diff --git a/git-request-pull.sh b/git-request-pull.sh
index 5c1599752..d5500fde4 100755
--- a/git-request-pull.sh
+++ b/git-request-pull.sh
@@ -119,6 +119,12 @@ then
 	status=1
 fi
 
+# Special case: turn "for_linus" to "tags/for_linus" when it is correct
+if test "$ref" = "refs/tags/$pretty_remote"
+then
+	pretty_remote=tags/$pretty_remote
+fi
+
 url=$(git ls-remote --get-url "$url")
 
 git show -s --format='The following changes since commit %H:
diff --git a/t/t5150-request-pull.sh b/t/t5150-request-pull.sh
index 75d6b3843..93e2c65de 100755
--- a/t/t5150-request-pull.sh
+++ b/t/t5150-request-pull.sh
@@ -223,7 +223,13 @@ test_expect_success 'pull request format' '
 		git request-pull initial "$downstream_url" tags/full:refs/tags/full
 	) >request &&
 	sed -nf fuzz.sed <request >request.fuzzy &&
-	test_i18ncmp expect request.fuzzy
+	test_i18ncmp expect request.fuzzy &&
+
+	(
+		cd local &&
+		git request-pull initial "$downstream_url" full
+	) >request &&
+	grep ' tags/full$'
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'request-pull ignores OPTIONS_KEEPDASHDASH poison' '