diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit.http.test/src/org/eclipse/jgit/http/test/RefsUnreadableInMemoryRepository.java b/org.eclipse.jgit.http.test/src/org/eclipse/jgit/http/test/RefsUnreadableInMemoryRepository.java
index 80cbe8738..4167b038e 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit.http.test/src/org/eclipse/jgit/http/test/RefsUnreadableInMemoryRepository.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit.http.test/src/org/eclipse/jgit/http/test/RefsUnreadableInMemoryRepository.java
@@ -83,6 +83,17 @@ public List<Ref> getRefsByPrefix(String prefix) throws IOException {
 			return super.getRefsByPrefix(prefix);
 		}
 
+		/** {@inheritDoc} */
+		@Override
+		public List<Ref> getRefsByPrefixWithExclusions(String include, Set<String> excludes)
+				throws IOException {
+			if (failing) {
+				throw new IOException("disk failed, no refs found");
+			}
+
+			return super.getRefsByPrefixWithExclusions(include, excludes);
+		}
+
 		/** {@inheritDoc} */
 		@Override
 		public Set<Ref> getTipsWithSha1(ObjectId id) throws IOException {
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/storage/file/FileReftableTest.java b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/storage/file/FileReftableTest.java
index 33bacbe3e..15c9109ca 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/storage/file/FileReftableTest.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/storage/file/FileReftableTest.java
@@ -28,14 +28,18 @@
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.security.SecureRandom;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.Collection;
+import java.util.HashSet;
 import java.util.List;
 
+import java.util.Set;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.AnyObjectId;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.Constants;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.NullProgressMonitor;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.ObjectId;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.PersonIdent;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.Ref;
+import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.RefDatabase;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.RefRename;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.RefUpdate;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.RefUpdate.Result;
@@ -579,6 +583,64 @@ public void reftableRefsStorageClass() throws IOException {
 		assertEquals(Ref.Storage.PACKED, b.getStorage());
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void testGetRefsExcludingPrefix() throws IOException {
+		Set<String> prefixes = new HashSet<>();
+		prefixes.add("refs/tags");
+		// HEAD + 12 refs/heads are present here.
+		List<Ref> refs =
+				db.getRefDatabase().getRefsByPrefixWithExclusions(RefDatabase.ALL, prefixes);
+		assertEquals(13, refs.size());
+		checkContainsRef(refs, db.exactRef("HEAD"));
+		checkContainsRef(refs, db.exactRef("refs/heads/a"));
+		for (Ref notInResult : db.getRefDatabase().getRefsByPrefix("refs/tags")) {
+			assertFalse(refs.contains(notInResult));
+		}
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testGetRefsExcludingPrefixes() throws IOException {
+		Set<String> exclude = new HashSet<>();
+		exclude.add("refs/tags/");
+		exclude.add("refs/heads/");
+		List<Ref> refs = db.getRefDatabase().getRefsByPrefixWithExclusions(RefDatabase.ALL, exclude);
+		assertEquals(1, refs.size());
+		checkContainsRef(refs, db.exactRef("HEAD"));
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testGetRefsExcludingNonExistingPrefixes() throws IOException {
+		Set<String> exclude = new HashSet<>();
+		exclude.add("refs/tags/");
+		exclude.add("refs/heads/");
+		exclude.add("refs/nonexistent/");
+		List<Ref> refs = db.getRefDatabase().getRefsByPrefixWithExclusions(RefDatabase.ALL, exclude);
+		assertEquals(1, refs.size());
+		checkContainsRef(refs, db.exactRef("HEAD"));
