diff --git a/refs.c b/refs.c
index 996ac27164..1c8a0c01f1 100644
--- a/refs.c
+++ b/refs.c
@@ -800,7 +800,7 @@ int refs_delete_ref(struct ref_store *refs, const char *msg,
 	struct ref_transaction *transaction;
 	struct strbuf err = STRBUF_INIT;
 
-	transaction = ref_store_transaction_begin(refs, &err);
+	transaction = ref_store_transaction_begin(refs, 0, &err);
 	if (!transaction ||
 	    ref_transaction_delete(transaction, refname, old_oid,
 				   flags, msg, &err) ||
@@ -1005,6 +1005,7 @@ int read_ref_at(struct ref_store *refs, const char *refname,
 }
 
 struct ref_transaction *ref_store_transaction_begin(struct ref_store *refs,
+						    unsigned int flags,
 						    struct strbuf *err)
 {
 	struct ref_transaction *tr;
@@ -1012,12 +1013,13 @@ struct ref_transaction *ref_store_transaction_begin(struct ref_store *refs,
 
 	CALLOC_ARRAY(tr, 1);
 	tr->ref_store = refs;
+	tr->flags = flags;
 	return tr;
 }
 
 struct ref_transaction *ref_transaction_begin(struct strbuf *err)
 {
-	return ref_store_transaction_begin(get_main_ref_store(the_repository), err);
+	return ref_store_transaction_begin(get_main_ref_store(the_repository), 0, err);
 }
 
 void ref_transaction_free(struct ref_transaction *transaction)
@@ -1148,7 +1150,7 @@ int refs_update_ref(struct ref_store *refs, const char *msg,
 	struct strbuf err = STRBUF_INIT;
 	int ret = 0;
 
-	t = ref_store_transaction_begin(refs, &err);
+	t = ref_store_transaction_begin(refs, 0, &err);
 	if (!t ||
 	    ref_transaction_update(t, refname, new_oid, old_oid, flags, msg,
 				   &err) ||
diff --git a/refs.h b/refs.h
index 45c34e99e3..e3d3b7aa14 100644
--- a/refs.h
+++ b/refs.h
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ char *repo_default_branch_name(struct repository *r, int quiet);
  *         struct strbuf err = STRBUF_INIT;
  *         int ret = 0;
  *
- *         transaction = ref_store_transaction_begin(refs, &err);
+ *         transaction = ref_store_transaction_begin(refs, 0, &err);
  *         if (!transaction ||
  *             ref_transaction_update(...) ||
  *             ref_transaction_create(...) ||
@@ -551,6 +551,7 @@ enum action_on_err {
  * be freed by calling ref_transaction_free().
  */
 struct ref_transaction *ref_store_transaction_begin(struct ref_store *refs,
+						    unsigned int flags,
 						    struct strbuf *err);
 struct ref_transaction *ref_transaction_begin(struct strbuf *err);
 
diff --git a/refs/files-backend.c b/refs/files-backend.c
index 453adc38ea..95583dcd00 100644
--- a/refs/files-backend.c
+++ b/refs/files-backend.c
@@ -1122,7 +1122,7 @@ static void prune_ref(struct files_ref_store *refs, struct ref_to_prune *r)
 	if (check_refname_format(r->name, 0))
 		return;
 
-	transaction = ref_store_transaction_begin(&refs->base, &err);
+	transaction = ref_store_transaction_begin(&refs->base, 0, &err);
 	if (!transaction)
 		goto cleanup;
 	ref_transaction_add_update(
@@ -1193,7 +1193,7 @@ static int files_pack_refs(struct ref_store *ref_store, unsigned int flags)
 	struct strbuf err = STRBUF_INIT;
 	struct ref_transaction *transaction;
 
-	transaction = ref_store_transaction_begin(refs->packed_ref_store, &err);
+	transaction = ref_store_transaction_begin(refs->packed_ref_store, 0, &err);
 	if (!transaction)
 		return -1;
 
@@ -1260,7 +1260,7 @@ static int files_delete_refs(struct ref_store *ref_store, const char *msg,
 	if (packed_refs_lock(refs->packed_ref_store, 0, &err))
 		goto error;
 
-	transaction = ref_store_transaction_begin(refs->packed_ref_store, &err);
+	transaction = ref_store_transaction_begin(refs->packed_ref_store, 0, &err);
 	if (!transaction)
 		goto error;
 
@@ -2767,7 +2767,7 @@ static int files_transaction_prepare(struct ref_store *ref_store,
 			 */
 			if (!packed_transaction) {
 				packed_transaction = ref_store_transaction_begin(
-						refs->packed_ref_store, err);
+						refs->packed_ref_store, 0, err);
 				if (!packed_transaction) {
 					ret = TRANSACTION_GENERIC_ERROR;
 					goto cleanup;
@@ -3038,7 +3038,7 @@ static int files_initial_transaction_commit(struct ref_store *ref_store,
 				 &affected_refnames))
 		BUG("initial ref transaction called with existing refs");
 
-	packed_transaction = ref_store_transaction_begin(refs->packed_ref_store, err);
+	packed_transaction = ref_store_transaction_begin(refs->packed_ref_store, 0, err);
 	if (!packed_transaction) {
 		ret = TRANSACTION_GENERIC_ERROR;
 		goto cleanup;
diff --git a/refs/packed-backend.c b/refs/packed-backend.c
index cb19b5291e..ac4d92460e 100644
--- a/refs/packed-backend.c
+++ b/refs/packed-backend.c
@@ -1535,7 +1535,7 @@ static int packed_delete_refs(struct ref_store *ref_store, const char *msg,
 	 * updates into a single transaction.
 	 */
 
-	transaction = ref_store_transaction_begin(ref_store, &err);
+	transaction = ref_store_transaction_begin(ref_store, 0, &err);
 	if (!transaction)
 		return -1;
 
diff --git a/refs/refs-internal.h b/refs/refs-internal.h
index fb2c58ce3b..5bec9014ac 100644
--- a/refs/refs-internal.h
+++ b/refs/refs-internal.h
@@ -213,6 +213,7 @@ struct ref_transaction {
 	size_t nr;
 	enum ref_transaction_state state;
 	void *backend_data;
+	unsigned int flags;
 };
 
 /*
diff --git a/sequencer.c b/sequencer.c
index b4135a78c9..78122e0f0c 100644
--- a/sequencer.c
+++ b/sequencer.c
@@ -3599,7 +3599,7 @@ static int do_label(struct repository *r, const char *name, int len)
 	strbuf_addf(&ref_name, "refs/rewritten/%.*s", len, name);
 	strbuf_addf(&msg, "rebase (label) '%.*s'", len, name);
 
-	transaction = ref_store_transaction_begin(refs, &err);
+	transaction = ref_store_transaction_begin(refs, 0, &err);
 	if (!transaction) {
 		error("%s", err.buf);
 		ret = -1;
