3 files changed, 26 insertions, 11 deletions
diff --git a/builtin/remote.c b/builtin/remote.c
index 6d659d63ca..3dc1135b5c 100644
--- a/builtin/remote.c
+++ b/builtin/remote.c
@@ -1476,7 +1476,7 @@ static int set_head(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		goto cleanup;
 	}
 	was_detached = refs_update_symref_extended(refs, b_head.buf, b_remote_head.buf,
-			"remote set-head", &b_local_head);
+			"remote set-head", &b_local_head, 0);
 	if (was_detached == -1) {
 		result |= error(_("Could not set up %s"), b_head.buf);
 		goto cleanup;
diff --git a/refs.c b/refs.c
index d80efd58f0..2efa6bcc5c 100644
--- a/refs.c
+++ b/refs.c
@@ -2116,26 +2116,38 @@ int peel_iterated_oid(struct repository *r, const struct object_id *base, struct
 int refs_update_symref(struct ref_store *refs, const char *ref,
 		       const char *target, const char *logmsg)
 {
-	return refs_update_symref_extended(refs, ref, target, logmsg, NULL);
+	return refs_update_symref_extended(refs, ref, target, logmsg, NULL, 0);
 }
 
 int refs_update_symref_extended(struct ref_store *refs, const char *ref,
 		       const char *target, const char *logmsg,
-		       struct strbuf *referent)
+		       struct strbuf *referent, int create_only)
 {
 	struct ref_transaction *transaction;
 	struct strbuf err = STRBUF_INIT;
-	int ret = 0;
+	int ret = 0, prepret = 0;
 
 	transaction = ref_store_transaction_begin(refs, &err);
-	if (!transaction ||
-	    ref_transaction_update(transaction, ref, NULL, NULL,
-				   target, NULL, REF_NO_DEREF,
-				   logmsg, &err) ||
-	    ref_transaction_prepare(transaction, &err)) {
+	if (!transaction) {
+	error_return:
 		ret = error("%s", err.buf);
 		goto cleanup;
 	}
+	if (create_only) {
+		if (ref_transaction_create(transaction, ref, NULL, target,
+					   REF_NO_DEREF, logmsg, &err))
+			goto error_return;
+		prepret = ref_transaction_prepare(transaction, &err);
+		if (prepret && prepret != TRANSACTION_CREATE_EXISTS)
+			goto error_return;
+	} else {
+		if (ref_transaction_update(transaction, ref, NULL, NULL,
+					   target, NULL, REF_NO_DEREF,
+					   logmsg, &err) ||
+			ref_transaction_prepare(transaction, &err))
+			goto error_return;
+	}
+
 	if (referent && refs_read_symbolic_ref(refs, ref, referent) == NOT_A_SYMREF) {
 		struct object_id oid;
 		if (!refs_read_ref(refs, ref, &oid)) {
@@ -2144,8 +2156,11 @@ int refs_update_symref_extended(struct ref_store *refs, const char *ref,
 		}
 	}
 
+	if (prepret == TRANSACTION_CREATE_EXISTS)
+		goto cleanup;
+
 	if (ref_transaction_commit(transaction, &err))
-		ret = error("%s", err.buf);
+		goto error_return;
 
 cleanup:
 	strbuf_release(&err);
diff --git a/refs.h b/refs.h
index b243739e4b..be38377b1f 100644
--- a/refs.h
+++ b/refs.h
@@ -586,7 +586,7 @@ int refs_update_symref(struct ref_store *refs, const char *refname,
 
 int refs_update_symref_extended(struct ref_store *refs, const char *refname,
 		       const char *target, const char *logmsg,
-		       struct strbuf *referent);
+		       struct strbuf *referent, int create_only);
 
 enum action_on_err {
 	UPDATE_REFS_MSG_ON_ERR,