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testGetRefsWithPrefixExcludingPrefixes() throws IOException {
+		Set<String> exclude = new HashSet<>();
+		exclude.add("refs/heads/pa");
+		String include = "refs/heads/p";
+		List<Ref> refs = db.getRefDatabase().getRefsByPrefixWithExclusions(include, exclude);
+		assertEquals(1, refs.size());
+		checkContainsRef(refs, db.exactRef("refs/heads/prefix/a"));
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testGetRefsWithPrefixExcludingOverlappingPrefixes() throws IOException {
+		Set<String> exclude = new HashSet<>();
+		exclude.add("refs/heads/pa");
+		exclude.add("refs/heads/");
+		exclude.add("refs/heads/p");
+		exclude.add("refs/tags/");
+		List<Ref> refs = db.getRefDatabase().getRefsByPrefixWithExclusions(RefDatabase.ALL, exclude);
+		assertEquals(1, refs.size());
+		checkContainsRef(refs, db.exactRef("HEAD"));
+	}
+
 	private RefUpdate updateRef(String name) throws IOException {
 		final RefUpdate ref = db.updateRef(name);
 		ref.setNewObjectId(db.resolve(Constants.HEAD));
@@ -596,4 +658,14 @@ private void writeSymref(String src, String dst) throws IOException {
 			fail("link " + src + " to " + dst);
 		}
 	}
+
+	private static void checkContainsRef(Collection<Ref> haystack, Ref needle) {
+		for (Ref ref : haystack) {
+			if (ref.getName().equals(needle.getName()) &&
+					ref.getObjectId().equals(needle.getObjectId())) {
+				return;
+			}
+		}
+		fail("list " + haystack + " does not contain ref " + needle);
+	}
 }
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/storage/file/RefDirectoryTest.java b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/storage/file/RefDirectoryTest.java
index 97ef5993b..38c545ef5 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/storage/file/RefDirectoryTest.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/storage/file/RefDirectoryTest.java
@@ -30,8 +30,10 @@
 import java.time.Instant;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Arrays;
+import java.util.HashSet;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicInteger;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicReference;
 
@@ -352,6 +354,24 @@ public void testGetRefs_IgnoresGarbageRef4() throws IOException {
 		assertEquals(A, c.getObjectId());
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void testGetRefs_ExcludingPrefixes() throws IOException {
+		writeLooseRef("refs/heads/A", A);
+		writeLooseRef("refs/heads/B", B);
+		writeLooseRef("refs/tags/tag", A);
+		writeLooseRef("refs/something/something", B);
+		writeLooseRef("refs/aaa/aaa", A);
+
+		Set<String> toExclude = new HashSet<>();
+		toExclude.add("refs/aaa/");
+		toExclude.add("refs/heads/");
+		List<Ref> refs = refdir.getRefsByPrefixWithExclusions(RefDatabase.ALL, toExclude);
+
+		assertEquals(2, refs.size());
+		assertTrue(refs.contains(refdir.exactRef("refs/tags/tag")));
+		assertTrue(refs.contains(refdir.exactRef("refs/something/something")));
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void testFirstExactRef_IgnoresGarbageRef() throws IOException {
 		writeLooseRef("refs/heads/A", A);
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/RefTest.java b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/RefTest.java
index 88d17ec15..7590048a7 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/RefTest.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/RefTest.java
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 import java.io.FileOutputStream;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.util.Collection;
+import java.util.HashSet;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Optional;
 import java.util.Set;
@@ -317,6 +318,64 @@ public void testGetRefsByPrefixes() throws IOException {
 		checkContainsRef(refs, db.exactRef("refs/tags/A"));
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void testGetRefsExcludingPrefix() throws IOException {
+		Set<String> exclude = new HashSet<>();
+		exclude.add("refs/tags");
+		// HEAD + 12 refs/heads are present here.
