diff --git a/builtin/update-ref.c b/builtin/update-ref.c
index 5259cc7226..6355c3dd3e 100644
--- a/builtin/update-ref.c
+++ b/builtin/update-ref.c
@@ -25,6 +25,15 @@ static unsigned int default_flags;
 static unsigned create_reflog_flag;
 static const char *msg;
 
+struct command_options {
+	/*
+	 * Individual updates are allowed to fail without causing
+	 * update-ref to exit. This is set when using the
+	 * '--batch-updates' flag.
+	 */
+	bool allow_update_failures;
+};
+
 /*
  * Parse one whitespace- or NUL-terminated, possibly C-quoted argument
  * and append the result to arg.  Return a pointer to the terminator.
@@ -257,6 +266,31 @@ static void print_rejected_refs(const char *refname,
 	strbuf_release(&sb);
 }
 
+/*
+ * Handle transaction errors. If we're using batches updates, we want to only
+ * die for generic errors and print the remaining to the user.
+ */
+static void handle_ref_transaction_error(const char *refname,
+					 struct object_id *new_oid,
+					 struct object_id *old_oid,
+					 const char *new_target,
+					 const char *old_target,
+					 enum ref_transaction_error tx_err,
+					 struct strbuf *err,
+					 struct command_options *opts)
+{
+	if (!tx_err)
+		return;
+
+	if (tx_err != REF_TRANSACTION_ERROR_GENERIC && opts->allow_update_failures) {
+		print_rejected_refs(refname, old_oid, new_oid, old_target,
+				    new_target, tx_err, err->buf, NULL);
+		return;
+	}
+
+	die("%s", err->buf);
+}
+
 /*
  * The following five parse_cmd_*() functions parse the corresponding
  * command.  In each case, next points at the character following the
@@ -268,11 +302,13 @@ static void print_rejected_refs(const char *refname,
  */
 
 static void parse_cmd_update(struct ref_transaction *transaction,
-			     const char *next, const char *end)
+			     const char *next, const char *end,
+			     struct command_options *opts)
 {
 	struct strbuf err = STRBUF_INIT;
 	char *refname;
 	struct object_id new_oid, old_oid;
+	enum ref_transaction_error tx_err;
 	int have_old;
 
 	refname = parse_refname(&next);
@@ -289,12 +325,14 @@ static void parse_cmd_update(struct ref_transaction *transaction,
 	if (*next != line_termination)
 		die("update %s: extra input: %s", refname, next);
 
-	if (ref_transaction_update(transaction, refname,
-				   &new_oid, have_old ? &old_oid : NULL,
-				   NULL, NULL,
-				   update_flags | create_reflog_flag,
-				   msg, &err))
-		die("%s", err.buf);
+	tx_err = ref_transaction_update(transaction, refname,
+					&new_oid, have_old ? &old_oid : NULL,
+					NULL, NULL,
+					update_flags | create_reflog_flag,
+					msg, &err);
+	handle_ref_transaction_error(refname, &new_oid, have_old ? &old_oid : NULL,
+				     NULL, NULL, tx_err, &err, opts);
+
 
 	update_flags = default_flags;
 	free(refname);
@@ -302,9 +340,11 @@ static void parse_cmd_update(struct ref_transaction *transaction,
 }
 
 static void parse_cmd_symref_update(struct ref_transaction *transaction,
-				    const char *next, const char *end UNUSED)
+				    const char *next, const char *end UNUSED,
+				    struct command_options *opts)
 {
 	char *refname, *new_target, *old_arg;
+	enum ref_transaction_error tx_err;
 	char *old_target = NULL;
 	struct strbuf err = STRBUF_INIT;
 	struct object_id old_oid;
@@ -341,13 +381,15 @@ static void parse_cmd_symref_update(struct ref_transaction *transaction,
 	if (*next != line_termination)
 		die("symref-update %s: extra input: %s", refname, next);
 
