diff --git a/remote.c b/remote.c
index 0848faffa4..dc56619d23 100644
--- a/remote.c
+++ b/remote.c
@@ -747,9 +747,28 @@ int for_each_remote(each_remote_fn fn, void *priv)
 
 static void handle_duplicate(struct ref *ref1, struct ref *ref2)
 {
-	if (strcmp(ref1->name, ref2->name))
-		die(_("%s tracks both %s and %s"),
-		    ref2->peer_ref->name, ref1->name, ref2->name);
+	if (strcmp(ref1->name, ref2->name)) {
+		if (ref1->fetch_head_status != FETCH_HEAD_IGNORE &&
+		    ref2->fetch_head_status != FETCH_HEAD_IGNORE) {
+			die(_("Cannot fetch both %s and %s to %s"),
+			    ref1->name, ref2->name, ref2->peer_ref->name);
+		} else if (ref1->fetch_head_status != FETCH_HEAD_IGNORE &&
+			   ref2->fetch_head_status == FETCH_HEAD_IGNORE) {
+			warning(_("%s usually tracks %s, not %s"),
+				ref2->peer_ref->name, ref2->name, ref1->name);
+		} else if (ref1->fetch_head_status == FETCH_HEAD_IGNORE &&
+			   ref2->fetch_head_status == FETCH_HEAD_IGNORE) {
+			die(_("%s tracks both %s and %s"),
+			    ref2->peer_ref->name, ref1->name, ref2->name);
+		} else {
+			/*
+			 * This last possibility doesn't occur because
+			 * FETCH_HEAD_IGNORE entries always appear at
+			 * the end of the list.
+			 */
+			die(_("Internal error"));
+		}
+	}
 	free(ref2->peer_ref);
 	free(ref2);
 }
diff --git a/t/t5536-fetch-conflicts.sh b/t/t5536-fetch-conflicts.sh
index 679c53e044..6c5d3a4ce0 100755
--- a/t/t5536-fetch-conflicts.sh
+++ b/t/t5536-fetch-conflicts.sh
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ verify_stderr () {
 	cat >expected &&
 	# We're not interested in the error
 	# "fatal: The remote end hung up unexpectedly":
-	grep -v "hung up" <error >actual &&
+	grep -E '^(fatal|warning):' <error | grep -v 'hung up' >actual | sort &&
 	test_cmp expected actual
 }
 
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ test_expect_success 'fetch conflict: config vs. config' '
 		cd ccc &&
 		test_must_fail git fetch origin 2>error &&
 		verify_stderr <<-\EOF
-		fatal: refs/remotes/origin/branch1 tracks both refs/heads/branch1 and refs/heads/branch2
+		fatal: Cannot fetch both refs/heads/branch1 and refs/heads/branch2 to refs/remotes/origin/branch1
 		EOF
 	)
 '
@@ -78,18 +78,22 @@ test_expect_success 'fetch conflict: arg vs. arg' '
 			refs/heads/*:refs/remotes/origin/* \
 			refs/heads/branch2:refs/remotes/origin/branch1 2>error &&
 		verify_stderr <<-\EOF
-		fatal: refs/remotes/origin/branch1 tracks both refs/heads/branch1 and refs/heads/branch2
+		fatal: Cannot fetch both refs/heads/branch1 and refs/heads/branch2 to refs/remotes/origin/branch1
 		EOF
 	)
 '
 
-test_expect_failure 'fetch conflict: criss-cross args' '
+test_expect_success 'fetch conflict: criss-cross args' '
 	setup_repository xaa \
 		"+refs/heads/*:refs/remotes/origin/*" && (
 		cd xaa &&
 		git fetch origin \
 			refs/heads/branch1:refs/remotes/origin/branch2 \
-			refs/heads/branch2:refs/remotes/origin/branch1
+			refs/heads/branch2:refs/remotes/origin/branch1 2>error &&
+		verify_stderr <<-\EOF
+		warning: refs/remotes/origin/branch1 usually tracks refs/heads/branch1, not refs/heads/branch2
+		warning: refs/remotes/origin/branch2 usually tracks refs/heads/branch2, not refs/heads/branch1
+		EOF
 	)
 '