diff --git a/Documentation/git-init.txt b/Documentation/git-init.txt
index 6f0d2973bf..e8dc645bb5 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-init.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-init.txt
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ SYNOPSIS
 [verse]
 'git init' [-q | --quiet] [--bare] [--template=<template-directory>]
 	  [--separate-git-dir <git-dir>] [--object-format=<format>]
+	  [--ref-format=<format>]
 	  [-b <branch-name> | --initial-branch=<branch-name>]
 	  [--shared[=<permissions>]] [<directory>]
 
@@ -57,6 +58,12 @@ values are 'sha1' and (if enabled) 'sha256'.  'sha1' is the default.
 +
 include::object-format-disclaimer.txt[]
 
+--ref-format=<format>::
+
+Specify the given ref storage format for the repository. The valid values are:
++
+include::ref-storage-format.txt[]
+
 --template=<template-directory>::
 
 Specify the directory from which templates will be used.  (See the "TEMPLATE
diff --git a/builtin/init-db.c b/builtin/init-db.c
index b6e80feab6..770b2822fe 100644
--- a/builtin/init-db.c
+++ b/builtin/init-db.c
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ static int shared_callback(const struct option *opt, const char *arg, int unset)
 static const char *const init_db_usage[] = {
 	N_("git init [-q | --quiet] [--bare] [--template=<template-directory>]\n"
 	   "         [--separate-git-dir <git-dir>] [--object-format=<format>]\n"
+	   "         [--ref-format=<format>]\n"
 	   "         [-b <branch-name> | --initial-branch=<branch-name>]\n"
 	   "         [--shared[=<permissions>]] [<directory>]"),
 	NULL
@@ -77,8 +78,10 @@ int cmd_init_db(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	const char *template_dir = NULL;
 	unsigned int flags = 0;
 	const char *object_format = NULL;
+	const char *ref_format = NULL;
 	const char *initial_branch = NULL;
 	int hash_algo = GIT_HASH_UNKNOWN;
+	int ref_storage_format = REF_STORAGE_FORMAT_UNKNOWN;
 	int init_shared_repository = -1;
 	const struct option init_db_options[] = {
 		OPT_STRING(0, "template", &template_dir, N_("template-directory"),
@@ -96,6 +99,8 @@ int cmd_init_db(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 			   N_("override the name of the initial branch")),
 		OPT_STRING(0, "object-format", &object_format, N_("hash"),
 			   N_("specify the hash algorithm to use")),
+		OPT_STRING(0, "ref-format", &ref_format, N_("format"),
+			   N_("specify the reference format to use")),
 		OPT_END()
 	};
 
@@ -159,6 +164,12 @@ int cmd_init_db(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 			die(_("unknown hash algorithm '%s'"), object_format);
 	}
 
+	if (ref_format) {
+		ref_storage_format = ref_storage_format_by_name(ref_format);
+		if (ref_storage_format == REF_STORAGE_FORMAT_UNKNOWN)
+			die(_("unknown ref storage format '%s'"), ref_format);
+	}
+
 	if (init_shared_repository != -1)
 		set_shared_repository(init_shared_repository);
 
@@ -237,6 +248,6 @@ int cmd_init_db(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 
 	flags |= INIT_DB_EXIST_OK;
 	return init_db(git_dir, real_git_dir, template_dir, hash_algo,
-		       REF_STORAGE_FORMAT_UNKNOWN, initial_branch,
+		       ref_storage_format, initial_branch,
 		       init_shared_repository, flags);
 }
diff --git a/t/t0001-init.sh b/t/t0001-init.sh
index 30ce752cc1..b131d665db 100755
--- a/t/t0001-init.sh
+++ b/t/t0001-init.sh
@@ -576,6 +576,32 @@ test_expect_success 'init with GIT_DEFAULT_REF_FORMAT=garbage' '
 	test_cmp expect err
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'init with --ref-format=files' '
+	test_when_finished "rm -rf refformat" &&
+	git init --ref-format=files refformat &&
+	echo files >expect &&
+	git -C refformat rev-parse --show-ref-format >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success 're-init with same format' '
+	test_when_finished "rm -rf refformat" &&
+	git init --ref-format=files refformat &&
+	git init --ref-format=files refformat &&
+	echo files >expect &&
+	git -C refformat rev-parse --show-ref-format >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'init with --ref-format=garbage' '
+	test_when_finished "rm -rf refformat" &&
+	cat >expect <<-EOF &&
+	fatal: unknown ref storage format ${SQ}garbage${SQ}
+	EOF
+	test_must_fail git init --ref-format=garbage refformat 2>err &&
+	test_cmp expect err
+'
+
 test_expect_success MINGW 'core.hidedotfiles = false' '
 	git config --global core.hidedotfiles false &&
 	rm -rf newdir &&
