diff --git a/builtin/fetch.c b/builtin/fetch.c
index 9a45e1e7a4..3cc7efdd83 100644
--- a/builtin/fetch.c
+++ b/builtin/fetch.c
@@ -1729,12 +1729,12 @@ static void warn_set_head(const char *remote, const char *head_name,
 	strbuf_release(&buf_prefix);
 }
 
-static int set_head(const struct ref *remote_refs, struct remote *remote)
+static int set_head(const struct ref *remote_refs, struct remote *remote,
+			int follow_remote_head)
 {
 	int result = 0, create_only, baremirror, was_detached;
 	struct strbuf b_head = STRBUF_INIT, b_remote_head = STRBUF_INIT,
 		      b_local_head = STRBUF_INIT;
-	int follow_remote_head = remote->follow_remote_head;
 	const char *no_warn_branch = remote->no_warn_branch;
 	char *head_name = NULL;
 	struct ref *ref, *matches;
@@ -1901,6 +1901,7 @@ static int do_fetch(struct transport *transport,
 	struct ref_update_display_info_array display_array = { 0 };
 	struct strmap rejected_refs = STRMAP_INIT;
 	int summary_width = 0;
+	int follow_remote_head;
 
 	if (tags == TAGS_DEFAULT) {
 		if (transport->remote->fetch_tags == 2)
@@ -1916,6 +1917,11 @@ static int do_fetch(struct transport *transport,
 			goto cleanup;
 	}
 
+	if (transport->remote->follow_remote_head)
+		follow_remote_head = transport->remote->follow_remote_head;
+	else
+		follow_remote_head = BUILTIN_FOLLOW_REMOTE_HEAD_DFLT;
+
 	if (rs->nr) {
 		refspec_ref_prefixes(rs, &transport_ls_refs_options.ref_prefixes);
 	} else {
@@ -1924,7 +1930,7 @@ static int do_fetch(struct transport *transport,
 		if (transport->remote->fetch.nr) {
 			refspec_ref_prefixes(&transport->remote->fetch,
 					     &transport_ls_refs_options.ref_prefixes);
-			if (transport->remote->follow_remote_head != FOLLOW_REMOTE_NEVER)
+			if (follow_remote_head != FOLLOW_REMOTE_NEVER)
 				do_set_head = 1;
 		}
 		if (branch && branch_has_merge_config(branch) &&
@@ -2131,7 +2137,7 @@ static int do_fetch(struct transport *transport,
 		 * Way too many cases where this can go wrong so let's just
 		 * ignore errors and fail silently for now.
 		 */
-		set_head(remote_refs, transport->remote);
+		set_head(remote_refs, transport->remote, follow_remote_head);
 	}
 
 cleanup:
diff --git a/remote.h b/remote.h
index 54b17e4b02..72a54d84ad 100644
--- a/remote.h
+++ b/remote.h
@@ -62,12 +62,14 @@ struct remote_state {
 void remote_state_clear(struct remote_state *remote_state);
 struct remote_state *remote_state_new(void);
 
-	enum follow_remote_head_settings {
-		FOLLOW_REMOTE_NEVER = -1,
-		FOLLOW_REMOTE_CREATE = 0,
-		FOLLOW_REMOTE_WARN = 1,
-		FOLLOW_REMOTE_ALWAYS = 2,
-	};
+#define BUILTIN_FOLLOW_REMOTE_HEAD_DFLT FOLLOW_REMOTE_CREATE
+enum follow_remote_head_settings {
+	FOLLOW_REMOTE_UNCONFIGURED = 0,
+	FOLLOW_REMOTE_NEVER,
+	FOLLOW_REMOTE_CREATE,
+	FOLLOW_REMOTE_WARN,
+	FOLLOW_REMOTE_ALWAYS,
+};
 
 struct remote {
 	struct hashmap_entry ent;