diff --git a/builtin/describe.c b/builtin/describe.c
index 1c47d7c0b7..faaf44cec5 100644
--- a/builtin/describe.c
+++ b/builtin/describe.c
@@ -712,13 +712,25 @@ int cmd_describe(int argc,
 			     NULL);
 		if (always)
 			strvec_push(&args, "--always");
-		if (!all) {
+		if (!all)
 			strvec_push(&args, "--tags");
+
+		for_each_string_list_item(item, &patterns)
+			strvec_pushf(&args, "--refs=refs/tags/%s", item->string);
+		for_each_string_list_item(item, &exclude_patterns)
+			strvec_pushf(&args, "--exclude=refs/tags/%s", item->string);
+
+		if (all) {
 			for_each_string_list_item(item, &patterns)
-				strvec_pushf(&args, "--refs=refs/tags/%s", item->string);
+				strvec_pushf(&args, "--refs=refs/heads/%s", item->string);
 			for_each_string_list_item(item, &exclude_patterns)
-				strvec_pushf(&args, "--exclude=refs/tags/%s", item->string);
+				strvec_pushf(&args, "--exclude=refs/heads/%s", item->string);
+			for_each_string_list_item(item, &patterns)
+				strvec_pushf(&args, "--refs=refs/remotes/%s", item->string);
+			for_each_string_list_item(item, &exclude_patterns)
+				strvec_pushf(&args, "--exclude=refs/remotes/%s", item->string);
 		}
+
 		if (argc)
 			strvec_pushv(&args, argv);
 		else
diff --git a/t/t6120-describe.sh b/t/t6120-describe.sh
index 8ee3d2c37d..4d72033e39 100755
--- a/t/t6120-describe.sh
+++ b/t/t6120-describe.sh
@@ -359,6 +359,28 @@ test_expect_success 'describe --contains and --no-match' '
 	test_cmp expect actual
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'describe --contains --all --match no matching commit' '
+	echo "tags/A^0" >expect &&
+	tagged_commit=$(git rev-parse "refs/tags/A^0") &&
+	test_must_fail git describe --contains --all --match="B" $tagged_commit
+'
+
+check_describe "tags/A^0" --contains --all --match="A" $(git rev-parse "refs/tags/A^0")
+
+check_describe "branch_A" --contains --all --match="branch*" $(git rev-parse "refs/tags/A^0")
+
+check_describe "branch_C~1" --contains --all --match="branch*" --exclude="branch_A" $(git rev-parse "refs/tags/A^0")
+
+check_describe "branch_A" --contains --all \
+	--exclude="A" --exclude="c" --exclude="test*" --exclude="origin/remote_branch_A" \
+	$(git rev-parse "refs/tags/A^0")
+
+check_describe "remotes/origin/remote_branch_A" --contains --all --match="origin/remote*" $(git rev-parse "refs/tags/A^0")
+
+check_describe "remotes/origin/remote_branch_C~1" --contains --all \
+	--match="origin/remote*" --exclude="origin/remote_branch_A" \
+	$(git rev-parse "refs/tags/A^0")
+
 test_expect_success 'setup and absorb a submodule' '
 	test_create_repo sub1 &&
 	test_commit -C sub1 initial &&