diff --git a/fetch-pack.c b/fetch-pack.c
index 08caf1dc913..a14d24a52fe 100644
--- a/fetch-pack.c
+++ b/fetch-pack.c
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ enum ack_type {
 
 static void consume_shallow_list(struct fetch_pack_args *args, int fd)
 {
-	if (args->stateless_rpc && args->depth > 0) {
+	if (args->stateless_rpc && args->deepen) {
 		/* If we sent a depth we will get back "duplicate"
 		 * shallow and unshallow commands every time there
 		 * is a block of have lines exchanged.
@@ -348,7 +348,7 @@ static int find_common(struct fetch_pack_args *args,
 	packet_buf_flush(&req_buf);
 	state_len = req_buf.len;
 
-	if (args->depth > 0) {
+	if (args->deepen) {
 		char *line;
 		const char *arg;
 		unsigned char sha1[20];
@@ -557,7 +557,7 @@ static void filter_refs(struct fetch_pack_args *args,
 		}
 
 		if (!keep && args->fetch_all &&
-		    (!args->depth || !starts_with(ref->name, "refs/tags/")))
+		    (!args->deepen || !starts_with(ref->name, "refs/tags/")))
 			keep = 1;
 
 		if (keep) {
@@ -627,7 +627,7 @@ static int everything_local(struct fetch_pack_args *args,
 		}
 	}
 
-	if (!args->depth) {
+	if (!args->deepen) {
 		for_each_ref(mark_complete_oid, NULL);
 		for_each_alternate_ref(mark_alternate_complete, NULL);
 		commit_list_sort_by_date(&complete);
@@ -812,6 +812,8 @@ static struct ref *do_fetch_pack(struct fetch_pack_args *args,
 
 	if ((args->depth > 0 || is_repository_shallow()) && !server_supports("shallow"))
 		die(_("Server does not support shallow clients"));
+	if (args->depth > 0)
+		args->deepen = 1;
 	if (server_supports("multi_ack_detailed")) {
 		print_verbose(args, _("Server supports multi_ack_detailed"));
 		multi_ack = 2;
@@ -872,7 +874,7 @@ static struct ref *do_fetch_pack(struct fetch_pack_args *args,
 
 	if (args->stateless_rpc)
 		packet_flush(fd[1]);
-	if (args->depth > 0)
+	if (args->deepen)
 		setup_alternate_shallow(&shallow_lock, &alternate_shallow_file,
 					NULL);
 	else if (si->nr_ours || si->nr_theirs)
@@ -939,7 +941,7 @@ static void update_shallow(struct fetch_pack_args *args,
 	int *status;
 	int i;
 
-	if (args->depth > 0 && alternate_shallow_file) {
+	if (args->deepen && alternate_shallow_file) {
 		if (*alternate_shallow_file == '\0') { /* --unshallow */
 			unlink_or_warn(git_path_shallow());
 			rollback_lock_file(&shallow_lock);
diff --git a/fetch-pack.h b/fetch-pack.h
index bb7fd76e593..4d0adb0b971 100644
--- a/fetch-pack.h
+++ b/fetch-pack.h
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ struct fetch_pack_args {
 	unsigned self_contained_and_connected:1;
 	unsigned cloning:1;
 	unsigned update_shallow:1;
+	unsigned deepen:1;
 };
 
 /*