diff --git a/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash b/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash
index 067dff823d..882635f97a 100644
--- a/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash
+++ b/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash
@@ -387,6 +387,10 @@ __git_refs ()
 	fi
 
 	if [ "$list_refs_from" = path ]; then
+		if [[ "$cur_" == ^* ]]; then
+			pfx="^"
+			cur_=${cur_#^}
+		fi
 		case "$cur_" in
 		refs|refs/*)
 			format="refname"
@@ -394,10 +398,6 @@ __git_refs ()
 			track=""
 			;;
 		*)
-			if [[ "$cur_" == ^* ]]; then
-				pfx="^"
-				cur_=${cur_#^}
-			fi
 			for i in HEAD FETCH_HEAD ORIG_HEAD MERGE_HEAD; do
 				if [ -e "$dir/$i" ]; then echo $pfx$i; fi
 			done
diff --git a/t/t9902-completion.sh b/t/t9902-completion.sh
index f641d99ecf..e2b45f6251 100755
--- a/t/t9902-completion.sh
+++ b/t/t9902-completion.sh
@@ -806,6 +806,37 @@ test_expect_success '__git_refs - after --opt= - full refs' '
 	test_cmp expected "$actual"
 '
 
+test_expect_success '__git refs - exluding refs' '
+	cat >expected <<-EOF &&
+	^HEAD
+	^master
+	^matching-branch
+	^other/branch-in-other
+	^other/master-in-other
+	^matching-tag
+	EOF
+	(
+		cur=^ &&
+		__git_refs >"$actual"
+	) &&
+	test_cmp expected "$actual"
+'
+
+test_expect_success '__git refs - exluding full refs' '
+	cat >expected <<-EOF &&
+	^refs/heads/master
+	^refs/heads/matching-branch
+	^refs/remotes/other/branch-in-other
+	^refs/remotes/other/master-in-other
+	^refs/tags/matching-tag
+	EOF
+	(
+		cur=^refs/ &&
+		__git_refs >"$actual"
+	) &&
+	test_cmp expected "$actual"
+'
+
 test_expect_success '__git_complete_refs - simple' '
 	sed -e "s/Z$//" >expected <<-EOF &&
 	HEAD Z