diff --git a/builtin/remote.c b/builtin/remote.c
index 981c487ef..bd57f1b29 100644
--- a/builtin/remote.c
+++ b/builtin/remote.c
@@ -186,10 +186,7 @@ static int add(int argc, const char **argv)
 	url = argv[1];
 
 	remote = remote_get(name);
-	if (remote && (remote->url_nr > 1 ||
-			(strcmp(name, remote->url[0]) &&
-				strcmp(url, remote->url[0])) ||
-			remote->fetch_refspec_nr))
+	if (remote_is_configured(remote))
 		die(_("remote %s already exists."), name);
 
 	strbuf_addf(&buf2, "refs/heads/test:refs/remotes/%s/test", name);
@@ -641,7 +638,7 @@ static int mv(int argc, const char **argv)
 		return migrate_file(oldremote);
 
 	newremote = remote_get(rename.new);
-	if (newremote && (newremote->url_nr > 1 || newremote->fetch_refspec_nr))
+	if (remote_is_configured(newremote))
 		die(_("remote %s already exists."), rename.new);
 
 	strbuf_addf(&buf, "refs/heads/test:refs/remotes/%s/test", rename.new);
diff --git a/t/t5505-remote.sh b/t/t5505-remote.sh
index f1d073f1b..94079a0e6 100755
--- a/t/t5505-remote.sh
+++ b/t/t5505-remote.sh
@@ -157,6 +157,21 @@ test_expect_success 'rename errors out early when deleting non-existent branch'
 	)
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'add existing foreign_vcs remote' '
+	test_config remote.foo.vcs bar &&
+	echo "fatal: remote foo already exists." >expect &&
+	test_must_fail git remote add foo bar 2>actual &&
+	test_i18ncmp expect actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'add existing foreign_vcs remote' '
+	test_config remote.foo.vcs bar &&
+	test_config remote.bar.vcs bar &&
+	echo "fatal: remote bar already exists." >expect &&
+	test_must_fail git remote rename foo bar 2>actual &&
+	test_i18ncmp expect actual
+'
+
 cat >test/expect <<EOF
 * remote origin
   Fetch URL: $(pwd)/one