diff --git a/Documentation/git-receive-pack.txt b/Documentation/git-receive-pack.txt
index 25702ed730..014a78409b 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-receive-pack.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-receive-pack.txt
@@ -41,6 +41,11 @@ OPTIONS
 <directory>::
 	The repository to sync into.
 
+--http-backend-info-refs::
+	Used by linkgit:git-http-backend[1] to serve up
+	`$GIT_URL/info/refs?service=git-receive-pack` requests. See
+	`--http-backend-info-refs` in linkgit:git-upload-pack[1].
+
 PRE-RECEIVE HOOK
 ----------------
 Before any ref is updated, if $GIT_DIR/hooks/pre-receive file exists
diff --git a/Documentation/git-upload-pack.txt b/Documentation/git-upload-pack.txt
index 9822c1eb1a..739416ec83 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-upload-pack.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-upload-pack.txt
@@ -36,10 +36,14 @@ OPTIONS
 	This fits with the HTTP POST request processing model where
 	a program may read the request, write a response, and must exit.
 
---advertise-refs::
-	Only the initial ref advertisement is output, and the program exits
-	immediately. This fits with the HTTP GET request model, where
-	no request content is received but a response must be produced.
+--http-backend-info-refs::
+	Used by linkgit:git-http-backend[1] to serve up
+	`$GIT_URL/info/refs?service=git-upload-pack` requests. See
+	"Smart Clients" in link:technical/http-protocol.html[the HTTP
+	transfer protocols] documentation and "HTTP Transport" in
+	link:technical/protocol-v2.html[the Git Wire Protocol, Version
+	2] documentation. Also understood by
+	linkgit:git-receive-pack[1].
 
 <directory>::
 	The repository to sync from.
diff --git a/Documentation/technical/http-protocol.txt b/Documentation/technical/http-protocol.txt
index 96d89ea9b2..cc5126cfed 100644
--- a/Documentation/technical/http-protocol.txt
+++ b/Documentation/technical/http-protocol.txt
@@ -225,6 +225,9 @@ The client may send Extra Parameters (see
 Documentation/technical/pack-protocol.txt) as a colon-separated string
 in the Git-Protocol HTTP header.
 
+Uses the `--http-backend-info-refs` option to
+linkgit:git-upload-pack[1].
+
 Dumb Server Response
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 Dumb servers MUST respond with the dumb server reply format.
diff --git a/Documentation/technical/protocol-v2.txt b/Documentation/technical/protocol-v2.txt
index 1040d85319..213538f1d0 100644
--- a/Documentation/technical/protocol-v2.txt
+++ b/Documentation/technical/protocol-v2.txt
@@ -81,6 +81,9 @@ A v2 server would reply:
 Subsequent requests are then made directly to the service
 `$GIT_URL/git-upload-pack`. (This works the same for git-receive-pack).
 
+Uses the `--http-backend-info-refs` option to
+linkgit:git-upload-pack[1].
+
 Capability Advertisement
 ------------------------
 
diff --git a/builtin/receive-pack.c b/builtin/receive-pack.c
index 2d1f97e1ca..7ffb45d706 100644
--- a/builtin/receive-pack.c
+++ b/builtin/receive-pack.c
@@ -2477,7 +2477,8 @@ int cmd_receive_pack(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	struct option options[] = {
 		OPT__QUIET(&quiet, N_("quiet")),
 		OPT_HIDDEN_BOOL(0, "stateless-rpc", &stateless_rpc, NULL),
-		OPT_HIDDEN_BOOL(0, "advertise-refs", &advertise_refs, NULL),
+		OPT_HIDDEN_BOOL(0, "http-backend-info-refs", &advertise_refs, NULL),
+		OPT_ALIAS(0, "advertise-refs", "http-backend-info-refs"),
 		OPT_HIDDEN_BOOL(0, "reject-thin-pack-for-testing", &reject_thin, NULL),
 		OPT_END()
 	};
diff --git a/builtin/upload-pack.c b/builtin/upload-pack.c
index 8506030a64..125af53885 100644
--- a/builtin/upload-pack.c
+++ b/builtin/upload-pack.c
@@ -22,8 +22,9 @@ int cmd_upload_pack(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	struct option options[] = {
 		OPT_BOOL(0, "stateless-rpc", &stateless_rpc,
 			 N_("quit after a single request/response exchange")),
-		OPT_BOOL(0, "advertise-refs", &advertise_refs,
-			 N_("exit immediately after initial ref advertisement")),
+		OPT_HIDDEN_BOOL(0, "http-backend-info-refs", &advertise_refs,
+				N_("serve up the info/refs for git-http-backend")),
+		OPT_ALIAS(0, "advertise-refs", "http-backend-info-refs"),
 		OPT_BOOL(0, "strict", &strict,
 			 N_("do not try <directory>/.git/ if <directory> is no Git directory")),
 		OPT_INTEGER(0, "timeout", &timeout,
diff --git a/http-backend.c b/http-backend.c
index d37463cec8..838374edb9 100644
--- a/http-backend.c
+++ b/http-backend.c
@@ -534,7 +534,7 @@ static void get_info_refs(struct strbuf *hdr, char *arg)
 
 	if (service_name) {
 		const char *argv[] = {NULL /* service name */,
-			"--advertise-refs",
+			"--http-backend-info-refs",
 			".", NULL};
 		struct rpc_service *svc = select_service(hdr, service_name);
 
diff --git a/t/t5555-http-smart-common.sh b/t/t5555-http-smart-common.sh
index b813099ed2..49faf5e283 100755
--- a/t/t5555-http-smart-common.sh
+++ b/t/t5555-http-smart-common.sh
@@ -8,6 +8,20 @@ test_expect_success 'setup' '
 	test_commit --no-tag initial
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'git upload-pack --http-backend-info-refs and --advertise-refs are aliased' '
+	git upload-pack --http-backend-info-refs . >expected 2>err.expected &&
+	git upload-pack --advertise-refs . >actual 2>err.actual &&
+	test_cmp err.expected err.actual &&
+	test_cmp expected actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'git receive-pack --http-backend-info-refs and --advertise-refs are aliased' '
+	git receive-pack --http-backend-info-refs . >expected 2>err.expected &&
+	git receive-pack --advertise-refs . >actual 2>err.actual &&
+	test_cmp err.expected err.actual &&
+	test_cmp expected actual
+'
+
 test_expect_success 'git upload-pack --advertise-refs' '
 	cat >expect <<-EOF &&
 	$(git rev-parse HEAD) HEAD