diff --git a/lib/modules/manager/vendir/artifacts.spec.ts b/lib/modules/manager/vendir/artifacts.spec.ts
index 20bdb2926f251a..9b3a2b6e98c853 100644
--- a/lib/modules/manager/vendir/artifacts.spec.ts
+++ b/lib/modules/manager/vendir/artifacts.spec.ts
@@ -32,10 +32,6 @@ describe('modules/manager/vendir/artifacts', () => {
     GlobalConfig.set(adminConfig);
   });
 
-  afterEach(() => {
-    GlobalConfig.reset();
-  });
-
   it('returns null if no vendir.lock.yml found', async () => {
     const updatedDeps = [{ depName: 'dep1' }];
     expect(
@@ -59,29 +55,8 @@ describe('modules/manager/vendir/artifacts', () => {
     ).toBeNull();
   });
 
-  it('returns null if unchanged', async () => {
-    fs.readLocalFile.mockResolvedValueOnce(vendirLockFile1);
-    fs.getSiblingFileName.mockReturnValueOnce('vendir.lock.yml');
-    const execSnapshots = mockExecAll();
-    fs.readLocalFile.mockResolvedValueOnce(vendirLockFile1);
-    fs.privateCacheDir.mockReturnValue(
-      '/tmp/renovate/cache/__renovate-private-cache',
-    );
-    fs.getParentDir.mockReturnValue('');
-    const updatedDeps = [{ depName: 'dep1' }];
-    expect(
-      await vendir.updateArtifacts({
-        packageFileName: 'vendir.yml',
-        updatedDeps,
-        newPackageFileContent: vendirFile,
-        config,
-      }),
-    ).toBeNull();
-    expect(execSnapshots).toMatchSnapshot([{ cmd: 'vendir sync' }]);
-  });
-
   it('returns updated vendir.lock', async () => {
-    fs.readLocalFile.mockResolvedValueOnce(vendirLockFile1 as never);
+    fs.readLocalFile.mockResolvedValueOnce(vendirLockFile1);
     fs.getSiblingFileName.mockReturnValueOnce('vendir.lock.yml');
     const execSnapshots = mockExecAll();
     fs.readLocalFile.mockResolvedValueOnce(vendirLockFile2);
@@ -109,34 +84,6 @@ describe('modules/manager/vendir/artifacts', () => {
     expect(execSnapshots).toMatchObject([{ cmd: 'vendir sync' }]);
   });
 
-  it('returns updated vendir.yml for lockfile maintenance', async () => {
-    fs.readLocalFile.mockResolvedValueOnce(vendirLockFile1);
-    fs.getSiblingFileName.mockReturnValueOnce('vendir.yml');
-    const execSnapshots = mockExecAll();
-    fs.readLocalFile.mockResolvedValueOnce(vendirLockFile2);
-    fs.privateCacheDir.mockReturnValue(
-      '/tmp/renovate/cache/__renovate-private-cache',
-    );
-    fs.getParentDir.mockReturnValue('');
-    expect(
-      await vendir.updateArtifacts({
-        packageFileName: 'vendir.yml',
-        updatedDeps: [],
-        newPackageFileContent: vendirFile,
-        config: { ...config, updateType: 'lockFileMaintenance' },
-      }),
-    ).toEqual([
-      {
-        file: {
-          type: 'addition',
-          path: 'vendir.yml',
-          contents: vendirLockFile2,
-        },
-      },
-    ]);
-    expect(execSnapshots).toMatchObject([{ cmd: 'vendir sync' }]);
-  });
-
   it('catches errors', async () => {
     fs.getSiblingFileName.mockReturnValueOnce('vendir.yml');
     fs.readLocalFile.mockResolvedValueOnce(vendirLockFile1);
@@ -321,7 +268,6 @@ describe('modules/manager/vendir/artifacts', () => {
         updatedDeps,
         newPackageFileContent: vendirFile,
         config: {
-          postUpdateOptions: ['vendirUpdateSubChartArchives'],
           ...config,
         },
       }),
diff --git a/lib/modules/manager/vendir/artifacts.ts b/lib/modules/manager/vendir/artifacts.ts
index f6948cac4f8ba3..8e4e961a68cf1a 100644
--- a/lib/modules/manager/vendir/artifacts.ts
+++ b/lib/modules/manager/vendir/artifacts.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import is from '@sindresorhus/is';
 import { TEMPORARY_ERROR } from '../../../constants/error-messages';
 import { logger } from '../../../logger';
 import { exec } from '../../../util/exec';
@@ -20,16 +19,6 @@ export async function updateArtifacts({
 }: UpdateArtifact): Promise<UpdateArtifactsResult[] | null> {
   logger.debug(`vendir.updateArtifacts(${packageFileName})`);
 
-  const isLockFileMaintenance = config.updateType === 'lockFileMaintenance';
-
-  if (
-    !isLockFileMaintenance &&
-    (updatedDeps === undefined || updatedDeps.length < 1)
-  ) {
-    logger.debug('No updated vendir deps - returning null');
-    return null;
-  }
-
   const lockFileName = getSiblingFileName(packageFileName, 'vendir.lock.yml');
   const existingLockFileContent = await readLocalFile(lockFileName, 'utf8');
   if (!existingLockFileContent) {
@@ -53,18 +42,14 @@ export async function updateArtifacts({
 
     const fileChanges: UpdateArtifactsResult[] = [];
 
-    if (is.truthy(existingLockFileContent)) {
-      const newVendirLockContent = await readLocalFile(lockFileName, 'utf8');
-      fileChanges.push({
-        file: {
-          type: 'addition',
-          path: lockFileName,
-          contents: newVendirLockContent,
-        },
-      });
-    } else {
-      logger.debug('vendir.lock.yml is unchanged');
-    }
+    const newVendirLockContent = await readLocalFile(lockFileName, 'utf8');
+    fileChanges.push({
+      file: {
+        type: 'addition',
+        path: lockFileName,
+        contents: newVendirLockContent,
+      },
+    });
 
     // add modified vendir archives to artifacts
     logger.debug("Adding Sync'd files to git");