diff --git a/builtin/fetch.c b/builtin/fetch.c
index fe2b26c74a..a06d130501 100644
--- a/builtin/fetch.c
+++ b/builtin/fetch.c
@@ -1777,7 +1777,9 @@ static int do_fetch(struct transport *transport,
 
 	if (uses_remote_tracking(transport, rs)) {
 		must_list_refs = 1;
-		strvec_push(&transport_ls_refs_options.ref_prefixes, "HEAD");
+		if (transport_ls_refs_options.ref_prefixes.nr)
+			strvec_push(&transport_ls_refs_options.ref_prefixes,
+				    "HEAD");
 	}
 
 	if (must_list_refs) {
diff --git a/t/t5503-tagfollow.sh b/t/t5503-tagfollow.sh
index 195fc64dd4..845ca43ea0 100755
--- a/t/t5503-tagfollow.sh
+++ b/t/t5503-tagfollow.sh
@@ -160,4 +160,18 @@ test_expect_success 'new clone fetch main and tags' '
 	test_cmp expect actual
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'fetch specific OID with tag following' '
+	git init --bare clone3.git &&
+	(
+		cd clone3.git &&
+		git remote add origin .. &&
+		git fetch origin $B:refs/heads/main &&
+
+		git -C .. for-each-ref >expect &&
+		git for-each-ref >actual &&
+
+		test_cmp expect actual
+	)
+'
+
 test_done