diff --git a/builtin/fetch.c b/builtin/fetch.c
index fc6c879bcf..c9b92b1e52 100644
--- a/builtin/fetch.c
+++ b/builtin/fetch.c
@@ -239,6 +239,7 @@ static int will_fetch(struct ref **head, const unsigned char *sha1)
 struct refname_hash_entry {
 	struct hashmap_entry ent; /* must be the first member */
 	struct object_id oid;
+	int ignore;
 	char refname[FLEX_ARRAY];
 };
 
@@ -287,6 +288,11 @@ static int refname_hash_exists(struct hashmap *map, const char *refname)
 	return !!hashmap_get_from_hash(map, strhash(refname), refname);
 }
 
+static void clear_item(struct refname_hash_entry *item)
+{
+	item->ignore = 1;
+}
+
 static void find_non_local_tags(const struct ref *refs,
 				struct ref **head,
 				struct ref ***tail)
@@ -319,7 +325,7 @@ static void find_non_local_tags(const struct ref *refs,
 			    !will_fetch(head, ref->old_oid.hash) &&
 			    !has_object_file_with_flags(&item->oid, OBJECT_INFO_QUICK) &&
 			    !will_fetch(head, item->oid.hash))
-				oidclr(&item->oid);
+				clear_item(item);
 			item = NULL;
 			continue;
 		}
@@ -333,7 +339,7 @@ static void find_non_local_tags(const struct ref *refs,
 		if (item &&
 		    !has_object_file_with_flags(&item->oid, OBJECT_INFO_QUICK) &&
 		    !will_fetch(head, item->oid.hash))
-			oidclr(&item->oid);
+			clear_item(item);
 
 		item = NULL;
 
@@ -354,7 +360,7 @@ static void find_non_local_tags(const struct ref *refs,
 	if (item &&
 	    !has_object_file_with_flags(&item->oid, OBJECT_INFO_QUICK) &&
 	    !will_fetch(head, item->oid.hash))
-		oidclr(&item->oid);
+		clear_item(item);
 
 	/*
 	 * For all the tags in the remote_refs_list,
@@ -362,19 +368,21 @@ static void find_non_local_tags(const struct ref *refs,
 	 */
 	for_each_string_list_item(remote_ref_item, &remote_refs_list) {
 		const char *refname = remote_ref_item->string;
+		struct ref *rm;
 
 		item = hashmap_get_from_hash(&remote_refs, strhash(refname), refname);
 		if (!item)
 			BUG("unseen remote ref?");
 
 		/* Unless we have already decided to ignore this item... */
-		if (!is_null_oid(&item->oid)) {
-			struct ref *rm = alloc_ref(item->refname);
-			rm->peer_ref = alloc_ref(item->refname);
-			oidcpy(&rm->old_oid, &item->oid);
-			**tail = rm;
-			*tail = &rm->next;
-		}
+		if (item->ignore)
+			continue;
+
+		rm = alloc_ref(item->refname);
+		rm->peer_ref = alloc_ref(item->refname);
+		oidcpy(&rm->old_oid, &item->oid);
+		**tail = rm;
+		*tail = &rm->next;
 	}
 	hashmap_free(&remote_refs, 1);
 	string_list_clear(&remote_refs_list, 0);
diff --git a/t/t5801-remote-helpers.sh b/t/t5801-remote-helpers.sh
index d04f8007e0..2d6c4a281e 100755
--- a/t/t5801-remote-helpers.sh
+++ b/t/t5801-remote-helpers.sh
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ test_expect_success 'forced push' '
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'cloning without refspec' '
-	GIT_REMOTE_TESTGIT_REFSPEC="" \
+	GIT_REMOTE_TESTGIT_NOREFSPEC=1 \
 	git clone "testgit::${PWD}/server" local2 2>error &&
 	test_i18ngrep "this remote helper should implement refspec capability" error &&
 	compare_refs local2 HEAD server HEAD
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ test_expect_success 'cloning without refspec' '
 test_expect_success 'pulling without refspecs' '
 	(cd local2 &&
 	git reset --hard &&
-	GIT_REMOTE_TESTGIT_REFSPEC="" git pull 2>../error) &&
+	GIT_REMOTE_TESTGIT_NOREFSPEC=1 git pull 2>../error) &&
 	test_i18ngrep "this remote helper should implement refspec capability" error &&
 	compare_refs local2 HEAD server HEAD
 '
@@ -145,8 +145,8 @@ test_expect_success 'pushing without refspecs' '
 	(cd local2 &&
 	echo content >>file &&
 	git commit -a -m ten &&
-	GIT_REMOTE_TESTGIT_REFSPEC="" &&
-	export GIT_REMOTE_TESTGIT_REFSPEC &&
+	GIT_REMOTE_TESTGIT_NOREFSPEC=1 &&
+	export GIT_REMOTE_TESTGIT_NOREFSPEC &&
 	test_must_fail git push 2>../error) &&
 	test_i18ngrep "remote-helper doesn.t support push; refspec needed" error
 '
@@ -303,4 +303,14 @@ test_expect_success 'fetch url' '
 	compare_refs server HEAD local FETCH_HEAD
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'fetch tag' '
+	(cd server &&
+	 git tag v1.0
+	) &&
+	(cd local &&
+	 git fetch
+	) &&
+	compare_refs local v1.0 server v1.0
+'
+
 test_done
diff --git a/t/t5801/git-remote-testgit b/t/t5801/git-remote-testgit
index 752c763eb6..6b9f0b5dc7 100755
--- a/t/t5801/git-remote-testgit
+++ b/t/t5801/git-remote-testgit
@@ -11,13 +11,15 @@ fi
 url=$2
 
 dir="$GIT_DIR/testgit/$alias"
-prefix="refs/testgit/$alias"
 
-default_refspec="refs/heads/*:${prefix}/heads/*"
+h_refspec="refs/heads/*:refs/testgit/$alias/heads/*"
+t_refspec="refs/tags/*:refs/testgit/$alias/tags/*"
 
-refspec="${GIT_REMOTE_TESTGIT_REFSPEC-$default_refspec}"
-
-test -z "$refspec" && prefix="refs"
+if test -n "$GIT_REMOTE_TESTGIT_NOREFSPEC"
+then
+	h_refspec=""
+	t_refspec=""
+fi
 
 GIT_DIR="$url/.git"
 export GIT_DIR
@@ -40,7 +42,8 @@ do
 	capabilities)
 		echo 'import'
 		echo 'export'
-		test -n "$refspec" && echo "refspec $refspec"
+		test -n "$h_refspec" && echo "refspec $h_refspec"
+		test -n "$t_refspec" && echo "refspec $t_refspec"
 		if test -n "$gitmarks"
 		then
 			echo "*import-marks $gitmarks"
@@ -52,7 +55,7 @@ do
 		echo
 		;;
 	list)
-		git for-each-ref --format='? %(refname)' 'refs/heads/'
+		git for-each-ref --format='? %(refname)' 'refs/heads/' 'refs/tags/'
 		head=$(git symbolic-ref HEAD)
 		echo "@$head HEAD"
 		echo
@@ -81,10 +84,11 @@ do
 
 		echo "feature done"
 		git fast-export \
+			${h_refspec:+"--refspec=$h_refspec"} \
+			${t_refspec:+"--refspec=$t_refspec"} \
 			${testgitmarks:+"--import-marks=$testgitmarks"} \
 			${testgitmarks:+"--export-marks=$testgitmarks"} \
-			$refs |
-		sed -e "s#refs/heads/#${prefix}/heads/#g"
+			$refs
 		echo "done"
 		;;
 	export)