diff --git a/t/t5801-remote-helpers.sh b/t/t5801-remote-helpers.sh
index 69212cdde1..dbb02e2afd 100755
--- a/t/t5801-remote-helpers.sh
+++ b/t/t5801-remote-helpers.sh
@@ -186,4 +186,18 @@ test_expect_success GPG 'push signed tag with signed-tags capability' '
 	compare_refs local signed-tag-2 server signed-tag-2
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'push messages' '
+	(cd local &&
+	git checkout -b new_branch master &&
+	echo new >>file &&
+	git commit -a -m new &&
+	git push origin new_branch &&
+	git fetch origin &&
+	echo new >>file &&
+	git commit -a -m new &&
+	git push origin new_branch 2> msg &&
+	! grep "\[new branch\]" msg
+	)
+'
+
 test_done
diff --git a/transport-helper.c b/transport-helper.c
index 5f8d075ed8..835815f61d 100644
--- a/transport-helper.c
+++ b/transport-helper.c
@@ -806,6 +806,7 @@ static int push_refs_with_export(struct transport *transport,
 		if (private && !get_sha1(private, sha1)) {
 			strbuf_addf(&buf, "^%s", private);
 			string_list_append(&revlist_args, strbuf_detach(&buf, NULL));
+			hashcpy(ref->old_sha1, sha1);
 		}
 		free(private);