diff --git a/lib/Service/ApiService.php b/lib/Service/ApiService.php
index 93a546ed529..45e754c2b5c 100644
--- a/lib/Service/ApiService.php
+++ b/lib/Service/ApiService.php
@@ -143,7 +143,10 @@ public function create(?int $fileId = null, ?string $filePath = null, ?string $b
 
 		$hasOwner = $file->getOwner() !== null;
 
-		if (!$readOnly) {
+		// Disable file locking for Readme.md files, because in the
+		// current setup, this makes it almost impossible to delete these files.
+		/** @psalm-suppress RedundantCastGivenDocblockType */
+		if (!$readOnly && strcasecmp((string)$file->getName(), 'Readme.md') !== 0) {
 			$isLocked = $this->documentService->lock($file->getId());
 			if (!$isLocked) {
 				$readOnly = true;
diff --git a/tests/unit/Service/ApiServiceTest.php b/tests/unit/Service/ApiServiceTest.php
index 83a4b848c84..f9b9cb4ddb2 100644
--- a/tests/unit/Service/ApiServiceTest.php
+++ b/tests/unit/Service/ApiServiceTest.php
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ private function mockFile(int $id, ?string $owner) {
 		$file->method('getStorage')->willReturn($storage);
 		$file->method('getId')->willReturn($id);
 		$file->method('getOwner')->willReturn($owner);
+		$file->method('getName')->willReturn('name');
 		return $file;
 	}