diff --git a/.github/workflows/go.yml b/.github/workflows/go.yml
index 5ad58dfd2..0d06cf211 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/go.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/go.yml
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Run Object Lock authorization and overwrite tests under race detector
         env:
           MINIO_API_REQUESTS_MAX: "10000"
-        run: go test -race -tags kqueue,dev ./cmd -run '^Test(APIPutObjectRetention|APIVersionAddressedWrite|PutObjectRetention|DirectoryObjectLock|ObjectLockOverwrite|APICopyObjectPreservesVersionAfterSuspension|MultipartNullObjectLock|PoolsObjectLockOverwrite|ReplicaDeleteObjectLock|PoolsReplicaDeleteObjectLock|MultipartVersioningTransitions|PlanReview|RecoveredMultipartUpload)' -count=1 -timeout=5m
+        run: go test -race -tags kqueue,dev ./cmd -run '^Test(APIPutObjectRetention|APIVersionAddressedWrite|PutObjectRetention|DirectoryObjectLock|ObjectLockOverwrite|APICopyObjectPreservesVersionAfterSuspension|MultipartNullObjectLock|PoolsObjectLockOverwrite|ReplicaDeleteObjectLock|PoolsReplicaDeleteObjectLock|BulkDeleteDirectoryObjectLock|MultipartVersioningTransitions|PlanReview|RecoveredMultipartUpload)' -count=1 -timeout=5m
 
       - name: Run maintenance storage timeout and compatibility tests under race detector
         env:
diff --git a/cmd/bucket-handlers.go b/cmd/bucket-handlers.go
index 0df95f057..4bb7cec0f 100644
--- a/cmd/bucket-handlers.go
+++ b/cmd/bucket-handlers.go
@@ -523,6 +523,13 @@ func (api objectAPIHandlers) DeleteMultipleObjectsHandler(w http.ResponseWriter,
 			}
 		}
 
+		// All deletes on directory objects needs to be for `nullVersionID`.
+		// Decide this before the lookup below, so that the retention check
+		// reads the version the delete removes.
+		if isDirObject(object.ObjectName) && object.VersionID == "" {
+			object.VersionID = nullVersionID
+		}
+
 		opts := ObjectOptions{
 			VersionID:        object.VersionID,
 			Versioned:        vc.PrefixEnabled(object.ObjectName),
@@ -541,11 +548,6 @@ func (api objectAPIHandlers) DeleteMultipleObjectsHandler(w http.ResponseWriter,
 			oss[index].SetTransitionState(goi.TransitionedObject)
 		}
 
-		// All deletes on directory objects needs to be for `nullVersionID`
-		if isDirObject(object.ObjectName) && object.VersionID == "" {
-			object.VersionID = nullVersionID
-		}
-
 		if replicateDeletes {
 			dsc = checkReplicateDelete(ctx, bucket, ObjectToDelete{
 				ObjectV: ObjectV{
diff --git a/cmd/bulk-delete-object-lock_test.go b/cmd/bulk-delete-object-lock_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..342137e25
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/bulk-delete-object-lock_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2026 PGSTY
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-or-later
+
+package cmd
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"encoding/xml"
+	"net/http"
+	"net/http/httptest"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/minio/minio/internal/auth"
+)
+
+// A directory object always has the null version, and a bulk delete without a
+// version ID removes it. The retention check must read that version's lock.
+func TestBulkDeleteDirectoryObjectLock(t *testing.T) {
+	defer DetectTestLeak(t)()
+	ExecObjectLayerAPITest(ExecObjectLayerAPITestArgs{
+		t: t, endpoints: []string{"DeleteMultipleObjects"},
+		objAPITest: func(obj ObjectLayer, instance, bucket string, router http.Handler, cred auth.Credentials, t *testing.T) {
+			enableBucketObjectLock(t, bucket)
+			for _, kind := range append([]string{"unlocked"}, batchLockKinds...) {
+				key := "dir-" + kind + "/"
+				if _, err := obj.PutObject(t.Context(), bucket, key, mustGetPutObjReader(t, bytes.NewReader(nil), 0, "", ""),
+					ObjectOptions{Versioned: true, VersionID: nullVersionID, UserDefined: batchLockMeta(kind)}); err != nil {
+					t.Fatal(err)
+				}
+				body := encodeResponse(DeleteObjectsRequest{Objects: []ObjectToDelete{{ObjectV: ObjectV{ObjectName: key}}}})
+				req, err := newTestSignedRequestV4(http.MethodPost, getDeleteMultipleObjectsURL("", bucket), int64(len(body)), bytes.NewReader(body),
+					cred.AccessKey, cred.SecretKey, nil)
+				if err != nil {
+					t.Fatal(err)
+				}
+				rec := httptest.NewRecorder()
+				router.ServeHTTP(rec, req)
+				var resp DeleteObjectsResponse
+				if rec.Code != http.StatusOK || xml.Unmarshal(rec.Body.Bytes(), &resp) != nil {
+					t.Fatalf("%s: %s: status %d: %s", instance, key, rec.Code, rec.Body.String())
+				}
+				exists := batchVersionExists(t, obj, bucket, key, nullVersionID)
+				if kind == "unlocked" {
+					if exists || len(resp.DeletedObjects) != 1 {
+						t.Errorf("%s: %s: unlocked directory object was not deleted: %s", instance, key, rec.Body.String())
+					}
+					continue
+				}
+				if !exists || len(resp.Errors) != 1 || len(resp.DeletedObjects) != 0 ||
+					resp.Errors[0].Key != key || !strings.Contains(resp.Errors[0].Message, "WORM") {
+					t.Errorf("%s: %s: want the WORM error and the object kept (exists=%v): %s", instance, key, exists, rec.Body.String())
+				}
+			}
+		},
+	})
+}