diff --git a/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash b/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash
index ed74d2810b..46ac6a6138 100644
--- a/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash
+++ b/contrib/completion/git-completion.bash
@@ -342,9 +342,21 @@ __git_tags ()
 #    'git checkout's tracking DWIMery (optional; ignored, if set but empty).
 __git_refs ()
 {
-	local i hash dir="$(__gitdir "${1-}")" track="${2-}"
+	local i hash dir="$(__gitdir)" track="${2-}"
+	local list_refs_from=path remote="${1-}"
 	local format refs pfx
-	if [ -d "$dir" ]; then
+
+	if [ -n "$remote" ]; then
+		if [ -d "$remote/.git" ]; then
+			dir="$remote/.git"
+		elif [ -d "$remote" ]; then
+			dir="$remote"
+		else
+			list_refs_from=remote
+		fi
+	fi
+
+	if [ "$list_refs_from" = path ] && [ -d "$dir" ]; then
 		case "$cur" in
 		refs|refs/*)
 			format="refname"
@@ -381,7 +393,7 @@ __git_refs ()
 	fi
 	case "$cur" in
 	refs|refs/*)
-		git ls-remote "$dir" "$cur*" 2>/dev/null | \
+		git --git-dir="$dir" ls-remote "$remote" "$cur*" 2>/dev/null | \
 		while read -r hash i; do
 			case "$i" in
 			*^{}) ;;
@@ -391,8 +403,8 @@ __git_refs ()
 		;;
 	*)
 		echo "HEAD"
-		git for-each-ref --format="%(refname:short)" -- \
-			"refs/remotes/$dir/" 2>/dev/null | sed -e "s#^$dir/##"
+		git --git-dir="$dir" for-each-ref --format="%(refname:short)" \
+			"refs/remotes/$remote/" 2>/dev/null | sed -e "s#^$remote/##"
 		;;
 	esac
 }
diff --git a/t/t9902-completion.sh b/t/t9902-completion.sh
index 7667baabff..6e64cd6bac 100755
--- a/t/t9902-completion.sh
+++ b/t/t9902-completion.sh
@@ -486,7 +486,7 @@ test_expect_success '__git_refs - configured remote - full refs' '
 	test_cmp expected "$actual"
 '
 
-test_expect_failure '__git_refs - configured remote - repo given on the command line' '
+test_expect_success '__git_refs - configured remote - repo given on the command line' '
 	cat >expected <<-EOF &&
 	HEAD
 	branch-in-other
@@ -501,7 +501,7 @@ test_expect_failure '__git_refs - configured remote - repo given on the command
 	test_cmp expected "$actual"
 '
 
-test_expect_failure '__git_refs - configured remote - full refs - repo given on the command line' '
+test_expect_success '__git_refs - configured remote - full refs - repo given on the command line' '
 	cat >expected <<-EOF &&
 	refs/heads/branch-in-other
 	refs/heads/master-in-other