diff --git a/include/git2/remote.h b/include/git2/remote.h
index 22aad5ad4..5b42a9899 100644
--- a/include/git2/remote.h
+++ b/include/git2/remote.h
@@ -538,10 +538,16 @@ typedef struct {
 	 * Whether to perform a prune after the fetch
 	 */
 	git_fetch_prune_t prune;
+
+	/**
+	 * Whether to write the results to FETCH_HEAD. Defaults to
+	 * on. Leave this default in order to behave like git.
+	 */
+	int update_fetchhead;
 } git_fetch_options;
 
 #define GIT_FETCH_OPTIONS_VERSION 1
-#define GIT_FETCH_OPTIONS_INIT { GIT_FETCH_OPTIONS_VERSION, GIT_REMOTE_CALLBACKS_INIT }
+#define GIT_FETCH_OPTIONS_INIT { GIT_FETCH_OPTIONS_VERSION, GIT_REMOTE_CALLBACKS_INIT, 0, 1 }
 
 /**
  * Initializes a `git_fetch_options` with default values. Equivalent to
@@ -636,11 +642,13 @@ GIT_EXTERN(int) git_remote_upload(git_remote *remote, const git_strarray *refspe
  * the name of the remote (or its url, for in-memory remotes). This
  * parameter is ignored when pushing.
  * @param callbacks  pointer to the callback structure to use
+ * @param update_fetchhead whether to write to FETCH_HEAD. Pass 1 to behave like git.
  * @return 0 or an error code
  */
 GIT_EXTERN(int) git_remote_update_tips(
 		git_remote *remote,
 		const git_remote_callbacks *callbacks,
+		int update_fetchhead,
 		const char *reflog_message);
 
 /**
@@ -754,23 +762,6 @@ GIT_EXTERN(int) git_remote_rename(
 	const char *name,
 	const char *new_name);
 
-/**
- * Retrieve the update FETCH_HEAD setting.
- *
- * @param remote the remote to query
- * @return the update FETCH_HEAD setting
- */
-GIT_EXTERN(int) git_remote_update_fetchhead(git_remote *remote);
-
-/**
- * Sets the update FETCH_HEAD setting.  By default, FETCH_HEAD will be
- * updated on every fetch.  Set to 0 to disable.
- *
- * @param remote the remote to configure
- * @param value 0 to disable updating FETCH_HEAD
- */
-GIT_EXTERN(void) git_remote_set_update_fetchhead(git_remote *remote, int value);
-
 /**
  * Ensure the remote name is well-formed.
  *
diff --git a/src/clone.c b/src/clone.c
index 53cdae673..7dcbb8a1d 100644
--- a/src/clone.c
+++ b/src/clone.c
@@ -328,6 +328,7 @@ static int clone_into(git_repository *repo, git_remote *_remote, const git_fetch
 {
 	int error;
 	git_buf reflog_message = GIT_BUF_INIT;
+	git_fetch_options fetch_opts;
 	git_remote *remote;
 
 	assert(repo && _remote);
@@ -343,10 +344,11 @@ static int clone_into(git_repository *repo, git_remote *_remote, const git_fetch
 	if ((error = git_remote_add_fetch(remote, "refs/tags/*:refs/tags/*")) < 0)
 		goto cleanup;
 
-	git_remote_set_update_fetchhead(remote, 0);
+	memcpy(&fetch_opts, opts, sizeof(git_fetch_options));
+	fetch_opts.update_fetchhead = 0;
 	git_buf_printf(&reflog_message, "clone: from %s", git_remote_url(remote));
 
