diff --git a/gitoxide-core/src/pack/receive.rs b/gitoxide-core/src/pack/receive.rs
index 2e8fc460a7..869a6a98ea 100644
--- a/gitoxide-core/src/pack/receive.rs
+++ b/gitoxide-core/src/pack/receive.rs
@@ -321,10 +321,9 @@ fn write_raw_refs(refs: &[Ref], directory: PathBuf) -> std::io::Result<()> {
     };
     for r in refs {
         let (path, content) = match r {
-            Ref::Unborn { target } => (
-                assure_dir_exists(&"HEAD".to_owned().into())?,
-                format!("unborn HEAD: {}", target),
-            ),
+            Ref::Unborn { full_ref_name, target } => {
+                (assure_dir_exists(full_ref_name)?, format!("unborn HEAD: {}", target))
+            }
             Ref::Symbolic {
                 full_ref_name: path,
                 target,
diff --git a/gitoxide-core/src/repository/remote.rs b/gitoxide-core/src/repository/remote.rs
index b77a27ba1e..227deeee73 100644
--- a/gitoxide-core/src/repository/remote.rs
+++ b/gitoxide-core/src/repository/remote.rs
@@ -230,8 +230,8 @@ mod refs_impl {
     impl From<fetch::Ref> for JsonRef {
         fn from(value: fetch::Ref) -> Self {
             match value {
-                fetch::Ref::Unborn { target } => JsonRef::Unborn {
-                    path: "HEAD".into(),
+                fetch::Ref::Unborn { full_ref_name, target } => JsonRef::Unborn {
+                    path: full_ref_name.to_string(),
                     target: target.to_string(),
                 },
                 fetch::Ref::Direct {
@@ -279,9 +279,9 @@ mod refs_impl {
                 target,
                 object,
             } => write!(&mut out, "{} {} symref-target:{}", object, path, target).map(|_| object.as_ref()),
-            fetch::Ref::Unborn { target } => {
+            fetch::Ref::Unborn { full_ref_name, target } => {
                 static NULL: git::hash::ObjectId = git::hash::ObjectId::null(git::hash::Kind::Sha1);
-                write!(&mut out, "unborn HEAD symref-target:{}", target).map(|_| NULL.as_ref())
+                write!(&mut out, "unborn {} symref-target:{}", full_ref_name, target).map(|_| NULL.as_ref())
             }
         }
     }