diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm/src/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/RevParse.java b/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm/src/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/RevParse.java
index a52954307..21e37cd8c 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm/src/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/RevParse.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm/src/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/RevParse.java
@@ -71,8 +71,7 @@ class RevParse extends TextBuiltin {
 	@Override
 	protected void run() throws Exception {
 		if (all) {
-			List<Ref> allRefs = db.getRefDatabase().getAllRefs();
-			for (final Ref r : allRefs) {
+			for (Ref r : db.getRefDatabase().getRefs()) {
 				ObjectId objectId = r.getObjectId();
 				// getRefs skips dangling symrefs, so objectId should never be
 				// null.
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm/src/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/RevWalkTextBuiltin.java b/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm/src/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/RevWalkTextBuiltin.java
index 423887cc1..80161b482 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm/src/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/RevWalkTextBuiltin.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm/src/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/RevWalkTextBuiltin.java
@@ -169,8 +169,7 @@ else if (revLimiter.size() > 1)
 			walk.setRevFilter(AndRevFilter.create(revLimiter));
 
 		if (all) {
-			List<Ref> refs = db.getRefDatabase().getAllRefs();
-			for (Ref a : refs) {
+			for (Ref a : db.getRefDatabase().getRefs()) {
 				ObjectId oid = a.getPeeledObjectId();
 				if (oid == null)
 					oid = a.getObjectId();
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm/src/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/ShowRef.java b/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm/src/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/ShowRef.java
index f6384a2ce..9ce8347d9 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm/src/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/ShowRef.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm/src/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/ShowRef.java
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ protected void run() throws Exception {
 	}
 
 	private Iterable<Ref> getSortedRefs() throws Exception {
-		List<Ref> all = db.getRefDatabase().getAllRefs();
+		List<Ref> all = db.getRefDatabase().getRefs();
 		// TODO(jrn) check if we can reintroduce fast-path by e.g. implementing
 		// SortedList
 		return RefComparator.sort(all);
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm/src/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/debug/RebuildCommitGraph.java b/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm/src/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/debug/RebuildCommitGraph.java
index 19d94eade..42dea219f 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm/src/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/debug/RebuildCommitGraph.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm/src/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/debug/RebuildCommitGraph.java
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ private void detachHead() throws IOException {
 
 	private void deleteAllRefs() throws Exception {
 		final RevWalk rw = new RevWalk(db);
-		for (Ref r : db.getRefDatabase().getAllRefs()) {
+		for (Ref r : db.getRefDatabase().getRefs()) {
 			if (Constants.HEAD.equals(r.getName()))
 				continue;
 			final RefUpdate u = db.updateRef(r.getName());
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm/src/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/debug/RebuildRefTree.java b/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm/src/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/debug/RebuildRefTree.java
index 6665ce7c1..86092b27a 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm/src/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/debug/RebuildRefTree.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm/src/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/debug/RebuildRefTree.java
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ private RefTree rebuild(RefDatabase refdb) throws IOException {
 					head));
 		}
 
-		for (Ref r : refdb.getAllRefs()) {
+		for (Ref r : refdb.getRefs()) {
 			if (r.getName().equals(txnCommitted) || r.getName().equals(HEAD)
 					|| r.getName().startsWith(txnNamespace)) {
 				continue;
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/api/LogCommand.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/api/LogCommand.java
index 73433c18b..cdf8cdd8d 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/api/LogCommand.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/api/LogCommand.java
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@ public LogCommand addRange(AnyObjectId since, AnyObjectId until)
 	 *             the references could not be accessed
 	 */
 	public LogCommand all() throws IOException {
-		for (Ref ref : getRepository().getRefDatabase().getAllRefs()) {
+		for (Ref ref : getRepository().getRefDatabase().getRefs()) {
 			if(!ref.isPeeled())
 				ref = getRepository().peel(ref);
 
