diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/api/CloneCommandTest.java b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/api/CloneCommandTest.java
index de25870bd..c928d2ad2 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/api/CloneCommandTest.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/api/CloneCommandTest.java
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.stream.Stream;
 
 import org.eclipse.jgit.api.ListBranchCommand.ListMode;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.api.errors.GitAPIException;
@@ -114,6 +115,49 @@ public void testCloneRepository() throws IOException,
 		assertTagOption(git2.getRepository(), TagOpt.AUTO_FOLLOW);
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void testCloneRepository_refLogForLocalRefs()
+			throws IOException, JGitInternalException, GitAPIException {
+		File directory = createTempDirectory("testCloneRepository");
+		CloneCommand command = Git.cloneRepository();
+		command.setDirectory(directory);
+		command.setURI(fileUri());
+		Git git2 = command.call();
+		Repository clonedRepo = git2.getRepository();
+		addRepoToClose(clonedRepo);
+
+		List<Ref> clonedRefs = clonedRepo.getRefDatabase().getRefs();
+		Stream<Ref> remoteRefs = clonedRefs.stream()
+				.filter(CloneCommandTest::isRemote);
+		Stream<Ref> localHeadsRefs = clonedRefs.stream()
+				.filter(CloneCommandTest::isLocalHead);
+
+		remoteRefs.forEach(ref -> assertFalse(
+				"Ref " + ref.getName()
+						+ " is remote and should not have a reflog",
+				hasRefLog(clonedRepo, ref)));
+		localHeadsRefs.forEach(ref -> assertTrue(
+				"Ref " + ref.getName()
+						+ " is local head and should have a reflog",
+				hasRefLog(clonedRepo, ref)));
+	}
+
+	private static boolean isRemote(Ref ref) {
+		return ref.getName().startsWith(Constants.R_REMOTES);
+	}
+
+	private static boolean isLocalHead(Ref ref) {
+		return !isRemote(ref) && ref.getName().startsWith(Constants.R_HEADS);
+	}
+
+	private static boolean hasRefLog(Repository repo, Ref ref) {
+		try {
+			return repo.getReflogReader(ref.getName()).getLastEntry() != null;
+		} catch (IOException ioe) {
+			throw new IllegalStateException(ioe);
+		}
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void testCloneRepositoryExplicitGitDir() throws IOException,
 			JGitInternalException, GitAPIException {
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/api/FetchCommandTest.java b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/api/FetchCommandTest.java
index 6479d157e..b608afa5c 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/api/FetchCommandTest.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/api/FetchCommandTest.java
@@ -76,6 +76,26 @@ public void testFetch() throws Exception {
 				db.resolve(tagRef.getObjectId().getName()));
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void testFetchHasRefLogForRemoteRef() throws Exception {
+		// create an initial commit SHA1 for the default branch
+		ObjectId defaultBranchSha1 = remoteGit.commit()
+				.setMessage("initial commit").call().getId();
+
+		git.fetch().setRemote("test")
+				.setRefSpecs("refs/heads/*:refs/remotes/origin/*").call();
+
+		List<Ref> allFetchedRefs = git.getRepository().getRefDatabase()
+				.getRefs();
+		assertEquals(allFetchedRefs.size(), 1);
+		Ref remoteRef = allFetchedRefs.get(0);
+
+		assertTrue(remoteRef.getName().startsWith(Constants.R_REMOTES));
+		assertEquals(defaultBranchSha1, remoteRef.getObjectId());
+		assertNotNull(git.getRepository().getReflogReader(remoteRef.getName())
+				.getLastEntry());
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void testForcedFetch() throws Exception {
 		remoteGit.commit().setMessage("commit").call();
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/FetchProcess.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/FetchProcess.java
index 34bad6e02..2cedd4b07 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/FetchProcess.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/FetchProcess.java
@@ -205,8 +205,13 @@ else if (tagopt == TagOpt.FETCH_TAGS)
 
 		BatchRefUpdate batch = transport.local.getRefDatabase()
 				.newBatchUpdate()
-				.setAllowNonFastForwards(true)
-				.setRefLogMessage("fetch", true); //$NON-NLS-1$
+				.setAllowNonFastForwards(true);
+
+		// Generate reflog only when fetching updates and not at the first clone
+		if (initialBranch == null) {
+			batch.setRefLogMessage("fetch", true); //$NON-NLS-1$
+		}
+
 		try (RevWalk walk = new RevWalk(transport.local)) {
 			walk.setRetainBody(false);
 			if (monitor instanceof BatchingProgressMonitor) {