diff --git a/builtin/branch.c b/builtin/branch.c
index 3b79c5087fbf11..dc6f0b266c9cf6 100644
--- a/builtin/branch.c
+++ b/builtin/branch.c
@@ -800,7 +800,7 @@ static int edit_branch_description(const char *branch_name)
 
 int cmd_branch(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 {
-	int delete = 0, rename = 0, force_create = 0, list = 0;
+	int delete = 0, rename = 0, force = 0, list = 0;
 	int verbose = 0, abbrev = -1, detached = 0;
 	int reflog = 0, edit_description = 0;
 	int quiet = 0, unset_upstream = 0;
@@ -848,7 +848,7 @@ int cmd_branch(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		OPT_BOOL('l', "create-reflog", &reflog, N_("create the branch's reflog")),
 		OPT_BOOL(0, "edit-description", &edit_description,
 			 N_("edit the description for the branch")),
-		OPT__FORCE(&force_create, N_("force creation (when already exists)")),
+		OPT__FORCE(&force, N_("force creation, move/rename, deletion")),
 		{
 			OPTION_CALLBACK, 0, "no-merged", &merge_filter_ref,
 			N_("commit"), N_("print only not merged branches"),
@@ -891,7 +891,7 @@ int cmd_branch(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	if (with_commit || merge_filter != NO_FILTER)
 		list = 1;
 
-	if (!!delete + !!rename + !!force_create + !!new_upstream +
+	if (!!delete + !!rename + !!new_upstream +
 	    list + unset_upstream > 1)
 		usage_with_options(builtin_branch_usage, options);
 
@@ -904,6 +904,11 @@ int cmd_branch(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		colopts = 0;
 	}
 
+	if (force) {
+		delete *= 2;
+		rename *= 2;
+	}
+
 	if (delete) {
 		if (!argc)
 			die(_("branch name required"));
@@ -1020,7 +1025,7 @@ int cmd_branch(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 
 		branch_existed = ref_exists(branch->refname);
 		create_branch(head, argv[0], (argc == 2) ? argv[1] : head,
-			      force_create, reflog, 0, quiet, track);
+			      force, reflog, 0, quiet, track);
 
 		/*
 		 * We only show the instructions if the user gave us
diff --git a/t/t3200-branch.sh b/t/t3200-branch.sh
index 432921b6b81684..ddea49808d063f 100755
--- a/t/t3200-branch.sh
+++ b/t/t3200-branch.sh
@@ -97,6 +97,20 @@ test_expect_success 'git branch -m o/o o should fail when o/p exists' '
 	test_must_fail git branch -m o/o o
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'git branch -m o/q o/p should fail when o/p exists' '
+	git branch o/q &&
+	test_must_fail git branch -m o/q o/p
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'git branch -M o/q o/p should work when o/p exists' '
+	git branch -M o/q o/p
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'git branch -m -f o/q o/p should work when o/p exists' '
+	git branch o/q &&
+	git branch -m -f o/q o/p
+'
+
 test_expect_success 'git branch -m q r/q should fail when r exists' '
 	git branch q &&
 	git branch r &&