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/storage/dfs/DfsGarbageCollector.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/storage/dfs/DfsGarbageCollector.java
index 30bcbf068..ca11fb926 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/storage/dfs/DfsGarbageCollector.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/storage/dfs/DfsGarbageCollector.java
@@ -403,7 +403,7 @@ public boolean pack(ProgressMonitor pm) throws IOException {
 	}
 
 	private Collection<Ref> getAllRefs() throws IOException {
-		Collection<Ref> refs = refdb.getAllRefs();
+		Collection<Ref> refs = refdb.getRefs();
 		List<Ref> addl = refdb.getAdditionalRefs();
 		if (!addl.isEmpty()) {
 			List<Ref> all = new ArrayList<>(refs.size() + addl.size());
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/storage/file/GC.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/storage/file/GC.java
index 1ea686e7c..137a75731 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/storage/file/GC.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/storage/file/GC.java
@@ -1068,7 +1068,7 @@ private Set<ObjectId> listRefLogObjects(Ref ref, long minTime) throws IOExceptio
 	 */
 	private Collection<Ref> getAllRefs() throws IOException {
 		RefDatabase refdb = repo.getRefDatabase();
-		Collection<Ref> refs = refdb.getAllRefs();
+		Collection<Ref> refs = refdb.getRefs();
 		List<Ref> addl = refdb.getAdditionalRefs();
 		if (!addl.isEmpty()) {
 			List<Ref> all = new ArrayList<>(refs.size() + addl.size());
@@ -1376,7 +1376,7 @@ public RepoStatistics getStatistics() throws IOException {
 		}
 
 		RefDatabase refDb = repo.getRefDatabase();
-		for (Ref r : refDb.getAllRefs()) {
+		for (Ref r : refDb.getRefs()) {
 			Storage storage = r.getStorage();
 			if (storage == Storage.LOOSE || storage == Storage.LOOSE_PACKED)
 				ret.numberOfLooseRefs++;
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/RefDatabase.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/RefDatabase.java
index 0ae14d130..3170787dd 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/RefDatabase.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/RefDatabase.java
@@ -336,6 +336,29 @@ public Ref firstExactRef(String... refs) throws IOException {
 		return null;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Returns all refs.
+	 * <p>
+	 * This includes {@code HEAD}, branches under {@code ref/heads/}, tags
+	 * under {@code refs/tags/}, etc. It does not include pseudo-refs like
+	 * {@code FETCH_HEAD}; for those, see {@link #getAdditionalRefs}.
+	 * <p>
+	 * Symbolic references to a non-existent ref (for example,
+	 * {@code HEAD} pointing to a branch yet to be born) are not included.
+	 * <p>
+	 * Callers interested in only a portion of the ref hierarchy can call
+	 * {@link #getRefsByPrefix} instead.
+	 *
+	 * @return immutable list of all refs.
+	 * @throws java.io.IOException
+	 *             the reference space cannot be accessed.
+	 * @since 5.0
+	 */
+	@NonNull
+	public List<Ref> getRefs() throws IOException {
+		return getRefsByPrefix(ALL);
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Get a section of the reference namespace.
 	 *
@@ -357,7 +380,7 @@ public Ref firstExactRef(String... refs) throws IOException {
 	/**
 	 * Returns refs whose names start with a given prefix.
 	 * <p>
-	 * The default implementation uses {@link #getRefs}. Implementors of
+	 * The default implementation uses {@link #getRefs(String)}. Implementors of
 	 * {@link RefDatabase} should override this method directly if a better
 	 * implementation is possible.
 	 *
@@ -391,24 +414,14 @@ public List<Ref> getRefsByPrefix(String prefix) throws IOException {
 		return Collections.unmodifiableList(result);
 	}
 
-	/**
-	 * Returns all refs.
-	 * <p>
-	 * Callers interested in only a portion of the ref hierarchy can call
-	 * {@link #getRefsByPrefix} instead.
-	 *
-	 * @return immutable list of all refs.
-	 * @throws java.io.IOException
-	 *             the reference space cannot be accessed.
-	 * @since 5.0
-	 */
-	@NonNull
-	public List<Ref> getAllRefs() throws IOException {
-		return getRefsByPrefix(ALL);
-	}
-
 	/**
 	 * Check if any refs exist in the ref database.
+	 * <p>
+	 * This uses the same definition of refs as {@link #getRefs()}. In
+	 * particular, returns {@code false} in a new repository with no refs
+	 * under {@code refs/} and {@code HEAD} pointing to a branch yet to be
+	 * born, and returns {@code true} in a repository with no refs under
+	 * {@code refs/} and a detached {@code HEAD} pointing to history.
 	 *
 	 * @return true if the database has refs.
 	 * @throws java.io.IOException
@@ -416,7 +429,7 @@ public List<Ref> getAllRefs() throws IOException {
 	 * @since 5.0
 	 */
 	public boolean hasRefs() throws IOException {
-		return !getAllRefs().isEmpty();
+		return !getRefs().isEmpty();
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -424,7 +437,7 @@ public boolean hasRefs() throws IOException {
 	 * <p>
 	 * The result list includes non-ref items such as MERGE_HEAD and
 	 * FETCH_RESULT cast to be refs. The names of these refs are not returned by
-	 * <code>getRefs(ALL)</code> but are accepted by {@link #getRef(String)}
+	 * <code>getRefs()</code> but are accepted by {@link #getRef(String)}
 	 * and {@link #exactRef(String)}.
 	 *
 	 * @return a list of additional refs
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/BasePackFetchConnection.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/BasePackFetchConnection.java
index a88918e7a..96329d1f1 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/BasePackFetchConnection.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/BasePackFetchConnection.java
@@ -437,7 +437,7 @@ private int maxTimeWanted(final Collection<Ref> wants) {
 
