diff --git a/src/repository.c b/src/repository.c
index 0e416e0b8..fbae8935b 100644
--- a/src/repository.c
+++ b/src/repository.c
@@ -1552,9 +1552,6 @@ int git_repository_state(git_repository *repo)
 
 	assert(repo);
 
-	if (!git_repository_head_detached(repo))
-		return state;
-
 	if (git_buf_puts(&repo_path, repo->path_repository) < 0)
 		return -1;
 
diff --git a/tests-clar/repo/state.c b/tests-clar/repo/state.c
index c0aba1987..5a0a5f360 100644
--- a/tests-clar/repo/state.c
+++ b/tests-clar/repo/state.c
@@ -23,8 +23,6 @@ static void setup_simple_state(const char *filename)
 	cl_git_pass(git_buf_joinpath(&_path, git_repository_path(_repo), filename));
 	git_futils_mkpath2file(git_buf_cstr(&_path), 0777);
 	cl_git_mkfile(git_buf_cstr(&_path), "dummy");
-
-	cl_git_pass(git_repository_detach_head(_repo));
 }
 
 static void assert_repo_state(git_repository_state_t state)