+		List<Ref> refs =
+				db.getRefDatabase().getRefsByPrefixWithExclusions(RefDatabase.ALL, exclude);
+		assertEquals(13, refs.size());
+		checkContainsRef(refs, db.exactRef("HEAD"));
+		checkContainsRef(refs, db.exactRef("refs/heads/a"));
+		for (Ref notInResult : db.getRefDatabase().getRefsByPrefix("refs/tags")) {
+			assertFalse(refs.contains(notInResult));
+		}
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testGetRefsExcludingPrefixes() throws IOException {
+		Set<String> exclude = new HashSet<>();
+		exclude.add("refs/tags/");
+		exclude.add("refs/heads/");
+		List<Ref> refs = db.getRefDatabase().getRefsByPrefixWithExclusions(RefDatabase.ALL, exclude);
+		assertEquals(1, refs.size());
+		checkContainsRef(refs, db.exactRef("HEAD"));
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testGetRefsExcludingNonExistingPrefixes() throws IOException {
+		Set<String> prefixes = new HashSet<>();
+		prefixes.add("refs/tags/");
+		prefixes.add("refs/heads/");
+		prefixes.add("refs/nonexistent/");
+		List<Ref> refs = db.getRefDatabase().getRefsByPrefixWithExclusions(RefDatabase.ALL, prefixes);
+		assertEquals(1, refs.size());
+		checkContainsRef(refs, db.exactRef("HEAD"));
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testGetRefsWithPrefixExcludingPrefixes() throws IOException {
+		Set<String> exclude = new HashSet<>();
+		exclude.add("refs/heads/pa");
+		String include = "refs/heads/p";
+		List<Ref> refs = db.getRefDatabase().getRefsByPrefixWithExclusions(include, exclude);
+		assertEquals(1, refs.size());
+		checkContainsRef(refs, db.exactRef("refs/heads/prefix/a"));
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testGetRefsWithPrefixExcludingOverlappingPrefixes() throws IOException {
+		Set<String> exclude = new HashSet<>();
+		exclude.add("refs/heads/pa");
+		exclude.add("refs/heads/");
+		exclude.add("refs/heads/p");
+		exclude.add("refs/tags/");
+		List<Ref> refs = db.getRefDatabase().getRefsByPrefixWithExclusions(RefDatabase.ALL, exclude);
+		assertEquals(1, refs.size());
+		checkContainsRef(refs, db.exactRef("HEAD"));
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void testResolveTipSha1() throws IOException {
 		ObjectId masterId = db.resolve("refs/heads/master");
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/storage/dfs/DfsReftableDatabase.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/storage/dfs/DfsReftableDatabase.java
index 5561dc6a2..6c3b056ef 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/storage/dfs/DfsReftableDatabase.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/storage/dfs/DfsReftableDatabase.java
@@ -176,6 +176,13 @@ public List<Ref> getRefsByPrefix(String prefix) throws IOException {
 		return reftableDatabase.getRefsByPrefix(prefix);
 	}
 
+	/** {@inheritDoc} */
+	@Override
+	public List<Ref> getRefsByPrefixWithExclusions(String include, Set<String> excludes)
+			throws IOException {
+		return reftableDatabase.getRefsByPrefixWithExclusions(include, excludes);
+	}
+
 	/** {@inheritDoc} */
 	@Override
 	public Set<Ref> getTipsWithSha1(ObjectId id) throws IOException {
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/storage/file/FileReftableDatabase.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/storage/file/FileReftableDatabase.java
index ad1e75312..a80fa837b 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/storage/file/FileReftableDatabase.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/storage/file/FileReftableDatabase.java
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 import java.util.HashSet;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.TreeSet;
 import java.util.concurrent.locks.Lock;
 import java.util.concurrent.locks.ReentrantLock;
@@ -179,6 +180,13 @@ public Map<String, Ref> getRefs(String prefix) throws IOException {
 				RefList.emptyList());
 	}
 
+	/** {@inheritDoc} */
+	@Override
+	public List<Ref> getRefsByPrefixWithExclusions(String include, Set<String> excludes)
+			throws IOException {
+		return reftableDatabase.getRefsByPrefixWithExclusions(include, excludes);
+	}
+
 	/** {@inheritDoc} */
 	@Override
 	public List<Ref> getAdditionalRefs() throws IOException {
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/storage/reftable/ReftableDatabase.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/storage/reftable/ReftableDatabase.java
index 4747be354..0c1682861 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/storage/reftable/ReftableDatabase.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/storage/reftable/ReftableDatabase.java
@@ -14,10 +14,12 @@
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.HashSet;
+import java.util.Iterator;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.TreeSet;
 import java.util.concurrent.locks.ReentrantLock;
+import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 
 import org.eclipse.jgit.annotations.Nullable;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.ObjectId;
@@ -265,6 +267,54 @@ public List<Ref> getRefsByPrefix(String prefix) throws IOException {
 		return Collections.unmodifiableList(all);
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Returns refs whose names start with a given prefix excluding all refs that
+	 * start with one of the given prefixes.
