diff --git a/builtin/clone.c b/builtin/clone.c
index 3baf1acc3c..9288fe2aa0 100644
--- a/builtin/clone.c
+++ b/builtin/clone.c
@@ -1266,36 +1266,31 @@ int cmd_clone(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 			if (transport_fetch_refs(transport, mapped_refs))
 				die(_("remote transport reported error"));
 		}
-
-		remote_head = find_ref_by_name(refs, "HEAD");
-		remote_head_points_at =
-			guess_remote_head(remote_head, mapped_refs, 0);
-
-		if (option_branch) {
-			our_head_points_at =
-				find_remote_branch(mapped_refs, option_branch);
-
-			if (!our_head_points_at)
-				die(_("Remote branch %s not found in upstream %s"),
-				    option_branch, remote_name);
-		}
-		else
-			our_head_points_at = remote_head_points_at;
 	}
-	else {
+
+	remote_head = find_ref_by_name(refs, "HEAD");
+	remote_head_points_at = guess_remote_head(remote_head, mapped_refs, 0);
+
+	if (option_branch) {
+		our_head_points_at = find_remote_branch(mapped_refs, option_branch);
+		if (!our_head_points_at)
+			die(_("Remote branch %s not found in upstream %s"),
+			    option_branch, remote_name);
+	} else if (remote_head_points_at) {
+		our_head_points_at = remote_head_points_at;
+	} else if (remote_head) {
+		our_head_points_at = NULL;
+	} else {
 		const char *branch;
 		const char *ref;
 		char *ref_free = NULL;
 
-		if (option_branch)
-			die(_("Remote branch %s not found in upstream %s"),
-					option_branch, remote_name);
+		if (!mapped_refs) {
+			warning(_("You appear to have cloned an empty repository."));
+			option_no_checkout = 1;
+		}
 
-		warning(_("You appear to have cloned an empty repository."));
 		our_head_points_at = NULL;
-		remote_head_points_at = NULL;
-		remote_head = NULL;
-		option_no_checkout = 1;
 
 		if (transport_ls_refs_options.unborn_head_target &&
 		    skip_prefix(transport_ls_refs_options.unborn_head_target,
diff --git a/t/t5702-protocol-v2.sh b/t/t5702-protocol-v2.sh
index 00ce9aec23..2b3a78b842 100755
--- a/t/t5702-protocol-v2.sh
+++ b/t/t5702-protocol-v2.sh
@@ -250,6 +250,44 @@ test_expect_success 'bare clone propagates empty default branch' '
 	grep "refs/heads/mydefaultbranch" file_empty_child.git/HEAD
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'clone propagates unborn HEAD from non-empty repo' '
+	test_when_finished "rm -rf file_unborn_parent file_unborn_child" &&
+
+	git init file_unborn_parent &&
+	(
+		cd file_unborn_parent &&
+		git checkout -b branchwithstuff &&
+		test_commit --no-tag stuff &&
+		git symbolic-ref HEAD refs/heads/mydefaultbranch
+	) &&
+
+	GIT_TEST_DEFAULT_INITIAL_BRANCH_NAME= \
+	git -c init.defaultBranch=main -c protocol.version=2 \
+		clone "file://$(pwd)/file_unborn_parent" \
+		file_unborn_child 2>stderr &&
+	grep "refs/heads/mydefaultbranch" file_unborn_child/.git/HEAD &&
+	grep "warning: remote HEAD refers to nonexistent ref" stderr
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'bare clone propagates unborn HEAD from non-empty repo' '
+	test_when_finished "rm -rf file_unborn_parent file_unborn_child.git" &&
+
+	git init file_unborn_parent &&
+	(
+		cd file_unborn_parent &&
+		git checkout -b branchwithstuff &&
+		test_commit --no-tag stuff &&
+		git symbolic-ref HEAD refs/heads/mydefaultbranch
+	) &&
+
+	GIT_TEST_DEFAULT_INITIAL_BRANCH_NAME= \
+	git -c init.defaultBranch=main -c protocol.version=2 \
+		clone --bare "file://$(pwd)/file_unborn_parent" \
+		file_unborn_child.git 2>stderr &&
+	grep "refs/heads/mydefaultbranch" file_unborn_child.git/HEAD &&
+	! grep "warning:" stderr
+'
+
 test_expect_success 'fetch with file:// using protocol v2' '
 	test_when_finished "rm -f log" &&