-	if ((error = git_remote_fetch(remote, NULL, opts, git_buf_cstr(&reflog_message))) != 0)
+	if ((error = git_remote_fetch(remote, NULL, &fetch_opts, git_buf_cstr(&reflog_message))) != 0)
 		goto cleanup;
 
 	error = checkout_branch(repo, remote, co_opts, branch, git_buf_cstr(&reflog_message));
diff --git a/src/remote.c b/src/remote.c
index 95c316f54..c4f5e0ff9 100644
--- a/src/remote.c
+++ b/src/remote.c
@@ -159,7 +159,6 @@ static int create_internal(git_remote **out, git_repository *repo, const char *n
 	GITERR_CHECK_ALLOC(remote);
 
 	remote->repo = repo;
-	remote->update_fetchhead = 1;
 
 	if (git_vector_init(&remote->refs, 32, NULL) < 0 ||
 		canonicalize_url(&canonical_url, url) < 0)
@@ -311,7 +310,6 @@ int git_remote_dup(git_remote **dest, git_remote *source)
 
 	remote->repo = source->repo;
 	remote->download_tags = source->download_tags;
-	remote->update_fetchhead = source->update_fetchhead;
 	remote->prune_refs = source->prune_refs;
 
 	if (git_vector_init(&remote->refs, 32, NULL) < 0 ||
@@ -401,7 +399,6 @@ int git_remote_lookup(git_remote **out, git_repository *repo, const char *name)
 	remote = git__calloc(1, sizeof(git_remote));
 	GITERR_CHECK_ALLOC(remote);
 
-	remote->update_fetchhead = 1;
 	remote->name = git__strdup(name);
 	GITERR_CHECK_ALLOC(remote->name);
 
@@ -972,7 +969,7 @@ int git_remote_fetch(
 		const git_fetch_options *opts,
 		const char *reflog_message)
 {
-	int error;
+	int error, update_fetchhead = 1;
 	bool prune = false;
 	git_buf reflog_msg_buf = GIT_BUF_INIT;
 	const git_remote_callbacks *cbs = NULL;
@@ -980,6 +977,7 @@ int git_remote_fetch(
 	if (opts) {
 		GITERR_CHECK_VERSION(&opts->callbacks, GIT_REMOTE_CALLBACKS_VERSION, "git_remote_callbacks");
 		cbs = &opts->callbacks;
+		update_fetchhead = opts->update_fetchhead;
 	}
 
 	/* Connect and download everything */
@@ -1004,7 +1002,7 @@ int git_remote_fetch(
 	}
 
 	/* Create "remote/foo" branches for all remote branches */
-	error = git_remote_update_tips(remote, cbs, git_buf_cstr(&reflog_msg_buf));
+	error = git_remote_update_tips(remote, cbs, update_fetchhead, git_buf_cstr(&reflog_msg_buf));
 	git_buf_free(&reflog_msg_buf);
 	if (error < 0)
 		return error;
@@ -1320,6 +1318,7 @@ cleanup:
 static int update_tips_for_spec(
 		git_remote *remote,
 		const git_remote_callbacks *callbacks,
+		int update_fetchhead,
 		git_refspec *spec,
 		git_vector *refs,
 		const char *log_message)
@@ -1408,7 +1407,7 @@ static int update_tips_for_spec(
 		}
 	}
 
-	if (git_remote_update_fetchhead(remote) &&
+	if (update_fetchhead &&
 	    (error = git_remote_write_fetchhead(remote, spec, &update_heads)) < 0)
 		goto on_error;
 
@@ -1519,6 +1518,7 @@ static int opportunistic_updates(const git_remote *remote, git_vector *refs, con
 int git_remote_update_tips(
 		git_remote *remote,
 		const git_remote_callbacks *callbacks,
+		int update_fetchhead,
 		const char *reflog_message)
 {
 	git_refspec *spec, tagspec;
@@ -1539,7 +1539,7 @@ int git_remote_update_tips(
 		goto out;
 
 	if (remote->download_tags == GIT_REMOTE_DOWNLOAD_TAGS_ALL) {
-		if ((error = update_tips_for_spec(remote, callbacks, &tagspec, &refs, reflog_message)) < 0)
+		if ((error = update_tips_for_spec(remote, callbacks, update_fetchhead, &tagspec, &refs, reflog_message)) < 0)
 			goto out;
 	}
 
@@ -1547,7 +1547,7 @@ int git_remote_update_tips(
 		if (spec->push)
 			continue;
 
