-					delete(pp.currentPackItems, contentID)
-				}
-				return nil
-			}
-
-			// added and committed.
+			// we have this content in index and it's not deleted.
 			bi2 := *bi
 			bi2.Deleted = true
 			bi2.TimestampSeconds = bm.timeNow().Unix()
 			bm.setPendingContent(bm.getOrCreatePendingPackInfoLocked(packPrefixForContentID(contentID)), bi2)
 		}
+
+		// we have this content in index and it already deleted - do nothing.
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	// We have this content in current pack index and it's already deleted there.
+	// see if the block existed before
 	bi, err := bm.committedContents.getContent(contentID)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -130,6 +130,7 @@ func (bm *Manager) DeleteContent(contentID ID) error {
 	bi2 := bi
 	bi2.Deleted = true
 	bi2.TimestampSeconds = bm.timeNow().Unix()
+
 	bm.setPendingContent(bm.getOrCreatePendingPackInfoLocked(packPrefixForContentID(contentID)), bi2)
 	return nil
 }
@@ -137,7 +138,6 @@ func (bm *Manager) DeleteContent(contentID ID) error {
 //nolint:gocritic
 // We're intentionally passing "i" by value
 func (bm *Manager) setPendingContent(pp *pendingPackInfo, i Info) {
-	bm.packIndexBuilder.Add(i)
 	pp.currentPackItems[i.ID] = i
 }
 
@@ -226,9 +226,6 @@ func (bm *Manager) verifyCurrentPackItemsLocked() {
 			bm.assertInvariant(cpi.ID == k, "content ID entry has invalid key: %v %v", cpi.ID, k)
 			bm.assertInvariant(cpi.Deleted || cpi.PackBlobID == "", "content ID entry has unexpected pack content ID %v: %v", cpi.ID, cpi.PackBlobID)
 			bm.assertInvariant(cpi.TimestampSeconds != 0, "content has no timestamp: %v", cpi.ID)
-			bi, ok := bm.packIndexBuilder[k]
-			bm.assertInvariant(ok, "content ID entry not present in pack index builder: %v", cpi.ID)
-			bm.assertInvariant(reflect.DeepEqual(*bi, cpi), "current pack index does not match pack index builder: %v", cpi, *bi)
 		}
 	}
 }
@@ -236,10 +233,6 @@ func (bm *Manager) verifyCurrentPackItemsLocked() {
 func (bm *Manager) verifyPackIndexBuilderLocked() {
 	for k, cpi := range bm.packIndexBuilder {
 		bm.assertInvariant(cpi.ID == k, "content ID entry has invalid key: %v %v", cpi.ID, k)
-		if _, ok := bm.findContentInPendingPacks(cpi.ID); ok {
-			// ignore contents also in current packs
-			continue
-		}
 		if cpi.Deleted {
 			bm.assertInvariant(cpi.PackBlobID == "", "content can't be both deleted and have a pack content: %v", cpi.ID)
 		} else {
@@ -328,15 +321,14 @@ func (bm *Manager) finishPackLocked(ctx context.Context, prefix blob.ID, pp *pen
 		if err := bm.writePackFileNotLocked(ctx, packFile, contentData); err != nil {
 			return errors.Wrap(err, "can't save pack data content")
 		}
+		formatLog.Debugf("wrote pack file: %v (%v bytes)", packFile, len(contentData))
 	}
 
-	formatLog.Debugf("wrote pack file: %v (%v bytes)", packFile, len(contentData))
 	for _, info := range packFileIndex {
 		bm.packIndexBuilder.Add(*info)
 	}
 
 	delete(bm.pendingPacks, prefix)
-
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/repo/content/content_manager_iterate.go b/repo/content/content_manager_iterate.go
index 6bed608f4..ec6775362 100644
--- a/repo/content/content_manager_iterate.go
+++ b/repo/content/content_manager_iterate.go
@@ -77,7 +77,12 @@ func maybeParallelExecutor(parallel int, originalCallback IterateCallback) (Iter
 // and possibly including deleted items.
 func (bm *Manager) IterateContents(opts IterateOptions, callback IterateCallback) error {
 	bm.lock()
-	pibClone := bm.packIndexBuilder.clone()
+	overlay := bm.packIndexBuilder.clone()
+	for _, pp := range bm.pendingPacks {
+		for _, pi := range pp.currentPackItems {
+			overlay.Add(pi)
+		}
+	}
 	bm.unlock()
 
 	callback, cleanup := maybeParallelExecutor(opts.Parallel, callback)
@@ -85,7 +90,7 @@ func (bm *Manager) IterateContents(opts IterateOptions, callback IterateCallback
 
 	invokeCallback := func(i Info) error {
 		if !opts.IncludeDeleted {
-			if ci, ok := pibClone[i.ID]; ok {
+			if ci, ok := overlay[i.ID]; ok {
 				if ci.Deleted {
 					return nil
 				}
@@ -100,12 +105,12 @@ func (bm *Manager) IterateContents(opts IterateOptions, callback IterateCallback
 		return callback(i)
 	}
 
-	if len(pibClone) == 0 && opts.IncludeDeleted && opts.Prefix == "" && opts.Parallel <= 1 {
+	if len(overlay) == 0 && opts.IncludeDeleted && opts.Prefix == "" && opts.Parallel <= 1 {
 		// fast path, invoke callback directly
 		invokeCallback = callback
 	}
 
