diff --git a/remote.c b/remote.c
index 120df36be002b543e609060b8f318fe7b38d437c..754d5130e3895acc59e43eb1d46338a835ad72ef 100644
--- a/remote.c
+++ b/remote.c
@@ -455,7 +455,7 @@ static int match_explicit(struct ref *src, struct ref *dst,
 		errs = 1;
 
 	if (dst_value == NULL)
-		dst_value = rs->src;
+		dst_value = matched_src->name;
 
 	switch (count_refspec_match(dst_value, dst, &matched_dst)) {
 	case 1:
@@ -463,11 +463,6 @@ static int match_explicit(struct ref *src, struct ref *dst,
 	case 0:
 		if (!memcmp(dst_value, "refs/", 5))
 			matched_dst = make_dst(dst_value, dst_tail);
-		else if (!strcmp(rs->src, dst_value) && matched_src)
-			/* pushing "master:master" when
-			 * remote does not have master yet.
-			 */
-			matched_dst = make_dst(matched_src->name, dst_tail);
 		else
 			error("dst refspec %s does not match any "
 			      "existing ref on the remote and does "
diff --git a/t/t5516-fetch-push.sh b/t/t5516-fetch-push.sh
index b3b57faf9c4548aef5431b3862f9991348fe473f..08d58e1c8c8d61d50c97b48d795ac1a574d56035 100755
--- a/t/t5516-fetch-push.sh
+++ b/t/t5516-fetch-push.sh
@@ -189,6 +189,58 @@ test_expect_success 'push with ambiguity (2)' '
 	else
 		check_push_result $the_first_commit heads/frotz tags/frotz
 	fi
+
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'push with colon-less refspec (1)' '
+
+	mk_test heads/frotz tags/frotz &&
+	git branch -f frotz master &&
+	git push testrepo frotz &&
+	check_push_result $the_commit heads/frotz &&
+	check_push_result $the_first_commit tags/frotz
+
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'push with colon-less refspec (2)' '
+
+	mk_test heads/frotz tags/frotz &&
+	if git show-ref --verify -q refs/heads/frotz
+	then
+		git branch -D frotz
+	fi &&
+	git tag -f frotz &&
+	git push testrepo frotz &&
+	check_push_result $the_commit tags/frotz &&
+	check_push_result $the_first_commit heads/frotz
+
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'push with colon-less refspec (3)' '
+
+	mk_test &&
+	if git show-ref --verify -q refs/tags/frotz
+	then
+		git tag -d frotz
+	fi &&
+	git branch -f frotz master &&
+	git push testrepo frotz &&
+	check_push_result $the_commit heads/frotz &&
+	test "$( cd testrepo && git show-ref | wc -l )" = 1
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'push with colon-less refspec (4)' '
+
+	mk_test &&
+	if git show-ref --verify -q refs/heads/frotz
+	then
+		git branch -D frotz
+	fi &&
+	git tag -f frotz &&
+	git push testrepo frotz &&
+	check_push_result $the_commit tags/frotz &&
+	test "$( cd testrepo && git show-ref | wc -l )" = 1
+
 '
 
 test_done