diff --git a/builtin/remote.c b/builtin/remote.c
index 1fb441c964b..9c746af460d 100644
--- a/builtin/remote.c
+++ b/builtin/remote.c
@@ -580,7 +580,7 @@ static int read_remote_branches(const char *refname,
 	unsigned char orig_sha1[20];
 	const char *symref;
 
-	strbuf_addf(&buf, "refs/remotes/%s", rename->old);
+	strbuf_addf(&buf, "refs/remotes/%s/", rename->old);
 	if (!prefixcmp(refname, buf.buf)) {
 		item = string_list_append(rename->remote_branches, xstrdup(refname));
 		symref = resolve_ref(refname, orig_sha1, 1, &flag);
@@ -631,10 +631,11 @@ static int mv(int argc, const char **argv)
 		OPT_END()
 	};
 	struct remote *oldremote, *newremote;
-	struct strbuf buf = STRBUF_INIT, buf2 = STRBUF_INIT, buf3 = STRBUF_INIT;
+	struct strbuf buf = STRBUF_INIT, buf2 = STRBUF_INIT, buf3 = STRBUF_INIT,
+		old_remote_context = STRBUF_INIT;
 	struct string_list remote_branches = STRING_LIST_INIT_NODUP;
 	struct rename_info rename;
-	int i;
+	int i, refspec_updated = 0;
 
 	if (argc != 3)
 		usage_with_options(builtin_remote_rename_usage, options);
@@ -669,15 +670,25 @@ static int mv(int argc, const char **argv)
 	strbuf_addf(&buf, "remote.%s.fetch", rename.new);
 	if (git_config_set_multivar(buf.buf, NULL, NULL, 1))
 		return error("Could not remove config section '%s'", buf.buf);
+	strbuf_addf(&old_remote_context, ":refs/remotes/%s/", rename.old);
 	for (i = 0; i < oldremote->fetch_refspec_nr; i++) {
 		char *ptr;
 
 		strbuf_reset(&buf2);
 		strbuf_addstr(&buf2, oldremote->fetch_refspec[i]);
-		ptr = strstr(buf2.buf, rename.old);
-		if (ptr)
-			strbuf_splice(&buf2, ptr-buf2.buf, strlen(rename.old),
-					rename.new, strlen(rename.new));
+		ptr = strstr(buf2.buf, old_remote_context.buf);
+		if (ptr) {
+			refspec_updated = 1;
+			strbuf_splice(&buf2,
+				      ptr-buf2.buf + strlen(":refs/remotes/"),
+				      strlen(rename.old), rename.new,
+				      strlen(rename.new));
+		} else
+			warning("Not updating non-default fetch respec\n"
+				"\t%s\n"
+				"\tPlease update the configuration manually if necessary.",
+				buf2.buf);
+
 		if (git_config_set_multivar(buf.buf, buf2.buf, "^$", 0))
 			return error("Could not append '%s'", buf.buf);
 	}
@@ -695,6 +706,9 @@ static int mv(int argc, const char **argv)
 		}
 	}
 
+	if (!refspec_updated)
+		return 0;
+
 	/*
 	 * First remove symrefs, then rename the rest, finally create
 	 * the new symrefs.
diff --git a/t/t5505-remote.sh b/t/t5505-remote.sh
index 0d0222ea2ac..e8af615e6dc 100755
--- a/t/t5505-remote.sh
+++ b/t/t5505-remote.sh
@@ -631,6 +631,37 @@ test_expect_success 'rename a remote' '
 
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'rename does not update a non-default fetch refspec' '
+
+	git clone one four.one &&
+	(cd four.one &&
+	 git config remote.origin.fetch +refs/heads/*:refs/heads/origin/* &&
+	 git remote rename origin upstream &&
+	 test "$(git config remote.upstream.fetch)" = "+refs/heads/*:refs/heads/origin/*" &&
+	 git rev-parse -q origin/master)
+
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'rename a remote with name part of fetch spec' '
+
+	git clone one four.two &&
+	(cd four.two &&
+	 git remote rename origin remote &&
+	 git remote rename remote upstream &&
+	 test "$(git config remote.upstream.fetch)" = "+refs/heads/*:refs/remotes/upstream/*")
+
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'rename a remote with name prefix of other remote' '
+
+	git clone one four.three &&
+	(cd four.three &&
+	 git remote add o git://example.com/repo.git &&
+	 git remote rename o upstream &&
+	 test "$(git rev-parse origin/master)" = "$(git rev-parse master)")
+
+'
+
 cat > remotes_origin << EOF
 URL: $(pwd)/one
 Push: refs/heads/master:refs/heads/upstream