-	for _, bi := range pibClone {
+	for _, bi := range overlay {
 		_ = invokeCallback(*bi)
 	}
 
diff --git a/repo/content/content_manager_lock_free.go b/repo/content/content_manager_lock_free.go
index ad3679b66..72e5d43fd 100644
--- a/repo/content/content_manager_lock_free.go
+++ b/repo/content/content_manager_lock_free.go
@@ -249,11 +249,16 @@ func (bm *lockFreeManager) preparePackDataContent(ctx context.Context, pp *pendi
 	}
 
 	packFileIndex := packIndexBuilder{}
+	haveContent := false
 	for contentID, info := range pp.currentPackItems {
 		if info.Payload == nil {
+			// no payload, it's a deletion of a previously-committed content.
+			packFileIndex.Add(info)
 			continue
 		}
 
+		haveContent = true
+
 		var encrypted []byte
 		encrypted, err = bm.maybeEncryptContentDataForPacking(info.Payload, info.ID)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -283,6 +288,10 @@ func (bm *lockFreeManager) preparePackDataContent(ctx context.Context, pp *pendi
 		return nil, nil, nil
 	}
 
+	if !haveContent {
+		return nil, packFileIndex, nil
+	}
+
 	if bm.paddingUnit > 0 {
 		if missing := bm.paddingUnit - (len(contentData) % bm.paddingUnit); missing > 0 {
 			contentData, err = appendRandomBytes(contentData, missing)
diff --git a/repo/content/content_manager_test.go b/repo/content/content_manager_test.go
index b09b1c783..3e20e991e 100644
--- a/repo/content/content_manager_test.go
+++ b/repo/content/content_manager_test.go
@@ -389,15 +389,19 @@ func TestDeleteContent(t *testing.T) {
 	content1 := writeContentAndVerify(ctx, t, bm, seededRandomData(10, 100))
 	bm.Flush(ctx)
 	content2 := writeContentAndVerify(ctx, t, bm, seededRandomData(11, 100))
+	log.Infof("xxx deleting.")
 	if err := bm.DeleteContent(content1); err != nil {
-		t.Errorf("unable to delete content: %v", content1)
+		t.Fatalf("unable to delete content %v: %v", content1, err)
 	}
+	log.Infof("yyy deleting.")
 	if err := bm.DeleteContent(content2); err != nil {
-		t.Errorf("unable to delete content: %v", content1)
+		t.Fatalf("unable to delete content %v: %v", content2, err)
 	}
 	verifyContentNotFound(ctx, t, bm, content1)
 	verifyContentNotFound(ctx, t, bm, content2)
+	log.Infof("flushing")
 	bm.Flush(ctx)
+	log.Infof("flushed")
 	log.Debugf("-----------")
 	bm = newTestContentManager(data, keyTime, nil)
 	verifyContentNotFound(ctx, t, bm, content1)
@@ -620,7 +624,7 @@ func TestIterateContents(t *testing.T) {
 	// pending, deleted - is completely discarded
 	contentID4 := writeContentAndVerify(ctx, t, bm, seededRandomData(13, 100))
 	if err := bm.DeleteContent(contentID4); err != nil {
-		t.Errorf("error deleting content 4 %v", err)
+		t.Fatalf("error deleting content 4 %v", err)
 	}
 	t.Logf("contentID1: %v", contentID1)
 	t.Logf("contentID2: %v", contentID2)
@@ -738,9 +742,12 @@ func TestFindUnreferencedBlobs(t *testing.T) {
 	bm := newTestContentManager(data, keyTime, nil)
 	verifyUnreferencedBlobsCount(ctx, t, bm, 0)
 	contentID := writeContentAndVerify(ctx, t, bm, seededRandomData(10, 100))
+	log.Infof("flushing")
 	if err := bm.Flush(ctx); err != nil {
 		t.Errorf("flush error: %v", err)
 	}
+	dumpContents(t, bm, "after flush #1")
+	dumpContentManagerData(t, data)
 	verifyUnreferencedBlobsCount(ctx, t, bm, 0)
 	if err := bm.DeleteContent(contentID); err != nil {
 		t.Errorf("error deleting content: %v", contentID)
@@ -749,6 +756,8 @@ func TestFindUnreferencedBlobs(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("flush error: %v", err)
 	}
 
+	dumpContents(t, bm, "after flush #2")
+	dumpContentManagerData(t, data)
 	// content still present in first pack
 	verifyUnreferencedBlobsCount(ctx, t, bm, 0)
 
@@ -793,7 +802,7 @@ func TestFindUnreferencedBlobs2(t *testing.T) {
 func dumpContents(t *testing.T, bm *Manager, caption string) {
 	t.Helper()
 	count := 0
-	log.Infof("finished dumping %v contents", caption)
+	log.Infof("dumping %v contents", caption)
 	if err := bm.IterateContents(IterateOptions{IncludeDeleted: true},
 		func(ci Info) error {
 			log.Debugf(" ci[%v]=%#v", count, ci)
@@ -1056,19 +1065,20 @@ func hashValue(b []byte) string {
 
 func dumpContentManagerData(t *testing.T, data blobtesting.DataMap) {
 	t.Helper()
+	log.Infof("***data - %v items", len(data))
 	for k, v := range data {
 		if k[0] == 'n' {
 			ndx, err := openPackIndex(bytes.NewReader(v))
 			if err == nil {
-				t.Logf("index %v (%v bytes)", k, len(v))
+				log.Infof("index %v (%v bytes)", k, len(v))
 				assertNoError(t, ndx.Iterate("", func(i Info) error {
-					t.Logf("  %+v\n", i)
+					log.Infof("  %+v\n", i)
 					return nil
 				}))
-
 			}
 		} else {
-			t.Logf("data %v (%v bytes)\n", k, len(v))
+			log.Infof("non-index %v (%v bytes)\n", k, len(v))
 		}
 	}
+	log.Infof("*** end of data")
 }