diff --git a/metals/src/main/scala/scala/meta/internal/metals/MetalsLspService.scala b/metals/src/main/scala/scala/meta/internal/metals/MetalsLspService.scala
index 2dc64a10e9d..b8810ab4e67 100644
--- a/metals/src/main/scala/scala/meta/internal/metals/MetalsLspService.scala
+++ b/metals/src/main/scala/scala/meta/internal/metals/MetalsLspService.scala
@@ -2103,10 +2103,17 @@ class MetalsLspService(
   ): CompletableFuture[WorkspaceEdit] =
     CancelTokens.future { _ =>
       val moves = params.getFiles.asScala.toSeq.map { rename =>
-        packageProvider.willMovePath(
-          rename.getOldUri().toAbsolutePath,
-          rename.getNewUri().toAbsolutePath,
-        )
+        val oldPath = rename.getOldUri().toAbsolutePath
+        val newPath = rename.getNewUri().toAbsolutePath
+        /* Changing package for files moved out of the workspace will cause unexpected issues
+         * This showed up with emacs automated backups.
+         */
+        if (newPath.startWith(workspace))
+          packageProvider.willMovePath(oldPath, newPath)
+        else
+          Future.successful(
+            new WorkspaceEdit(Map.empty[String, util.List[TextEdit]].asJava)
+          )
       }
       Future.sequence(moves).map(_.mergeChanges)
     }
diff --git a/mtags/src/main/scala/scala/meta/internal/mtags/CommonMtagsEnrichments.scala b/mtags/src/main/scala/scala/meta/internal/mtags/CommonMtagsEnrichments.scala
index c4216d8c163..6623bc280d1 100644
--- a/mtags/src/main/scala/scala/meta/internal/mtags/CommonMtagsEnrichments.scala
+++ b/mtags/src/main/scala/scala/meta/internal/mtags/CommonMtagsEnrichments.scala
@@ -579,6 +579,9 @@ trait CommonMtagsEnrichments {
         None
       }
     }
+
+    def startWith(other: AbsolutePath): Boolean =
+      path.toNIO.startsWith(other.toNIO)
   }
 
   implicit class XtensionJavaPriorityQueue[A](q: util.PriorityQueue[A]) {
diff --git a/tests/unit/src/test/scala/tests/RenameFilesLspSuite.scala b/tests/unit/src/test/scala/tests/RenameFilesLspSuite.scala
index 49760578474..4ae292eef3b 100644
--- a/tests/unit/src/test/scala/tests/RenameFilesLspSuite.scala
+++ b/tests/unit/src/test/scala/tests/RenameFilesLspSuite.scala
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 package tests
 
+import java.nio.file.Files
+
 class RenameFilesLspSuite extends BaseRenameFilesLspSuite("rename_files") {
   private val prefix = "a/src/main/scala"
 
@@ -34,6 +36,19 @@ class RenameFilesLspSuite extends BaseRenameFilesLspSuite("rename_files") {
     expectedRenames = Map("A" -> "A.B"),
   )
 
+  /* We should not rename if moving outside the workspace */
+  renamed(
+    "outside-workspace",
+    s"""|/$prefix/A/Sun.scala
+        |package A
+        |object Sun 
+        |""".stripMargin,
+    fileRenames = Map(
+      s"$prefix/A/Sun.scala" -> Files.createTempFile("Sun", ".scala").toString()
+    ),
+    expectedRenames = Map.empty,
+  )
+
   renamed(
     "single-package-non-matching-structure",
     s"""|/$prefix/A/B/Sun.scala