diff --git a/Documentation/git-update-ref.txt b/Documentation/git-update-ref.txt
index bc8fdfd469..fda8516677 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-update-ref.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-update-ref.txt
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ git-update-ref - Update the object name stored in a ref safely
 SYNOPSIS
 --------
 [verse]
-'git update-ref' [-m <reason>] (-d <ref> [<oldvalue>] | [--no-deref] [--create-reflog] <ref> <newvalue> [<oldvalue>] | --stdin [-z])
+'git update-ref' [-m <reason>] [--no-deref] (-d <ref> [<oldvalue>] | [--create-reflog] <ref> <newvalue> [<oldvalue>] | --stdin [-z])
 
 DESCRIPTION
 -----------
diff --git a/builtin/update-ref.c b/builtin/update-ref.c
index 54fac01f21..2d8f7f0578 100644
--- a/builtin/update-ref.c
+++ b/builtin/update-ref.c
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ static const char * const git_update_ref_usage[] = {
 
 static char line_termination = '\n';
 static unsigned int update_flags;
+static unsigned int default_flags;
 static unsigned create_reflog_flag;
 static const char *msg;
 
@@ -205,7 +206,7 @@ static const char *parse_cmd_update(struct ref_transaction *transaction,
 				   msg, &err))
 		die("%s", err.buf);
 
-	update_flags = 0;
+	update_flags = default_flags;
 	free(refname);
 	strbuf_release(&err);
 
@@ -237,7 +238,7 @@ static const char *parse_cmd_create(struct ref_transaction *transaction,
 				   msg, &err))
 		die("%s", err.buf);
 
-	update_flags = 0;
+	update_flags = default_flags;
 	free(refname);
 	strbuf_release(&err);
 
@@ -273,7 +274,7 @@ static const char *parse_cmd_delete(struct ref_transaction *transaction,
 				   update_flags, msg, &err))
 		die("%s", err.buf);
 
-	update_flags = 0;
+	update_flags = default_flags;
 	free(refname);
 	strbuf_release(&err);
 
@@ -302,7 +303,7 @@ static const char *parse_cmd_verify(struct ref_transaction *transaction,
 				   update_flags, &err))
 		die("%s", err.buf);
 
-	update_flags = 0;
+	update_flags = default_flags;
 	free(refname);
 	strbuf_release(&err);
 
@@ -357,7 +358,6 @@ int cmd_update_ref(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	const char *refname, *oldval;
 	struct object_id oid, oldoid;
 	int delete = 0, no_deref = 0, read_stdin = 0, end_null = 0;
-	unsigned int flags = 0;
 	int create_reflog = 0;
 	struct option options[] = {
 		OPT_STRING( 'm', NULL, &msg, N_("reason"), N_("reason of the update")),
@@ -378,6 +378,11 @@ int cmd_update_ref(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 
 	create_reflog_flag = create_reflog ? REF_FORCE_CREATE_REFLOG : 0;
 
+	if (no_deref) {
+		default_flags = REF_NO_DEREF;
+		update_flags = default_flags;
+	}
+
 	if (read_stdin) {
 		struct strbuf err = STRBUF_INIT;
 		struct ref_transaction *transaction;
@@ -385,7 +390,7 @@ int cmd_update_ref(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		transaction = ref_transaction_begin(&err);
 		if (!transaction)
 			die("%s", err.buf);
-		if (delete || no_deref || argc > 0)
+		if (delete || argc > 0)
 			usage_with_options(git_update_ref_usage, options);
 		if (end_null)
 			line_termination = '\0';
@@ -427,8 +432,6 @@ int cmd_update_ref(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 			die("%s: not a valid old SHA1", oldval);
 	}
 
-	if (no_deref)
-		flags = REF_NO_DEREF;
 	if (delete)
 		/*
 		 * For purposes of backwards compatibility, we treat
@@ -436,9 +439,9 @@ int cmd_update_ref(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		 */
 		return delete_ref(msg, refname,
 				  (oldval && !is_null_oid(&oldoid)) ? &oldoid : NULL,
-				  flags);
+				  default_flags);
 	else
 		return update_ref(msg, refname, &oid, oldval ? &oldoid : NULL,
-				  flags | create_reflog_flag,
+				  default_flags | create_reflog_flag,
 				  UPDATE_REFS_DIE_ON_ERR);
 }
diff --git a/t/t1400-update-ref.sh b/t/t1400-update-ref.sh
index 7c8df20955..02493f14ba 100755
--- a/t/t1400-update-ref.sh
+++ b/t/t1400-update-ref.sh
@@ -807,6 +807,37 @@ test_expect_success 'stdin delete symref works option no-deref' '
 	test_cmp expect actual
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'stdin update symref works flag --no-deref' '
+	git symbolic-ref TESTSYMREFONE $b &&
+	git symbolic-ref TESTSYMREFTWO $b &&
+	cat >stdin <<-EOF &&
+	update TESTSYMREFONE $a $b
+	update TESTSYMREFTWO $a $b
+	EOF
+	git update-ref --no-deref --stdin <stdin &&
+	git rev-parse TESTSYMREFONE TESTSYMREFTWO >expect &&
+	git rev-parse $a $a >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual &&
+	git rev-parse $m~1 >expect &&
+	git rev-parse $b >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'stdin delete symref works flag --no-deref' '
+	git symbolic-ref TESTSYMREFONE $b &&
+	git symbolic-ref TESTSYMREFTWO $b &&
+	cat >stdin <<-EOF &&
+	delete TESTSYMREFONE $b
+	delete TESTSYMREFTWO $b
+	EOF
+	git update-ref --no-deref --stdin <stdin &&
+	test_must_fail git rev-parse --verify -q TESTSYMREFONE &&
+	test_must_fail git rev-parse --verify -q TESTSYMREFTWO &&
+	git rev-parse $m~1 >expect &&
+	git rev-parse $b >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
 test_expect_success 'stdin delete ref works with right old value' '
 	echo "delete $b $m~1" >stdin &&
 	git update-ref --stdin <stdin &&