diff --git a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/ReceiveCommits.java b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/ReceiveCommits.java
index 514a302290..23593e5b42 100644
--- a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/ReceiveCommits.java
+++ b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/ReceiveCommits.java
@@ -97,7 +97,6 @@ import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.ObjectId;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.ObjectReader;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.PersonIdent;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.Ref;
-import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.RefUpdate;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.Repository;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.notes.NoteMap;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.revwalk.FooterKey;
@@ -1676,7 +1675,7 @@ public class ReceiveCommits {
       ListenableFuture<PatchSet.Id> future = changeUpdateExector.submit(
           requestScopePropagator.wrap(new Callable<PatchSet.Id>() {
         @Override
-        public PatchSet.Id call() throws OrmException, IOException {
+        public PatchSet.Id call() throws OrmException {
           try {
             if (caller == Thread.currentThread()) {
               return insertPatchSet(db);
@@ -1698,7 +1697,7 @@ public class ReceiveCommits {
       return Futures.makeChecked(future, ORM_EXCEPTION);
     }
 
-    PatchSet.Id insertPatchSet(ReviewDb db) throws OrmException, IOException {
+    PatchSet.Id insertPatchSet(ReviewDb db) throws OrmException {
       final Account.Id me = currentUser.getAccountId();
       final Set<Account.Id> reviewers = new HashSet<Account.Id>(reviewerId);
       final Set<Account.Id> cc = new HashSet<Account.Id>(ccId);
@@ -1813,14 +1812,7 @@ public class ReceiveCommits {
         markChangeMergedByPush(db, this);
       }
 
-      final RefUpdate ru = repo.updateRef(newPatchSet.getRefName());
-      ru.setNewObjectId(newCommit);
-      ru.disableRefLog();
-      if (ru.update(rp.getRevWalk()) != RefUpdate.Result.NEW) {
-        throw new IOException("Failed to create ref " + newPatchSet.getRefName() + " in "
-            + repo.getDirectory() + ": " + ru.getResult());
-      }
-      replication.fire(project.getNameKey(), ru.getName());
+      replication.fire(project.getNameKey(), newPatchSet.getRefName());
       hooks.doPatchsetCreatedHook(change, newPatchSet, db);
       if (mergedIntoRef != null) {
         hooks.doChangeMergedHook(