diff --git a/builtin/fetch.c b/builtin/fetch.c
index bf627e0412..7221e57f35 100644
--- a/builtin/fetch.c
+++ b/builtin/fetch.c
@@ -1883,6 +1883,8 @@ static void add_options_to_argv(struct strvec *argv)
 		strvec_push(argv, "--ipv4");
 	else if (family == TRANSPORT_FAMILY_IPV6)
 		strvec_push(argv, "--ipv6");
+	if (!write_fetch_head)
+		strvec_push(argv, "--no-write-fetch-head");
 }
 
 /* Fetch multiple remotes in parallel */
diff --git a/t/t5514-fetch-multiple.sh b/t/t5514-fetch-multiple.sh
index 54f422ced3..98f034aa77 100755
--- a/t/t5514-fetch-multiple.sh
+++ b/t/t5514-fetch-multiple.sh
@@ -58,6 +58,13 @@ test_expect_success 'git fetch --all' '
 	 test_cmp expect output)
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'git fetch --all --no-write-fetch-head' '
+	(cd test &&
+	rm -f .git/FETCH_HEAD &&
+	git fetch --all --no-write-fetch-head &&
+	test_path_is_missing .git/FETCH_HEAD)
+'
+
 test_expect_success 'git fetch --all should continue if a remote has errors' '
 	(git clone one test2 &&
 	 cd test2 &&
diff --git a/t/t5526-fetch-submodules.sh b/t/t5526-fetch-submodules.sh
index b9546ef8e5..dcdbe26a08 100755
--- a/t/t5526-fetch-submodules.sh
+++ b/t/t5526-fetch-submodules.sh
@@ -167,6 +167,19 @@ test_expect_success "fetch --recurse-submodules recurses into submodules" '
 	verify_fetch_result actual.err
 '
 
+test_expect_success "fetch --recurse-submodules honors --no-write-fetch-head" '
+	(
+		cd downstream &&
+		git submodule foreach --recursive \
+		sh -c "cd \"\$(git rev-parse --git-dir)\" && rm -f FETCH_HEAD" &&
+
+		git fetch --recurse-submodules --no-write-fetch-head &&
+
+		git submodule foreach --recursive \
+		sh -c "cd \"\$(git rev-parse --git-dir)\" && ! test -f FETCH_HEAD"
+	)
+'
+
 test_expect_success "submodule.recurse option triggers recursive fetch" '
 	add_submodule_commits &&
 	(