diff --git a/lib/workers/branch/lock-files.js b/lib/workers/branch/lock-files.js
index f7e1ce31337426aef6eaf1fa593ca62900a684c9..7d9cbf309c77c85392518fbbe5af56aed5f9be80 100644
--- a/lib/workers/branch/lock-files.js
+++ b/lib/workers/branch/lock-files.js
@@ -376,8 +376,10 @@ async function getUpdatedLockFiles(config) {
   const updatedLockFiles = [];
   if (
     config.type === 'lockFileMaintenance' &&
+    config.parentBranch &&
     (await platform.branchExists(config.branchName))
   ) {
+    logger.debug('Skipping lockFileMaintenance update');
     return { lockFileErrors, updatedLockFiles };
   }
   const dirs = module.exports.determineLockFileDirs(config);
diff --git a/test/workers/branch/lock-files.spec.js b/test/workers/branch/lock-files.spec.js
index 3dfc6c557126970db8bf06099ee58a266ac14dff..b6b84317fae6a5d6f1cea7a83514ee0986647aea 100644
--- a/test/workers/branch/lock-files.spec.js
+++ b/test/workers/branch/lock-files.spec.js
@@ -493,6 +493,7 @@ describe('workers/branch/lock-files', () => {
     });
     it('returns no error and empty lockfiles if lock file maintenance exists', async () => {
       config.type = 'lockFileMaintenance';
+      config.parentBranch = 'renovate/lock-file-maintenance';
       platform.branchExists.mockReturnValueOnce(true);
       const res = await getUpdatedLockFiles(config);
       expect(res).toMatchSnapshot();