diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/UploadPackTest.java b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/UploadPackTest.java
index ea86563da..d58e57698 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/UploadPackTest.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/UploadPackTest.java
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.PersonIdent;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.ProgressMonitor;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.Ref;
+import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.RefDatabase;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.Repository;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.Sets;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.TextProgressMonitor;
@@ -2238,4 +2239,81 @@ public void onSendPack(UploadPack up,
 		}
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void testSafeToClearRefsInFetchV0() throws Exception {
+		server =
+			new RefCallsCountingRepository(
+				new DfsRepositoryDescription("server"));
+		remote = new TestRepository<>(server);
+		RevCommit one = remote.commit().message("1").create();
+		remote.update("one", one);
+		testProtocol = new TestProtocol<>((Object req, Repository db) -> {
+			UploadPack up = new UploadPack(db);
+			return up;
+		}, null);
+		uri = testProtocol.register(ctx, server);
+		try (Transport tn = testProtocol.open(uri, client, "server")) {
+			tn.fetch(NullProgressMonitor.INSTANCE,
+				Collections.singletonList(new RefSpec(one.name())));
+		}
+		assertTrue(client.getObjectDatabase().has(one.toObjectId()));
+		assertEquals(1, ((RefCallsCountingRepository)server).numRefCalls());
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testSafeToClearRefsInFetchV2() throws Exception {
+		server =
+			new RefCallsCountingRepository(
+				new DfsRepositoryDescription("server"));
+		remote = new TestRepository<>(server);
+		RevCommit one = remote.commit().message("1").create();
+		RevCommit two = remote.commit().message("2").create();
+		remote.update("one", one);
+		remote.update("two", two);
+		server.getConfig().setBoolean("uploadpack", null, "allowrefinwant", true);
+		ByteArrayInputStream recvStream = uploadPackV2(
+			"command=fetch\n",
+			PacketLineIn.delimiter(),
+			"want-ref refs/heads/one\n",
+			"want-ref refs/heads/two\n",
+			"done\n",
+			PacketLineIn.end());
+		PacketLineIn pckIn = new PacketLineIn(recvStream);
+		assertThat(pckIn.readString(), is("wanted-refs"));
+		assertThat(
+			Arrays.asList(pckIn.readString(), pckIn.readString()),
+			hasItems(
+				one.toObjectId().getName() + " refs/heads/one",
+				two.toObjectId().getName() + " refs/heads/two"));
+		assertTrue(PacketLineIn.isDelimiter(pckIn.readString()));
+		assertThat(pckIn.readString(), is("packfile"));
+		parsePack(recvStream);
+		assertTrue(client.getObjectDatabase().has(one.toObjectId()));
+		assertEquals(1, ((RefCallsCountingRepository)server).numRefCalls());
+	}
+
+	private class RefCallsCountingRepository extends InMemoryRepository {
+		private final InMemoryRepository.MemRefDatabase refdb;
+		private int numRefCalls;
+
+		public RefCallsCountingRepository(DfsRepositoryDescription repoDesc) {
+			super(repoDesc);
+			refdb = new InMemoryRepository.MemRefDatabase() {
+				@Override
+				public List<Ref> getRefs() throws IOException {
+					numRefCalls++;
+					return super.getRefs();
+				}
+			};
+		}
+
+		public int numRefCalls() {
+			return numRefCalls;
+		}
+
+		@Override
+		public RefDatabase getRefDatabase() {
+			return refdb;
+		}
+	}
 }
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 35196c6e3..bb826d881 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/UploadPack.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/UploadPack.java
@@ -298,7 +298,7 @@ private static interface IOConsumer<R> {
 
 	private boolean sentReady;
 
-	/** Objects we sent in our advertisement list, clients can ask for these. */
+	/** Objects we sent in our advertisement list. */
 	private Set<ObjectId> advertised;
 
 	/** Marked on objects the client has asked us to give them. */
@@ -381,8 +381,10 @@ public final RevWalk getRevWalk() {
 	/**
 	 * Get refs which were advertised to the client.
 	 *
-	 * @return all refs which were advertised to the client, or null if
-	 *         {@link #setAdvertisedRefs(Map)} has not been called yet.
+	 * @return all refs which were advertised to the client. Only valid during
+	 *         the negotiation phase. Will return {@code null} if
+	 *         {@link #setAdvertisedRefs(Map)} has not been called yet or if
+	 *         {@code #sendPack()} has been called.
 	 */
 	public final Map<String, Ref> getAdvertisedRefs() {
 		return refs;
@@ -2205,6 +2207,11 @@ private void sendPack(ProgressMonitor pm, PacketLineOut pckOut,
 		}
 		msgOut.flush();
 
+		// Advertised objects and refs are not used from here on and can be
+		// cleared.
+		advertised = null;
+		refs = null;
+
 		PackConfig cfg = packConfig;
 		if (cfg == null)
 			cfg = new PackConfig(db);