-		if ((error = update_tips_for_spec(remote, callbacks, spec, &refs, reflog_message)) < 0)
+		if ((error = update_tips_for_spec(remote, callbacks, update_fetchhead, spec, &refs, reflog_message)) < 0)
 			goto out;
 	}
 
@@ -1948,16 +1948,6 @@ cleanup:
 	return error;
 }
 
-int git_remote_update_fetchhead(git_remote *remote)
-{
-	return (remote->update_fetchhead != 0);
-}
-
-void git_remote_set_update_fetchhead(git_remote *remote, int value)
-{
-	remote->update_fetchhead = (value != 0);
-}
-
 int git_remote_is_valid_name(
 	const char *remote_name)
 {
@@ -2414,7 +2404,7 @@ int git_remote_push(git_remote *remote, const git_strarray *refspecs, const git_
 	if ((error = git_remote_upload(remote, refspecs, opts)) < 0)
 		return error;
 
-	error = git_remote_update_tips(remote, cbs, NULL);
+	error = git_remote_update_tips(remote, cbs, 0, NULL);
 
 	git_remote_disconnect(remote);
 	return error;
diff --git a/src/remote.h b/src/remote.h
index 3a5c0dee4..e696997f4 100644
--- a/src/remote.h
+++ b/src/remote.h
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@ struct git_remote {
 	git_transfer_progress stats;
 	unsigned int need_pack;
 	git_remote_autotag_option_t download_tags;
-	int update_fetchhead;
 	int prune_refs;
 	int passed_refspecs;
 };
diff --git a/tests/network/remote/local.c b/tests/network/remote/local.c
index 1e03371f0..9134b60b1 100644
--- a/tests/network/remote/local.c
+++ b/tests/network/remote/local.c
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ void test_network_remote_local__push_to_bare_remote_with_file_url(void)
 	/* Get some commits */
 	connect_to_local_repository(cl_fixture("testrepo.git"));
 	cl_git_pass(git_remote_download(remote, &array, NULL));
-	cl_git_pass(git_remote_update_tips(remote, NULL, NULL));
+	cl_git_pass(git_remote_update_tips(remote, NULL, 1, NULL));
 	git_remote_disconnect(remote);
 
 	/* Set up an empty bare repo to push into */
@@ -282,7 +282,7 @@ void test_network_remote_local__push_to_non_bare_remote(void)
 	/* Get some commits */
 	connect_to_local_repository(cl_fixture("testrepo.git"));
 	cl_git_pass(git_remote_download(remote, &array, NULL));
-	cl_git_pass(git_remote_update_tips(remote, NULL, NULL));
+	cl_git_pass(git_remote_update_tips(remote, NULL, 1, NULL));
 	git_remote_disconnect(remote);
 
 	/* Set up an empty non-bare repo to push into */
@@ -350,7 +350,7 @@ void test_network_remote_local__reflog(void)
 	connect_to_local_repository(cl_fixture("testrepo.git"));
 
 	cl_git_pass(git_remote_download(remote, &array, NULL));
-	cl_git_pass(git_remote_update_tips(remote, NULL, "UPDAAAAAATE!!"));
+	cl_git_pass(git_remote_update_tips(remote, NULL, 1, "UPDAAAAAATE!!"));
 
 	cl_git_pass(git_reflog_read(&log, repo, "refs/remotes/sloppy/master"));
 	cl_assert_equal_i(1, git_reflog_entrycount(log));
diff --git a/tests/online/fetch.c b/tests/online/fetch.c
index 1a0f05039..da0df0ad5 100644
--- a/tests/online/fetch.c
+++ b/tests/online/fetch.c
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ void test_online_fetch__doesnt_retrieve_a_pack_when_the_repository_is_up_to_date
 
 	cl_assert_equal_i(false, invoked);
 
-	cl_git_pass(git_remote_update_tips(remote, &options.callbacks, NULL));
+	cl_git_pass(git_remote_update_tips(remote, &options.callbacks, 1, NULL));
 	git_remote_disconnect(remote);
 
 	git_remote_free(remote);