diff --git a/include/git2/repository.h b/include/git2/repository.h
index a536c1398..e68e0548f 100644
--- a/include/git2/repository.h
+++ b/include/git2/repository.h
@@ -506,6 +506,25 @@ GIT_EXTERN(int) git_repository_hashfile(
     git_otype type,
     const char *as_path);
 
+/**
+ * Detach the HEAD.
+ *
+ * If the HEAD is already detached and points to a Commit, 0 is returned.
+ *
+ * If the HEAD is already detached and points to a Tag, the HEAD is
+ * updated into making it point to the peeled Commit, and 0 is returned.
+ *
+ * If the HEAD is already detached and points to a non commitish, the HEAD is 
+ * unaletered, and -1 is returned.
+ *
+ * Otherwise, the HEAD will be detached and point to the peeled Commit.
+ *
+ * @param repo Repository pointer
+ * @return 0 on success, or an error code
+ */
+GIT_EXTERN(int) git_repository_detach_head(
+	git_repository* repo);
+
 /** @} */
 GIT_END_DECL
 #endif
diff --git a/src/repository.c b/src/repository.c
index 20a623a85..def96816f 100644
--- a/src/repository.c
+++ b/src/repository.c
@@ -1442,3 +1442,27 @@ cleanup:
 	return error;
 }
 
+int git_repository_detach_head(
+	git_repository* repo)
+{
+	git_reference *old_head = NULL,
+		*new_head = NULL;
+	git_object *object = NULL;
+	int error = -1;
+
+	assert(repo);
+
+	if (git_repository_head(&old_head, repo) < 0)
+		return -1;
+
+	if (git_object_lookup(&object, repo, git_reference_oid(old_head), GIT_OBJ_COMMIT) < 0)
+		goto cleanup;
+
+	error = git_reference_create_oid(&new_head, repo, GIT_HEAD_FILE, git_reference_oid(old_head), 1);
+
+cleanup:
+	git_object_free(object);
+	git_reference_free(old_head);
+	git_reference_free(new_head);
+	return error;
+}
diff --git a/tests-clar/repo/head.c b/tests-clar/repo/head.c
index eb1332aff..74d2a1c88 100644
--- a/tests-clar/repo/head.c
+++ b/tests-clar/repo/head.c
@@ -50,3 +50,38 @@ void test_repo_head__head_orphan(void)
 
 	git_reference_free(ref);
 }
+
+static void assert_head_is_correctly_detached(void)
+{
+	git_reference *head;
+	git_object *commit;
+
+	cl_assert_equal_i(true, git_repository_head_detached(repo));
+
+	cl_git_pass(git_repository_head(&head, repo));
+
+	cl_git_pass(git_object_lookup(&commit, repo, git_reference_oid(head), GIT_OBJ_COMMIT));
+
+	git_object_free(commit);
+	git_reference_free(head);
+}
+
+void test_repo_head__detach_head_Detaches_HEAD_and_make_it_point_to_the_peeled_commit(void)
+{
+	cl_assert_equal_i(false, git_repository_head_detached(repo));
+
+	cl_git_pass(git_repository_detach_head(repo));
+
+	assert_head_is_correctly_detached();
+}
+
+void test_repo_head__detach_head_Fails_if_HEAD_and_point_to_a_non_commitish(void)
+{
+	git_reference *head;
+
+	cl_git_pass(git_reference_create_symbolic(&head, repo, GIT_HEAD_FILE, "refs/tags/point_to_blob", 1));
+
+	cl_git_fail(git_repository_detach_head(repo));
+
+	git_reference_free(head);
+}