+	 *
+	 * @param include string that names of refs should start with; may be empty.
+	 * @param excludes strings that names of refs can't start with; may be empty.
+	 * @return immutable list of refs whose names start with {@code include} and
+	 *         none of the strings in {@code exclude}.
+	 * @throws java.io.IOException the reference space cannot be accessed.
+	 */
+	public List<Ref> getRefsByPrefixWithExclusions(String include, Set<String> excludes) throws IOException {
+		if (excludes.isEmpty()) {
+			return getRefsByPrefix(include);
+		}
+		List<Ref> results = new ArrayList<>();
+		lock.lock();
+		try {
+			Reftable table = reader();
+			Iterator<String> excludeIterator =
+					excludes.stream().sorted().collect(Collectors.toList()).iterator();
+			String currentExclusion = excludeIterator.hasNext() ? excludeIterator.next() : null;
+			try (RefCursor rc = RefDatabase.ALL.equals(include) ? table.allRefs() : table.seekRefsWithPrefix(include)) {
+				while (rc.next()) {
+					Ref ref = table.resolve(rc.getRef());
+					if (ref == null || ref.getObjectId() == null) {
+						continue;
+					}
+					// Skip prefixes that will never see since we are already further than those
+					// prefixes lexicographically.
+					while (excludeIterator.hasNext() && !ref.getName().startsWith(currentExclusion)
+							&& ref.getName().compareTo(currentExclusion) > 0) {
+						currentExclusion = excludeIterator.next();
+					}
+
+					if (currentExclusion != null && ref.getName().startsWith(currentExclusion)) {
+						rc.seekPastPrefix(currentExclusion);
+						continue;
+					}
+					results.add(ref);
+				}
+			}
+		} finally {
+			lock.unlock();
+		}
+
+		return Collections.unmodifiableList(results);
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * @return whether there is a fast SHA1 to ref map.
 	 * @throws IOException in case of I/O problems.
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 6832c9cd8..7b7bdebac 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/RefDatabase.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/RefDatabase.java
@@ -21,6 +21,9 @@
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Set;
+import java.util.stream.Collectors;
+import java.util.stream.Stream;
+
 import org.eclipse.jgit.annotations.NonNull;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.annotations.Nullable;
 
@@ -413,6 +416,31 @@ public List<Ref> getRefsByPrefix(String prefix) throws IOException {
 		return Collections.unmodifiableList(result);
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Returns refs whose names start with a given prefix excluding all refs that
+	 * start with one of the given prefixes.
+	 *
+	 * <p>
+	 * The default implementation is not efficient. Implementors of {@link RefDatabase}
+	 * should override this method directly if a better implementation is possible.
+	 * 
+	 * @param include string that names of refs should start with; may be empty.
+	 * @param excludes strings that names of refs can't start with; may be empty.
+	 * @return immutable list of refs whose names start with {@code prefix} and none
+	 *         of the strings in {@code exclude}.
+	 * @throws java.io.IOException the reference space cannot be accessed.
+	 * @since 5.11
+	 */
+	@NonNull
+	public List<Ref> getRefsByPrefixWithExclusions(String include, Set<String> excludes)
+			throws IOException {
+		Stream<Ref> refs = getRefs(include).values().stream();
+		for(String exclude: excludes) {
+			refs = refs.filter(r -> !r.getName().startsWith(exclude));
+		}
+		return Collections.unmodifiableList(refs.collect(Collectors.toList()));
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Returns refs whose names start with one of the given prefixes.
 	 * <p>