diff --git a/src/branch.c b/src/branch.c
index 51c35d7ff..8d1ed6577 100644
--- a/src/branch.c
+++ b/src/branch.c
@@ -58,16 +58,17 @@ static int create_branch(
 	const char *from,
 	int force)
 {
-	int is_head = 0;
+	int is_unmovable_head = 0;
 	git_reference *branch = NULL;
 	git_buf canonical_branch_name = GIT_BUF_INIT,
 			  log_message = GIT_BUF_INIT;
 	int error = -1;
+	int bare = git_repository_is_bare(repository);
 
 	assert(branch_name && commit && ref_out);
 	assert(git_object_owner((const git_object *)commit) == repository);
 
-	if (force && git_branch_lookup(&branch, repository, branch_name, GIT_BRANCH_LOCAL) == 0) {
+	if (force && !bare && git_branch_lookup(&branch, repository, branch_name, GIT_BRANCH_LOCAL) == 0) {
 		error = git_branch_is_head(branch);
 		git_reference_free(branch);
 		branch = NULL;
@@ -75,10 +76,10 @@ static int create_branch(
 		if (error < 0)
 			goto cleanup;
 
-		is_head = error;
+		is_unmovable_head = error;
 	}
 
-	if (is_head && force) {
+	if (is_unmovable_head && force) {
 		giterr_set(GITERR_REFERENCE, "Cannot force update branch '%s' as it is "
 			"the current HEAD of the repository.", branch_name);
 		error = -1;
diff --git a/tests/refs/branches/create.c b/tests/refs/branches/create.c
index 31dec0678..69488e6c7 100644
--- a/tests/refs/branches/create.c
+++ b/tests/refs/branches/create.c
@@ -65,10 +65,14 @@ void test_refs_branches_create__can_force_create_over_an_existing_branch(void)
 	cl_assert_equal_s("refs/heads/br2", git_reference_name(branch));
 }
 
-void test_refs_branches_create__cannot_force_create_over_current_branch(void)
+void test_refs_branches_create__cannot_force_create_over_current_branch_in_nonbare_repo(void)
 {
 	const git_oid *oid;
 	git_reference *branch2;
+
+	/* Default repo for these tests is a bare repo, but this test requires a non-bare one */
+	cl_git_sandbox_cleanup();
+	repo = cl_git_sandbox_init("testrepo");
 	retrieve_known_commit(&target, repo);
 
 	cl_git_pass(git_branch_lookup(&branch2, repo, "master", GIT_BRANCH_LOCAL));
@@ -84,6 +88,26 @@ void test_refs_branches_create__cannot_force_create_over_current_branch(void)
 	git_reference_free(branch2);
 }
 
+void test_refs_branches_create__can_force_create_over_current_branch_in_bare_repo(void)
+{
+	const git_oid *oid;
+	git_reference *branch2;
+	retrieve_known_commit(&target, repo);
+
+	cl_git_pass(git_branch_lookup(&branch2, repo, "master", GIT_BRANCH_LOCAL));
+	cl_assert_equal_s("refs/heads/master", git_reference_name(branch2));
+	cl_assert_equal_i(true, git_branch_is_head(branch2));
+	oid = git_commit_id(target);
+
+	cl_git_pass(git_branch_create(&branch, repo, "master", target, 1));
+	git_reference_free(branch);
+	branch = NULL;
+	cl_git_pass(git_branch_lookup(&branch, repo, "master", GIT_BRANCH_LOCAL));
+	cl_assert_equal_s("refs/heads/master", git_reference_name(branch));
+	cl_git_pass(git_oid_cmp(git_reference_target(branch), oid));
+	git_reference_free(branch2);
+}
+
 void test_refs_branches_create__creating_a_branch_with_an_invalid_name_returns_EINVALIDSPEC(void)
 {
 	retrieve_known_commit(&target, repo);