diff --git a/builtin/clone.c b/builtin/clone.c
index 00535d0178..8539b8de64 100644
--- a/builtin/clone.c
+++ b/builtin/clone.c
@@ -491,16 +491,26 @@ static void write_remote_refs(const struct ref *local_refs)
 {
 	const struct ref *r;
 
-	lock_packed_refs(LOCK_DIE_ON_ERROR);
+	struct ref_transaction *t;
+	struct strbuf err = STRBUF_INIT;
+
+	t = ref_transaction_begin(&err);
+	if (!t)
+		die("%s", err.buf);
 
 	for (r = local_refs; r; r = r->next) {
 		if (!r->peer_ref)
 			continue;
-		add_packed_ref(r->peer_ref->name, r->old_sha1);
+		if (ref_transaction_create(t, r->peer_ref->name, r->old_sha1,
+					   0, NULL, &err))
+			die("%s", err.buf);
 	}
 
-	if (commit_packed_refs())
-		die_errno("unable to overwrite old ref-pack file");
+	if (initial_ref_transaction_commit(t, &err))
+		die("%s", err.buf);
+
+	strbuf_release(&err);
+	ref_transaction_free(t);
 }
 
 static void write_followtags(const struct ref *refs, const char *msg)
diff --git a/refs.c b/refs.c
index 081ea6eada..c6f2f64bc5 100644
--- a/refs.c
+++ b/refs.c
@@ -4076,6 +4076,53 @@ int ref_transaction_commit(struct ref_transaction *transaction,
 	return ret;
 }
 
+int initial_ref_transaction_commit(struct ref_transaction *transaction,
+				   struct strbuf *err)
+{
+	int ret = 0, i;
+	int n = transaction->nr;
+	struct ref_update **updates = transaction->updates;
+
+	assert(err);
+
+	if (transaction->state != REF_TRANSACTION_OPEN)
+		die("BUG: commit called for transaction that is not open");
+
+	for (i = 0; i < n; i++) {
+		struct ref_update *update = updates[i];
+
+		if ((update->flags & REF_HAVE_OLD) &&
+		    !is_null_sha1(update->old_sha1))
+			die("BUG: initial ref transaction with old_sha1 set");
+	}
+
+	if (lock_packed_refs(0)) {
+		strbuf_addf(err, "unable to lock packed-refs file: %s",
+			    strerror(errno));
+		ret = TRANSACTION_GENERIC_ERROR;
+		goto cleanup;
+	}
+
+	for (i = 0; i < n; i++) {
+		struct ref_update *update = updates[i];
+
+		if ((update->flags & REF_HAVE_NEW) &&
+		    !is_null_sha1(update->new_sha1))
+			add_packed_ref(update->refname, update->new_sha1);
+	}
+
+	if (commit_packed_refs()) {
+		strbuf_addf(err, "unable to commit packed-refs file: %s",
+			    strerror(errno));
+		ret = TRANSACTION_GENERIC_ERROR;
+		goto cleanup;
+	}
+
+cleanup:
+	transaction->state = REF_TRANSACTION_CLOSED;
+	return ret;
+}
+
 char *shorten_unambiguous_ref(const char *refname, int strict)
 {
 	int i;
diff --git a/refs.h b/refs.h
index 5f3bea7a42..9602889c3c 100644
--- a/refs.h
+++ b/refs.h
@@ -365,6 +365,20 @@ int ref_transaction_verify(struct ref_transaction *transaction,
 int ref_transaction_commit(struct ref_transaction *transaction,
 			   struct strbuf *err);
 
+/*
+ * Like ref_transaction_commit(), but optimized for creating
+ * references when originally initializing a repository (e.g., by "git
+ * clone"). It writes the new references directly to packed-refs
+ * without locking the individual references.
+ *
+ * It is a bug to call this function when there might be other
+ * processes accessing the repository or if there are existing
+ * references that might conflict with the ones being created. All
+ * old_sha1 values must either be absent or NULL_SHA1.
+ */
+int initial_ref_transaction_commit(struct ref_transaction *transaction,
+				   struct strbuf *err);
+
 /*
  * Free an existing transaction and all associated data.
  */