diff --git a/refs/files-backend.c b/refs/files-backend.c
index 2f98eebe94e..15ba456d680 100644
--- a/refs/files-backend.c
+++ b/refs/files-backend.c
@@ -2333,7 +2333,8 @@ int rename_ref(const char *oldrefname, const char *newrefname, const char *logms
 	if (log && S_ISLNK(loginfo.st_mode))
 		return error("reflog for %s is a symlink", oldrefname);
 
-	if (!resolve_ref_unsafe(oldrefname, RESOLVE_REF_READING, orig_sha1, &flag))
+	if (!resolve_ref_unsafe(oldrefname, RESOLVE_REF_READING | RESOLVE_REF_NO_RECURSE,
+				orig_sha1, &flag))
 		return error("refname %s not found", oldrefname);
 
 	if (flag & REF_ISSYMREF)
@@ -2351,8 +2352,16 @@ int rename_ref(const char *oldrefname, const char *newrefname, const char *logms
 		goto rollback;
 	}
 
-	if (!read_ref_full(newrefname, RESOLVE_REF_READING, sha1, NULL) &&
-	    delete_ref(newrefname, sha1, REF_NODEREF)) {
+	/*
+	 * Since we are doing a shallow lookup, sha1 is not the
+	 * correct value to pass to delete_ref as old_sha1. But that
+	 * doesn't matter, because an old_sha1 check wouldn't add to
+	 * the safety anyway; we want to delete the reference whatever
+	 * its current value.
+	 */
+	if (!read_ref_full(newrefname, RESOLVE_REF_READING | RESOLVE_REF_NO_RECURSE,
+			   sha1, NULL) &&
+	    delete_ref(newrefname, NULL, REF_NODEREF)) {
 		if (errno==EISDIR) {
 			struct strbuf path = STRBUF_INIT;
 			int result;
@@ -2376,7 +2385,8 @@ int rename_ref(const char *oldrefname, const char *newrefname, const char *logms
 
 	logmoved = log;
 
-	lock = lock_ref_sha1_basic(newrefname, NULL, NULL, NULL, 0, NULL, &err);
+	lock = lock_ref_sha1_basic(newrefname, NULL, NULL, NULL, REF_NODEREF,
+				   NULL, &err);
 	if (!lock) {
 		error("unable to rename '%s' to '%s': %s", oldrefname, newrefname, err.buf);
 		strbuf_release(&err);
@@ -2394,7 +2404,8 @@ int rename_ref(const char *oldrefname, const char *newrefname, const char *logms
 	return 0;
 
  rollback:
-	lock = lock_ref_sha1_basic(oldrefname, NULL, NULL, NULL, 0, NULL, &err);
+	lock = lock_ref_sha1_basic(oldrefname, NULL, NULL, NULL, REF_NODEREF,
+				   NULL, &err);
 	if (!lock) {
 		error("unable to lock %s for rollback: %s", oldrefname, err.buf);
 		strbuf_release(&err);
diff --git a/t/t3200-branch.sh b/t/t3200-branch.sh
index f3e3b6cf2ea..42811604bb8 100755
--- a/t/t3200-branch.sh
+++ b/t/t3200-branch.sh
@@ -79,6 +79,15 @@ test_expect_success 'git branch -m dumps usage' '
 	test_i18ngrep "branch name required" err
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'git branch -m m broken_symref should work' '
+	test_when_finished "git branch -D broken_symref" &&
+	git branch -l m &&
+	git symbolic-ref refs/heads/broken_symref refs/heads/i_am_broken &&
+	git branch -m m broken_symref &&
+	git reflog exists refs/heads/broken_symref &&
+	test_must_fail git reflog exists refs/heads/i_am_broken
+'
+
 test_expect_success 'git branch -m m m/m should work' '
 	git branch -l m &&
 	git branch -m m m/m &&