-	if (ref_transaction_update(transaction, refname, NULL,
-				   have_old_oid ? &old_oid : NULL,
-				   new_target,
-				   have_old_oid ? NULL : old_target,
-				   update_flags | create_reflog_flag,
-				   msg, &err))
-		die("%s", err.buf);
+	tx_err = ref_transaction_update(transaction, refname, NULL,
+					have_old_oid ? &old_oid : NULL,
+					new_target,
+					have_old_oid ? NULL : old_target,
+					update_flags | create_reflog_flag,
+					msg, &err);
+	handle_ref_transaction_error(refname, NULL, have_old_oid ? &old_oid : NULL,
+				     new_target, have_old_oid ? NULL : old_target,
+				     tx_err, &err, opts);
 
 	update_flags = default_flags;
 	free(refname);
@@ -358,11 +400,13 @@ static void parse_cmd_symref_update(struct ref_transaction *transaction,
 }
 
 static void parse_cmd_create(struct ref_transaction *transaction,
-			     const char *next, const char *end)
+			     const char *next, const char *end,
+			     struct command_options *opts)
 {
 	struct strbuf err = STRBUF_INIT;
 	char *refname;
 	struct object_id new_oid;
+	enum ref_transaction_error tx_err;
 
 	refname = parse_refname(&next);
 	if (!refname)
@@ -377,22 +421,24 @@ static void parse_cmd_create(struct ref_transaction *transaction,
 	if (*next != line_termination)
 		die("create %s: extra input: %s", refname, next);
 
-	if (ref_transaction_create(transaction, refname, &new_oid, NULL,
-				   update_flags | create_reflog_flag,
-				   msg, &err))
-		die("%s", err.buf);
+	tx_err = ref_transaction_create(transaction, refname, &new_oid, NULL,
+					update_flags | create_reflog_flag,
+					msg, &err);
+	handle_ref_transaction_error(refname, &new_oid, NULL, NULL, NULL, tx_err,
+				     &err, opts);
 
 	update_flags = default_flags;
 	free(refname);
 	strbuf_release(&err);
 }
 
-
 static void parse_cmd_symref_create(struct ref_transaction *transaction,
-				    const char *next, const char *end UNUSED)
+				    const char *next, const char *end UNUSED,
+				    struct command_options *opts)
 {
 	struct strbuf err = STRBUF_INIT;
 	char *refname, *new_target;
+	enum ref_transaction_error tx_err;
 
 	refname = parse_refname(&next);
 	if (!refname)
@@ -405,10 +451,11 @@ static void parse_cmd_symref_create(struct ref_transaction *transaction,
 	if (*next != line_termination)
 		die("symref-create %s: extra input: %s", refname, next);
 
-	if (ref_transaction_create(transaction, refname, NULL, new_target,
-				   update_flags | create_reflog_flag,
-				   msg, &err))
-		die("%s", err.buf);
+	tx_err = ref_transaction_create(transaction, refname, NULL, new_target,
+					update_flags | create_reflog_flag,
+					msg, &err);
+	handle_ref_transaction_error(refname, NULL, NULL, new_target, NULL,
+				     tx_err, &err, opts);
 
 	update_flags = default_flags;
 	free(refname);
@@ -417,7 +464,8 @@ static void parse_cmd_symref_create(struct ref_transaction *transaction,
 }
 
 static void parse_cmd_delete(struct ref_transaction *transaction,
-			     const char *next, const char *end)
+			     const char *next, const char *end,
+			     struct command_options *opts UNUSED)
 {
 	struct strbuf err = STRBUF_INIT;
 	char *refname;
@@ -450,9 +498,9 @@ static void parse_cmd_delete(struct ref_transaction *transaction,
 	strbuf_release(&err);
 }
 
-
 static void parse_cmd_symref_delete(struct ref_transaction *transaction,
-				    const char *next, const char *end UNUSED)
+				    const char *next, const char *end UNUSED,
+				    struct command_options *opts UNUSED)
 {
 	struct strbuf err = STRBUF_INIT;
 	char *refname, *old_target;
@@ -479,9 +527,9 @@ static void parse_cmd_symref_delete(struct ref_transaction *transaction,
 	strbuf_release(&err);
 }
 
