diff --git a/builtin/fetch.c b/builtin/fetch.c
index f8455bde7a..b55c83c468 100644
--- a/builtin/fetch.c
+++ b/builtin/fetch.c
@@ -806,7 +806,7 @@ static int prune_refs(struct refspec *refs, int ref_count, struct ref *ref_map,
 		for (ref = stale_refs; ref; ref = ref->next)
 			string_list_append(&refnames, ref->name);
 
-		result = delete_refs(&refnames);
+		result = delete_refs(&refnames, 0);
 		string_list_clear(&refnames, 0);
 	}
 
diff --git a/builtin/remote.c b/builtin/remote.c
index fda5c2e53d..1bbf9b44df 100644
--- a/builtin/remote.c
+++ b/builtin/remote.c
@@ -788,7 +788,7 @@ static int rm(int argc, const char **argv)
 	strbuf_release(&buf);
 
 	if (!result)
-		result = delete_refs(&branches);
+		result = delete_refs(&branches, 0);
 	string_list_clear(&branches, 0);
 
 	if (skipped.nr) {
@@ -1303,7 +1303,7 @@ static int prune_remote(const char *remote, int dry_run)
 	string_list_sort(&refs_to_prune);
 
 	if (!dry_run)
-		result |= delete_refs(&refs_to_prune);
+		result |= delete_refs(&refs_to_prune, 0);
 
 	for_each_string_list_item(item, &states.stale) {
 		const char *refname = item->util;
diff --git a/refs.h b/refs.h
index 21874f023b..6d515a4671 100644
--- a/refs.h
+++ b/refs.h
@@ -274,9 +274,10 @@ int delete_ref(const char *refname, const unsigned char *old_sha1,
 /*
  * Delete the specified references. If there are any problems, emit
  * errors but attempt to keep going (i.e., the deletes are not done in
- * an all-or-nothing transaction).
+ * an all-or-nothing transaction). flags is passed through to
+ * ref_transaction_delete().
  */
-int delete_refs(struct string_list *refnames);
+int delete_refs(struct string_list *refnames, unsigned int flags);
 
 /** Delete a reflog */
 int delete_reflog(const char *refname);
diff --git a/refs/files-backend.c b/refs/files-backend.c
index d5c4789619..e15f7ae68b 100644
--- a/refs/files-backend.c
+++ b/refs/files-backend.c
@@ -2403,7 +2403,7 @@ static int delete_ref_loose(struct ref_lock *lock, int flag, struct strbuf *err)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-int delete_refs(struct string_list *refnames)
+int delete_refs(struct string_list *refnames, unsigned int flags)
 {
 	struct strbuf err = STRBUF_INIT;
 	int i, result = 0;
@@ -2432,7 +2432,7 @@ int delete_refs(struct string_list *refnames)
 	for (i = 0; i < refnames->nr; i++) {
 		const char *refname = refnames->items[i].string;
 
-		if (delete_ref(refname, NULL, 0))
+		if (delete_ref(refname, NULL, flags))
 			result |= error(_("could not remove reference %s"), refname);
 	}