diff --git a/builtin/checkout.c b/builtin/checkout.c
index cbf73b8c9f6..19d752847f8 100644
--- a/builtin/checkout.c
+++ b/builtin/checkout.c
@@ -874,7 +874,7 @@ static void update_refs_for_switch(const struct checkout_opts *opts,
 				int ret;
 				struct strbuf err = STRBUF_INIT;
 
-				ret = safe_create_reflog(refname, 1, &err);
+				ret = safe_create_reflog(refname, &err);
 				if (ret) {
 					fprintf(stderr, _("Can not do reflog for '%s': %s\n"),
 						opts->new_orphan_branch, err.buf);
diff --git a/refs.c b/refs.c
index d7cc0a23a3b..cc291ee49fc 100644
--- a/refs.c
+++ b/refs.c
@@ -2358,16 +2358,15 @@ int reflog_exists(const char *refname)
 }
 
 int refs_create_reflog(struct ref_store *refs, const char *refname,
-		       int force_create, struct strbuf *err)
+		       struct strbuf *err)
 {
-	return refs->be->create_reflog(refs, refname, force_create, err);
+	return refs->be->create_reflog(refs, refname, err);
 }
 
-int safe_create_reflog(const char *refname, int force_create,
-		       struct strbuf *err)
+int safe_create_reflog(const char *refname, struct strbuf *err)
 {
 	return refs_create_reflog(get_main_ref_store(the_repository), refname,
-				  force_create, err);
+				  err);
 }
 
 int refs_delete_reflog(struct ref_store *refs, const char *refname)
diff --git a/refs.h b/refs.h
index d5099d4984e..bd3836c97ef 100644
--- a/refs.h
+++ b/refs.h
@@ -413,8 +413,8 @@ int refs_pack_refs(struct ref_store *refs, unsigned int flags);
  * Setup reflog before using. Fill in err and return -1 on failure.
  */
 int refs_create_reflog(struct ref_store *refs, const char *refname,
-		       int force_create, struct strbuf *err);
-int safe_create_reflog(const char *refname, int force_create, struct strbuf *err);
+		       struct strbuf *err);
+int safe_create_reflog(const char *refname, struct strbuf *err);
 
 /** Reads log for the value of ref during at_time. **/
 int read_ref_at(struct ref_store *refs,
diff --git a/refs/debug.c b/refs/debug.c
index 8667c640237..756d07c7247 100644
--- a/refs/debug.c
+++ b/refs/debug.c
@@ -339,11 +339,10 @@ static int debug_reflog_exists(struct ref_store *ref_store, const char *refname)
 }
 
 static int debug_create_reflog(struct ref_store *ref_store, const char *refname,
-			       int force_create, struct strbuf *err)
+			       struct strbuf *err)
 {
 	struct debug_ref_store *drefs = (struct debug_ref_store *)ref_store;
-	int res = drefs->refs->be->create_reflog(drefs->refs, refname,
-						 force_create, err);
+	int res = drefs->refs->be->create_reflog(drefs->refs, refname, err);
 	trace_printf_key(&trace_refs, "create_reflog: %s: %d\n", refname, res);
 	return res;
 }
diff --git a/refs/files-backend.c b/refs/files-backend.c
index 151b0056fe5..00f596dd68c 100644
--- a/refs/files-backend.c
+++ b/refs/files-backend.c
@@ -1639,15 +1639,14 @@ error:
 	return -1;
 }
 
-static int files_create_reflog(struct ref_store *ref_store,
-			       const char *refname, int force_create,
+static int files_create_reflog(struct ref_store *ref_store, const char *refname,
 			       struct strbuf *err)
 {
 	struct files_ref_store *refs =
 		files_downcast(ref_store, REF_STORE_WRITE, "create_reflog");
 	int fd;
 
-	if (log_ref_setup(refs, refname, force_create, &fd, err))
+	if (log_ref_setup(refs, refname, 1, &fd, err))
 		return -1;
 
 	if (fd >= 0)
diff --git a/refs/packed-backend.c b/refs/packed-backend.c
index 1c5211b03e4..472458b844e 100644
--- a/refs/packed-backend.c
+++ b/refs/packed-backend.c
@@ -1628,8 +1628,7 @@ static int packed_reflog_exists(struct ref_store *ref_store,
 }
 
 static int packed_create_reflog(struct ref_store *ref_store,
-			       const char *refname, int force_create,
-			       struct strbuf *err)
+				const char *refname, struct strbuf *err)
 {
 	BUG("packed reference store does not support reflogs");
 }
diff --git a/refs/refs-internal.h b/refs/refs-internal.h
index 12224742ede..5b40b3bbbf8 100644
--- a/refs/refs-internal.h
+++ b/refs/refs-internal.h
@@ -606,7 +606,7 @@ typedef int for_each_reflog_ent_reverse_fn(struct ref_store *ref_store,
 					   void *cb_data);
 typedef int reflog_exists_fn(struct ref_store *ref_store, const char *refname);
 typedef int create_reflog_fn(struct ref_store *ref_store, const char *refname,
-			     int force_create, struct strbuf *err);
+			     struct strbuf *err);
 typedef int delete_reflog_fn(struct ref_store *ref_store, const char *refname);
 typedef int reflog_expire_fn(struct ref_store *ref_store,
 			     const char *refname,
diff --git a/t/helper/test-ref-store.c b/t/helper/test-ref-store.c
index b314b81a45b..98f827edfb7 100644
--- a/t/helper/test-ref-store.c
+++ b/t/helper/test-ref-store.c
@@ -181,11 +181,10 @@ static int cmd_reflog_exists(struct ref_store *refs, const char **argv)
 static int cmd_create_reflog(struct ref_store *refs, const char **argv)
 {
 	const char *refname = notnull(*argv++, "refname");
-	int force_create = arg_flags(*argv++, "force-create");
 	struct strbuf err = STRBUF_INIT;
 	int ret;
 
-	ret = refs_create_reflog(refs, refname, force_create, &err);
+	ret = refs_create_reflog(refs, refname, &err);
 	if (err.len)
 		puts(err.buf);
 	return ret;
diff --git a/t/t1405-main-ref-store.sh b/t/t1405-main-ref-store.sh
index 49718b7ea7f..c89cef2d26b 100755
--- a/t/t1405-main-ref-store.sh
+++ b/t/t1405-main-ref-store.sh
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ test_expect_success 'delete_reflog(HEAD)' '
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'create-reflog(HEAD)' '
-	$RUN create-reflog HEAD 1 &&
+	$RUN create-reflog HEAD &&
 	git reflog exists HEAD
 '
 
diff --git a/t/t1406-submodule-ref-store.sh b/t/t1406-submodule-ref-store.sh
index 0a87058971e..f1e57a9c051 100755
--- a/t/t1406-submodule-ref-store.sh
+++ b/t/t1406-submodule-ref-store.sh
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ test_expect_success 'delete_reflog() not allowed' '
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'create-reflog() not allowed' '
-	test_must_fail $RUN create-reflog HEAD 1
+	test_must_fail $RUN create-reflog HEAD
 '
 
 test_done
