diff --git a/refs/files-backend.c b/refs/files-backend.c
index 73380d7e99..bd0d63bcba 100644
--- a/refs/files-backend.c
+++ b/refs/files-backend.c

@@ -1750,6 +1750,9 @@ static int files_log_ref_write(struct files_ref_store *refs,
 {
 	int logfd, result;

+	if (flags & REF_SKIP_CREATE_REFLOG)
+		return 0;
+
 	if (log_all_ref_updates == LOG_REFS_UNSET)
 		log_all_ref_updates = is_bare_repository() ? LOG_REFS_NONE : LOG_REFS_NORMAL;

@@ -2251,6 +2254,7 @@ static int split_head_update(struct ref_update *update,
 	struct ref_update *new_update;

 	if ((update->flags & REF_LOG_ONLY) ||
+	    (update->flags & REF_SKIP_CREATE_REFLOG) ||
 	    (update->flags & REF_IS_PRUNING) ||
 	    (update->flags & REF_UPDATE_VIA_HEAD))
 		return 0;

diff --git a/refs/reftable-backend.c b/refs/reftable-backend.c
index f6edfdf5b3..bffed9257f 100644
--- a/refs/reftable-backend.c
+++ b/refs/reftable-backend.c

@@ -1103,7 +1103,8 @@ static int write_transaction_table(struct reftable_writer *writer, void *cb_data

 			if (ret)
 				goto done;
-		} else if (u->flags & REF_HAVE_NEW &&
+		} else if (!(u->flags & REF_SKIP_CREATE_REFLOG) &&
+			   (u->flags & REF_HAVE_NEW) &&
 			   (u->flags & REF_FORCE_CREATE_REFLOG ||
 			    should_write_log(&arg->refs->base, u->refname))) {
 			struct reftable_log_record *log;

diff --git a/t/helper/test-ref-store.c b/t/helper/test-ref-store.c
index c9efd74c2b..ad24300170 100644
--- a/t/helper/test-ref-store.c
+++ b/t/helper/test-ref-store.c

@@ -126,6 +126,7 @@ static struct flag_definition transaction_flags[] = {
 	FLAG_DEF(REF_FORCE_CREATE_REFLOG),
 	FLAG_DEF(REF_SKIP_OID_VERIFICATION),
 	FLAG_DEF(REF_SKIP_REFNAME_VERIFICATION),
+	FLAG_DEF(REF_SKIP_CREATE_REFLOG),
 	{ NULL, 0 }
 };

--

2.45.1.410.g58bac47f8e.dirty