diff --git a/Documentation/git-clone.txt b/Documentation/git-clone.txt
index a55536f..2fd1252 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-clone.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-clone.txt
@@ -189,6 +189,12 @@
 	values are given for the same key, each value will be written to
 	the config file. This makes it safe, for example, to add
 	additional fetch refspecs to the origin remote.
++
+Due to limitations of the current implementation, some configuration
+variables do not take effect until after the initial fetch and checkout.
+Configuration variables known to not take effect are:
+`remote.<name>.mirror` and `remote.<name>.tagOpt`.  Use the
+corresponding `--mirror` and `--no-tags` options instead.
 
 --depth <depth>::
 	Create a 'shallow' clone with a history truncated to the
diff --git a/builtin/clone.c b/builtin/clone.c
index 15b142d..7c7f98c 100644
--- a/builtin/clone.c
+++ b/builtin/clone.c
@@ -548,7 +548,7 @@
 }
 
 static struct ref *wanted_peer_refs(const struct ref *refs,
-		struct refspec_item *refspec)
+		struct refspec *refspec)
 {
 	struct ref *head = copy_ref(find_ref_by_name(refs, "HEAD"));
 	struct ref *local_refs = head;
@@ -569,13 +569,19 @@
 			warning(_("Could not find remote branch %s to clone."),
 				option_branch);
 		else {
-			get_fetch_map(remote_head, refspec, &tail, 0);
+			int i;
+			for (i = 0; i < refspec->nr; i++)
+				get_fetch_map(remote_head, &refspec->items[i],
+					      &tail, 0);
 
 			/* if --branch=tag, pull the requested tag explicitly */
 			get_fetch_map(remote_head, tag_refspec, &tail, 0);
 		}
-	} else
-		get_fetch_map(refs, refspec, &tail, 0);
+	} else {
+		int i;
+		for (i = 0; i < refspec->nr; i++)
+			get_fetch_map(refs, &refspec->items[i], &tail, 0);
+	}
 
 	if (!option_mirror && !option_single_branch && !option_no_tags)
 		get_fetch_map(refs, tag_refspec, &tail, 0);
@@ -890,7 +896,8 @@
 	const struct ref *our_head_points_at;
 	struct ref *mapped_refs;
 	const struct ref *ref;
-	struct strbuf key = STRBUF_INIT, value = STRBUF_INIT;
+	struct strbuf key = STRBUF_INIT;
+	struct strbuf default_refspec = STRBUF_INIT;
 	struct strbuf branch_top = STRBUF_INIT, reflog_msg = STRBUF_INIT;
 	struct transport *transport = NULL;
 	const char *src_ref_prefix = "refs/heads/";
@@ -898,7 +905,6 @@
 	int err = 0, complete_refs_before_fetch = 1;
 	int submodule_progress;
 
-	struct refspec rs = REFSPEC_INIT_FETCH;
 	struct argv_array ref_prefixes = ARGV_ARRAY_INIT;
 
 	fetch_if_missing = 0;
@@ -1067,7 +1073,6 @@
 		strbuf_addf(&branch_top, "refs/remotes/%s/", option_origin);
 	}
 
-	strbuf_addf(&value, "+%s*:%s*", src_ref_prefix, branch_top.buf);
 	strbuf_addf(&key, "remote.%s.url", option_origin);
 	git_config_set(key.buf, repo);
 	strbuf_reset(&key);
@@ -1081,11 +1086,12 @@
 	if (option_required_reference.nr || option_optional_reference.nr)
 		setup_reference();
 
-	refspec_append(&rs, value.buf);
-
-	strbuf_reset(&value);
-
 	remote = remote_get(option_origin);
+
+	strbuf_addf(&default_refspec, "+%s*:%s*", src_ref_prefix,
+		    branch_top.buf);
+	refspec_append(&remote->fetch, default_refspec.buf);
+
 	transport = transport_get(remote, remote->url[0]);
 	transport_set_verbosity(transport, option_verbosity, option_progress);
 	transport->family = family;
@@ -1140,7 +1146,7 @@
 
 
 	argv_array_push(&ref_prefixes, "HEAD");
-	refspec_ref_prefixes(&rs, &ref_prefixes);
+	refspec_ref_prefixes(&remote->fetch, &ref_prefixes);
 	if (option_branch)
 		expand_ref_prefix(&ref_prefixes, option_branch);
 	if (!option_no_tags)
@@ -1149,7 +1155,7 @@
 	refs = transport_get_remote_refs(transport, &ref_prefixes);
 
 	if (refs) {
-		mapped_refs = wanted_peer_refs(refs, &rs.items[0]);
+		mapped_refs = wanted_peer_refs(refs, &remote->fetch);
 		/*
 		 * transport_get_remote_refs() may return refs with null sha-1
 		 * in mapped_refs (see struct transport->get_refs_list
@@ -1240,10 +1246,9 @@
 	strbuf_release(&reflog_msg);
 	strbuf_release(&branch_top);
 	strbuf_release(&key);
-	strbuf_release(&value);
+	strbuf_release(&default_refspec);
 	junk_mode = JUNK_LEAVE_ALL;
 
-	refspec_clear(&rs);
 	argv_array_clear(&ref_prefixes);
 	return err;
 }
diff --git a/t/t5611-clone-config.sh b/t/t5611-clone-config.sh
index 39329eb..60c1ba9 100755
--- a/t/t5611-clone-config.sh
+++ b/t/t5611-clone-config.sh
@@ -45,6 +45,53 @@
 	test_cmp expect child/file
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'clone -c remote.origin.fetch=<refspec> works' '
+	rm -rf child &&
+	git update-ref refs/grab/it refs/heads/master &&
+	git update-ref refs/leave/out refs/heads/master &&
+	git clone -c "remote.origin.fetch=+refs/grab/*:refs/grab/*" . child &&
+	git -C child for-each-ref --format="%(refname)" >actual &&
+
+	cat >expect <<-\EOF &&
+	refs/grab/it
+	refs/heads/master
+	refs/remotes/origin/HEAD
+	refs/remotes/origin/master
+	EOF
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'git -c remote.origin.fetch=<refspec> clone works' '
+	rm -rf child &&
+	git -c "remote.origin.fetch=+refs/grab/*:refs/grab/*" clone . child &&
+	git -C child for-each-ref --format="%(refname)" >actual &&
+
+	cat >expect <<-\EOF &&
+	refs/grab/it
+	refs/heads/master
+	refs/remotes/origin/HEAD
+	refs/remotes/origin/master
+	EOF
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'clone -c remote.<remote>.fetch=<refspec> --origin=<name>' '
+	rm -rf child &&
+	git clone --origin=upstream \
+		  -c "remote.upstream.fetch=+refs/grab/*:refs/grab/*" \
+		  -c "remote.origin.fetch=+refs/leave/*:refs/leave/*" \
+		  . child &&
+	git -C child for-each-ref --format="%(refname)" >actual &&
+
+	cat >expect <<-\EOF &&
+	refs/grab/it
+	refs/heads/master
+	refs/remotes/upstream/HEAD
+	refs/remotes/upstream/master
+	EOF
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
 # Tests for the hidden file attribute on windows
 is_hidden () {
 	# Use the output of `attrib`, ignore the absolute path