 	private void markReachable(final Set<ObjectId> have, final int maxTime)
 			throws IOException {
-		for (Ref r : local.getRefDatabase().getAllRefs()) {
+		for (Ref r : local.getRefDatabase().getRefs()) {
 			ObjectId id = r.getPeeledObjectId();
 			if (id == null)
 				id = r.getObjectId();
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/BundleFetchConnection.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/BundleFetchConnection.java
index 24f44cb46..7cf10e95b 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/BundleFetchConnection.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/BundleFetchConnection.java
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ private void verifyPrerequisites() throws TransportException {
 
 			List<Ref> localRefs;
 			try {
-				localRefs = transport.local.getRefDatabase().getAllRefs();
+				localRefs = transport.local.getRefDatabase().getRefs();
 			} catch (IOException e) {
 				throw new TransportException(transport.uri, e.getMessage(), e);
 			}
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/Transport.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/Transport.java
index 9ff5f7b91..77a4d92ab 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/Transport.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/Transport.java
@@ -688,7 +688,7 @@ public static Collection<RemoteRefUpdate> findRemoteRefUpdatesFor(
 	private static Collection<RefSpec> expandPushWildcardsFor(
 			final Repository db, final Collection<RefSpec> specs)
 			throws IOException {
-		final List<Ref> localRefs = db.getRefDatabase().getAllRefs();
+		final List<Ref> localRefs = db.getRefDatabase().getRefs();
 		final Collection<RefSpec> procRefs = new LinkedHashSet<>();
 
 		for (final RefSpec spec : specs) {
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/UploadPack.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/UploadPack.java
index 2a1b2492e..b1832fd02 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/UploadPack.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/UploadPack.java
@@ -1581,8 +1581,7 @@ public void checkWants(UploadPack up, List<ObjectId> wants)
 				new ReachableCommitTipRequestValidator().checkWants(up, wants);
 			else if (!wants.isEmpty()) {
 				Set<ObjectId> refIds =
-						refIdSet(up.getRepository().getRefDatabase()
-								.getAllRefs());
+						refIdSet(up.getRepository().getRefDatabase().getRefs());
 				for (ObjectId obj : wants) {
 					if (!refIds.contains(obj))
 						throw new WantNotValidException(obj);
@@ -1602,7 +1601,7 @@ public static final class ReachableCommitTipRequestValidator
 		public void checkWants(UploadPack up, List<ObjectId> wants)
 				throws PackProtocolException, IOException {
 			checkNotAdvertisedWants(up, wants,
-					refIdSet(up.getRepository().getRefDatabase().getAllRefs()));
+					refIdSet(up.getRepository().getRefDatabase().getRefs()));
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/WalkFetchConnection.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/WalkFetchConnection.java
index c0ee28a2c..b8f8d97be 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/WalkFetchConnection.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/WalkFetchConnection.java
@@ -689,7 +689,7 @@ private Collection<WalkRemoteObjectDatabase> expandOneAlternate(
 	private void markLocalRefsComplete(final Set<ObjectId> have) throws TransportException {
 		List<Ref> refs;
 		try {
-			refs = local.getRefDatabase().getAllRefs();
+			refs = local.getRefDatabase().getRefs();
 		} catch (IOException e) {
 			throw new TransportException(e.getMessage(), e);
 		}