diff --git a/builtin/clone.c b/builtin/clone.c
index 17f57cdf29..430307b298 100644
--- a/builtin/clone.c
+++ b/builtin/clone.c
@@ -545,17 +545,20 @@ static void update_remote_refs(const struct ref *refs,
 			       const struct ref *remote_head_points_at,
 			       const char *branch_top,
 			       const char *msg,
-			       struct transport *transport)
+			       struct transport *transport,
+			       int check_connectivity)
 {
 	const struct ref *rm = mapped_refs;
 
-	if (0 <= option_verbosity)
-		printf(_("Checking connectivity... "));
-	if (check_everything_connected_with_transport(iterate_ref_map,
-						      0, &rm, transport))
-		die(_("remote did not send all necessary objects"));
-	if (0 <= option_verbosity)
-		printf(_("done\n"));
+	if (check_connectivity) {
+		if (0 <= option_verbosity)
+			printf(_("Checking connectivity... "));
+		if (check_everything_connected_with_transport(iterate_ref_map,
+							      0, &rm, transport))
+			die(_("remote did not send all necessary objects"));
+		if (0 <= option_verbosity)
+			printf(_("done\n"));
+	}
 
 	if (refs) {
 		write_remote_refs(mapped_refs);
@@ -963,7 +966,7 @@ int cmd_clone(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		transport_fetch_refs(transport, mapped_refs);
 
 	update_remote_refs(refs, mapped_refs, remote_head_points_at,
-			   branch_top.buf, reflog_msg.buf, transport);
+			   branch_top.buf, reflog_msg.buf, transport, !is_local);
 
 	update_head(our_head_points_at, remote_head, reflog_msg.buf);
 
diff --git a/t/t5710-info-alternate.sh b/t/t5710-info-alternate.sh
index 8956c21617..5a6e49d18d 100755
--- a/t/t5710-info-alternate.sh
+++ b/t/t5710-info-alternate.sh
@@ -58,7 +58,13 @@ test_expect_success 'creating too deep nesting' \
 git clone -l -s D E &&
 git clone -l -s E F &&
 git clone -l -s F G &&
-test_must_fail git clone --bare -l -s G H'
+git clone --bare -l -s G H'
+
+test_expect_success 'invalidity of deepest repository' \
+'cd H && {
+	test_valid_repo
+	test $? -ne 0
+}'
 
 cd "$base_dir"