diff --git a/Documentation/config.txt b/Documentation/config.txt
index 29369d051b1d82..965ed746da0901 100644
--- a/Documentation/config.txt
+++ b/Documentation/config.txt
@@ -1188,6 +1188,10 @@ receive.unpackLimit::
 	especially on slow filesystems.  If not set, the value of
 	`transfer.unpackLimit` is used instead.
 
+receive.denyDeletes::
+	If set to true, git-receive-pack will deny a ref update that deletes
+	the ref. Use this to prevent such a ref deletion via a push.
+
 receive.denyNonFastForwards::
 	If set to true, git-receive-pack will deny a ref update which is
 	not a fast forward. Use this to prevent such an update via a push,
diff --git a/builtin-receive-pack.c b/builtin-receive-pack.c
index 9f60f31c2bb7da..2c0225c89a44a2 100644
--- a/builtin-receive-pack.c
+++ b/builtin-receive-pack.c
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 
 static const char receive_pack_usage[] = "git-receive-pack <git-dir>";
 
+static int deny_deletes = 0;
 static int deny_non_fast_forwards = 0;
 static int receive_fsck_objects;
 static int receive_unpack_limit = -1;
@@ -23,6 +24,11 @@ static int capabilities_sent;
 
 static int receive_pack_config(const char *var, const char *value, void *cb)
 {
+	if (strcmp(var, "receive.denydeletes") == 0) {
+		deny_deletes = git_config_bool(var, value);
+		return 0;
+	}
+
 	if (strcmp(var, "receive.denynonfastforwards") == 0) {
 		deny_non_fast_forwards = git_config_bool(var, value);
 		return 0;
@@ -185,6 +191,12 @@ static const char *update(struct command *cmd)
 		      "but I can't find it!", sha1_to_hex(new_sha1));
 		return "bad pack";
 	}
+	if (deny_deletes && is_null_sha1(new_sha1) &&
+	    !is_null_sha1(old_sha1) &&
+	    !prefixcmp(name, "refs/heads/")) {
+		error("denying ref deletion for %s", name);
+		return "deletion prohibited";
+	}
 	if (deny_non_fast_forwards && !is_null_sha1(new_sha1) &&
 	    !is_null_sha1(old_sha1) &&
 	    !prefixcmp(name, "refs/heads/")) {
diff --git a/t/t5400-send-pack.sh b/t/t5400-send-pack.sh
index 544771d8fa98ec..6fe2f87b850c1a 100755
--- a/t/t5400-send-pack.sh
+++ b/t/t5400-send-pack.sh
@@ -103,6 +103,17 @@ unset GIT_CONFIG GIT_CONFIG_LOCAL
 HOME=`pwd`/no-such-directory
 export HOME ;# this way we force the victim/.git/config to be used.
 
+test_expect_failure \
+	'pushing a delete should be denied with denyDeletes' '
+	cd victim &&
+	git config receive.denyDeletes true &&
+	git branch extra master &&
+	cd .. &&
+	test -f victim/.git/refs/heads/extra &&
+	test_must_fail git send-pack ./victim/.git/ :extra master
+'
+rm -f victim/.git/refs/heads/extra
+
 test_expect_success \
         'pushing with --force should be denied with denyNonFastforwards' '
 	cd victim &&