-
 static void parse_cmd_verify(struct ref_transaction *transaction,
-			     const char *next, const char *end)
+			     const char *next, const char *end,
+			     struct command_options *opts UNUSED)
 {
 	struct strbuf err = STRBUF_INIT;
 	char *refname;
@@ -508,7 +556,8 @@ static void parse_cmd_verify(struct ref_transaction *transaction,
 }
 
 static void parse_cmd_symref_verify(struct ref_transaction *transaction,
-				    const char *next, const char *end UNUSED)
+				    const char *next, const char *end UNUSED,
+				    struct command_options *opts UNUSED)
 {
 	struct strbuf err = STRBUF_INIT;
 	struct object_id old_oid;
@@ -550,7 +599,8 @@ static void report_ok(const char *command)
 }
 
 static void parse_cmd_option(struct ref_transaction *transaction UNUSED,
-			     const char *next, const char *end UNUSED)
+			     const char *next, const char *end UNUSED,
+			     struct command_options *opts UNUSED)
 {
 	const char *rest;
 	if (skip_prefix(next, "no-deref", &rest) && *rest == line_termination)
@@ -560,7 +610,8 @@ static void parse_cmd_option(struct ref_transaction *transaction UNUSED,
 }
 
 static void parse_cmd_start(struct ref_transaction *transaction UNUSED,
-			    const char *next, const char *end UNUSED)
+			    const char *next, const char *end UNUSED,
+			    struct command_options *opts UNUSED)
 {
 	if (*next != line_termination)
 		die("start: extra input: %s", next);
@@ -568,7 +619,8 @@ static void parse_cmd_start(struct ref_transaction *transaction UNUSED,
 }
 
 static void parse_cmd_prepare(struct ref_transaction *transaction,
-			      const char *next, const char *end UNUSED)
+			      const char *next, const char *end UNUSED,
+			      struct command_options *opts UNUSED)
 {
 	struct strbuf error = STRBUF_INIT;
 	if (*next != line_termination)
@@ -579,7 +631,8 @@ static void parse_cmd_prepare(struct ref_transaction *transaction,
 }
 
 static void parse_cmd_abort(struct ref_transaction *transaction,
-			    const char *next, const char *end UNUSED)
+			    const char *next, const char *end UNUSED,
+			    struct command_options *opts UNUSED)
 {
 	struct strbuf error = STRBUF_INIT;
 	if (*next != line_termination)
@@ -590,7 +643,8 @@ static void parse_cmd_abort(struct ref_transaction *transaction,
 }
 
 static void parse_cmd_commit(struct ref_transaction *transaction,
-			     const char *next, const char *end UNUSED)
+			     const char *next, const char *end UNUSED,
+			     struct command_options *opts UNUSED)
 {
 	struct strbuf error = STRBUF_INIT;
 	if (*next != line_termination)
@@ -618,7 +672,8 @@ enum update_refs_state {
 
 static const struct parse_cmd {
 	const char *prefix;
-	void (*fn)(struct ref_transaction *, const char *, const char *);
+	void (*fn)(struct ref_transaction *, const char *, const char *,
+		   struct command_options *);
 	unsigned args;
 	enum update_refs_state state;
 } command[] = {
@@ -644,6 +699,10 @@ static void update_refs_stdin(unsigned int flags)
 	struct ref_transaction *transaction;
 	int i, j;
 
+	struct command_options opts = {
+		.allow_update_failures = flags & REF_TRANSACTION_ALLOW_FAILURE,
+	};
+
 	transaction = ref_store_transaction_begin(get_main_ref_store(the_repository),
 						  flags, &err);
 	if (!transaction)
@@ -721,7 +780,7 @@ static void update_refs_stdin(unsigned int flags)
 		}
 
 		cmd->fn(transaction, input.buf + strlen(cmd->prefix) + !!cmd->args,
-			input.buf + input.len);
+			input.buf + input.len, &opts);
 	}
 
 	switch (state) {