diff --git a/src/clone.c b/src/clone.c
index c6be00f0e..24f1cae59 100644
--- a/src/clone.c
+++ b/src/clone.c
@@ -171,6 +171,10 @@ static int update_head_to_new_branch(
 
 	git_reference_free(tracking_branch);
 
+	/* if it already existed, then the user's refspec created it for us, ignore it' */
+	if (error == GIT_EEXISTS)
+		error = 0;
+
 	return error;
 }
 
@@ -336,25 +340,30 @@ static bool should_checkout(
 	return !git_repository_head_unborn(repo);
 }
 
-int git_clone_into(git_repository *repo, git_remote *remote, const git_checkout_options *co_opts, const char *branch, const git_signature *signature)
+int git_clone_into(git_repository *repo, git_remote *_remote, const git_checkout_options *co_opts, const char *branch, const git_signature *signature)
 {
 	int error = 0, old_fetchhead;
-	git_strarray refspecs;
 	git_buf reflog_message = GIT_BUF_INIT;
+	git_remote *remote;
+	const git_remote_callbacks *callbacks;
 
-	assert(repo && remote);
+	assert(repo && _remote);
 
 	if (!git_repository_is_empty(repo)) {
 		giterr_set(GITERR_INVALID, "the repository is not empty");
 		return -1;
 	}
 
-
-	if ((error = git_remote_get_fetch_refspecs(&refspecs, remote)) < 0)
+	if ((error = git_remote_dup(&remote, _remote)) < 0)
 		return error;
 
+	callbacks = git_remote_get_callbacks(_remote);
+	if (!giterr__check_version(callbacks, 1, "git_remote_callbacks") &&
+	    (error = git_remote_set_callbacks(remote, git_remote_get_callbacks(_remote))) < 0)
+		goto cleanup;
+
 	if ((error = git_remote_add_fetch(remote, "refs/tags/*:refs/tags/*")) < 0)
-		return error;
+		goto cleanup;
 
 	old_fetchhead = git_remote_update_fetchhead(remote);
 	git_remote_set_update_fetchhead(remote, 0);
@@ -375,15 +384,7 @@ int git_clone_into(git_repository *repo, git_remote *remote, const git_checkout_
 
 cleanup:
 	git_remote_set_update_fetchhead(remote, old_fetchhead);
-
-	/* Go back to the original refspecs */
-	{
-		int error_alt = git_remote_set_fetch_refspecs(remote, &refspecs);
-		if (!error)
-			error = error_alt;
-	}
-
-	git_strarray_free(&refspecs);
+	git_remote_free(remote);
 	git_buf_free(&reflog_message);
 
 	return error;
diff --git a/tests/network/fetchlocal.c b/tests/network/fetchlocal.c
index 4c39394bb..0d23bef48 100644
--- a/tests/network/fetchlocal.c
+++ b/tests/network/fetchlocal.c
@@ -86,3 +86,29 @@ void test_network_fetchlocal__partial(void)
 	git_strarray_free(&refnames);
 	git_remote_free(origin);
 }
+
+void test_network_fetchlocal__clone_into_mirror(void)
+{
+	git_buf path = GIT_BUF_INIT;
+	git_repository *repo;
+	git_remote *remote;
+	git_reference *head;
+
+	cl_git_pass(git_repository_init(&repo, "./foo.git", true));
+	cl_git_pass(git_remote_create(&remote, repo, "origin", cl_git_fixture_url("testrepo.git")));
+
+	git_remote_clear_refspecs(remote);
+	cl_git_pass(git_remote_add_fetch(remote, "+refs/*:refs/*"));
+
+	cl_git_pass(git_clone_into(repo, remote, NULL, NULL, NULL));
+
+	cl_git_pass(git_reference_lookup(&head, repo, "HEAD"));
+	cl_assert_equal_i(GIT_REF_SYMBOLIC, git_reference_type(head));
+	cl_assert_equal_s("refs/heads/master", git_reference_symbolic_target(head));
+
+	git_remote_free(remote);
+	git_reference_free(head);
+	git_repository_free(repo);
+	git_buf_free(&path);
+	cl_fixture_cleanup("./foo.git");
+}
diff --git a/tests/online/clone.c b/tests/online/clone.c
index 6e0e63950..e269771c0 100644
--- a/tests/online/clone.c
+++ b/tests/online/clone.c
@@ -164,6 +164,39 @@ void test_online_clone__clone_into(void)
 	git_buf_free(&path);
 }
 
+void test_online_clone__clone_mirror(void)
+{
+	git_buf path = GIT_BUF_INIT;
+	git_remote *remote;
+	git_reference *head;
+	git_remote_callbacks callbacks = GIT_REMOTE_CALLBACKS_INIT;
+
+	bool fetch_progress_cb_was_called = false;
+
+	cl_git_pass(git_repository_init(&g_repo, "./foo.git", true));
+	cl_git_pass(git_remote_create(&remote, g_repo, "origin", LIVE_REPO_URL));
+
+	callbacks.transfer_progress = &fetch_progress;
+	callbacks.payload = &fetch_progress_cb_was_called;
+	git_remote_set_callbacks(remote, &callbacks);
+
+	git_remote_clear_refspecs(remote);
+	cl_git_pass(git_remote_add_fetch(remote, "+refs/*:refs/*"));
+
+	cl_git_pass(git_clone_into(g_repo, remote, NULL, NULL, NULL));
+
+	cl_git_pass(git_reference_lookup(&head, g_repo, "HEAD"));
+	cl_assert_equal_i(GIT_REF_SYMBOLIC, git_reference_type(head));
+	cl_assert_equal_s("refs/heads/master", git_reference_symbolic_target(head));
+
+	cl_assert_equal_i(true, fetch_progress_cb_was_called);
+
+	git_remote_free(remote);
+	git_reference_free(head);
+	git_buf_free(&path);
+	cl_fixture_cleanup("./foo.git");
+}
+
 static int update_tips(const char *refname, const git_oid *a, const git_oid *b, void *payload)
 {
 	int *callcount = (int*)payload;