diff --git a/Documentation/git-for-each-ref.txt b/Documentation/git-for-each-ref.txt
index 39f50bd53e..174af2c0ec 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-for-each-ref.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-for-each-ref.txt
@@ -142,8 +142,12 @@ upstream::
 	encountered. Append `:track,nobracket` to show tracking
 	information without brackets (i.e "ahead N, behind M").
 +
-Also respects `:remotename` to state the name of the *remote* instead of
-the ref.
+For any remote-tracking branch `%(upstream)`, `%(upstream:remotename)`
+and `%(upstream:remoteref)` refer to the name of the remote and the
+name of the tracked remote ref, respectively. In other words, the
+remote-tracking branch can be updated explicitly and individually by
+using the refspec `%(upstream:remoteref):%(upstream)` to fetch from
+`%(upstream:remotename)`.
 +
 Has no effect if the ref does not have tracking information associated
 with it.  All the options apart from `nobracket` are mutually exclusive,
@@ -152,9 +156,9 @@ but if used together the last option is selected.
 push::
 	The name of a local ref which represents the `@{push}`
 	location for the displayed ref. Respects `:short`, `:lstrip`,
-	`:rstrip`, `:track`, `:trackshort` and `:remotename` options as
-	`upstream` does. Produces an empty string if no `@{push}` ref is
-	configured.
+	`:rstrip`, `:track`, `:trackshort`, `:remotename`, and `:remoteref`
+	options as `upstream` does. Produces an empty string if no `@{push}`
+	ref is configured.
 
 HEAD::
 	'*' if HEAD matches current ref (the checked out branch), ' '
diff --git a/ref-filter.c b/ref-filter.c
index 4819707d03..2259563e73 100644
--- a/ref-filter.c
+++ b/ref-filter.c
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ static struct used_atom {
 		struct align align;
 		struct {
 			enum {
-				RR_REF, RR_TRACK, RR_TRACKSHORT, RR_REMOTE_NAME
+				RR_REF, RR_TRACK, RR_TRACKSHORT, RR_REMOTE_NAME, RR_REMOTE_REF
 			} option;
 			struct refname_atom refname;
 			unsigned int nobracket : 1, push : 1, push_remote : 1;
@@ -164,6 +164,9 @@ static void remote_ref_atom_parser(const struct ref_format *format, struct used_
 		else if (!strcmp(s, "remotename")) {
 			atom->u.remote_ref.option = RR_REMOTE_NAME;
 			atom->u.remote_ref.push_remote = 1;
+		} else if (!strcmp(s, "remoteref")) {
+			atom->u.remote_ref.option = RR_REMOTE_REF;
+			atom->u.remote_ref.push_remote = 1;
 		} else {
 			atom->u.remote_ref.option = RR_REF;
 			refname_atom_parser_internal(&atom->u.remote_ref.refname,
@@ -1262,6 +1265,16 @@ static void fill_remote_ref_details(struct used_atom *atom, const char *refname,
 			*s = xstrdup(remote);
 		else
 			*s = "";
+	} else if (atom->u.remote_ref.option == RR_REMOTE_REF) {
+		int explicit;
+		const char *merge;
+
+		merge = remote_ref_for_branch(branch, atom->u.remote_ref.push,
+					      &explicit);
+		if (explicit)
+			*s = xstrdup(merge);
+		else
+			*s = "";
 	} else
 		die("BUG: unhandled RR_* enum");
 }
diff --git a/remote.c b/remote.c
index b220f0dfc6..2bdcfc280c 100644
--- a/remote.c
+++ b/remote.c
@@ -675,6 +675,36 @@ const char *pushremote_for_branch(struct branch *branch, int *explicit)
 	return remote_for_branch(branch, explicit);
 }
 
+const char *remote_ref_for_branch(struct branch *branch, int for_push,
+				  int *explicit)
+{
+	if (branch) {
+		if (!for_push) {
+			if (branch->merge_nr) {
+				if (explicit)
+					*explicit = 1;
+				return branch->merge_name[0];
+			}
+		} else {
+			const char *dst, *remote_name =
+				pushremote_for_branch(branch, NULL);
+			struct remote *remote = remote_get(remote_name);
+
+			if (remote && remote->push_refspec_nr &&
+			    (dst = apply_refspecs(remote->push,
+						  remote->push_refspec_nr,
+						  branch->refname))) {
+				if (explicit)
+					*explicit = 1;
+				return dst;
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	if (explicit)
+		*explicit = 0;
+	return "";
+}
+
 static struct remote *remote_get_1(const char *name,
 				   const char *(*get_default)(struct branch *, int *))
 {
diff --git a/remote.h b/remote.h
index 2ecf4c8c74..1f6611be21 100644
--- a/remote.h
+++ b/remote.h
@@ -223,6 +223,8 @@ struct branch {
 struct branch *branch_get(const char *name);
 const char *remote_for_branch(struct branch *branch, int *explicit);
 const char *pushremote_for_branch(struct branch *branch, int *explicit);
+const char *remote_ref_for_branch(struct branch *branch, int for_push,
+				  int *explicit);
 
 int branch_has_merge_config(struct branch *branch);
 int branch_merge_matches(struct branch *, int n, const char *);