diff --git a/remote.c b/remote.c
index 04fd9ea4bd..a72748ce8e 100644
--- a/remote.c
+++ b/remote.c
@@ -1370,6 +1370,16 @@ int branch_merge_matches(struct branch *branch,
 	return refname_match(branch->merge[i]->src, refname, ref_fetch_rules);
 }
 
+static int ignore_symref_update(const char *refname)
+{
+	unsigned char sha1[20];
+	int flag;
+
+	if (!resolve_ref_unsafe(refname, sha1, 0, &flag))
+		return 0; /* non-existing refs are OK */
+	return (flag & REF_ISSYMREF);
+}
+
 static struct ref *get_expanded_map(const struct ref *remote_refs,
 				    const struct refspec *refspec)
 {
@@ -1383,7 +1393,8 @@ static struct ref *get_expanded_map(const struct ref *remote_refs,
 		if (strchr(ref->name, '^'))
 			continue; /* a dereference item */
 		if (match_name_with_pattern(refspec->src, ref->name,
-					    refspec->dst, &expn_name)) {
+					    refspec->dst, &expn_name) &&
+		    !ignore_symref_update(expn_name)) {
 			struct ref *cpy = copy_ref(ref);
 
 			cpy->peer_ref = alloc_ref(expn_name);
diff --git a/t/t5535-fetch-push-symref.sh b/t/t5535-fetch-push-symref.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..8ed58d27f2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/t5535-fetch-push-symref.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+test_description='avoiding conflicting update thru symref aliasing'
+
+. ./test-lib.sh
+
+test_expect_success 'setup' '
+	test_commit one &&
+	git clone . src &&
+	git clone src dst1 &&
+	git clone src dst2 &&
+	test_commit two &&
+	( cd src && git pull )
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'push' '
+	(
+		cd src &&
+		git push ../dst1 "refs/remotes/*:refs/remotes/*"
+	) &&
+	git ls-remote src "refs/remotes/*" >expect &&
+	git ls-remote dst1 "refs/remotes/*" >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual &&
+	( cd src && git symbolic-ref refs/remotes/origin/HEAD ) >expect &&
+	( cd dst1 && git symbolic-ref refs/remotes/origin/HEAD ) >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'fetch' '
+	(
+		cd dst2 &&
+		git fetch ../src "refs/remotes/*:refs/remotes/*"
+	) &&
+	git ls-remote src "refs/remotes/*" >expect &&
+	git ls-remote dst2 "refs/remotes/*" >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual &&
+	( cd src && git symbolic-ref refs/remotes/origin/HEAD ) >expect &&
+	( cd dst2 && git symbolic-ref refs/remotes/origin/HEAD ) >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
+test_done