diff --git a/changelogs/unreleased/rs-delete-divergent-refs-option.yml b/changelogs/unreleased/rs-delete-divergent-refs-option.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..9e4187cae97dffc1cfa64aa05010ceeed6e86c1e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/unreleased/rs-delete-divergent-refs-option.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+title: Optionally keep divergent refs when mirroring
+merge_request: 1828
+author:
+type: added
diff --git a/internal/service/remote/update_remote_mirror_test.go b/internal/service/remote/update_remote_mirror_test.go
index cf6823c6f49d2bc90200d561cc6d2d4c1258e5b5..87e51eb8cdb9165e01b07a5bc0dc0379fa0aeac0 100644
--- a/internal/service/remote/update_remote_mirror_test.go
+++ b/internal/service/remote/update_remote_mirror_test.go
@@ -172,6 +172,62 @@ func TestSuccessfulUpdateRemoteMirrorRequestWithWildcards(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NotContains(t, mirrorRefs, "refs/tags/v1.2.0")
 }
 
+func TestSuccessfulUpdateRemoteMirrorRequestWithKeepDivergentRefs(t *testing.T) {
+	server, serverSocketPath := runRemoteServiceServer(t)
+	defer server.Stop()
+
+	client, conn := NewRemoteClient(t, serverSocketPath)
+	defer conn.Close()
+
+	testRepo, testRepoPath, cleanupFn := testhelper.NewTestRepo(t)
+	defer cleanupFn()
+
+	_, mirrorPath, mirrorCleanupFn := testhelper.NewTestRepo(t)
+	defer mirrorCleanupFn()
+
+	remoteName := "remote_mirror_1"
+
+	testhelper.CreateTag(t, mirrorPath, "v2.0.0", "master", nil)
+
+	setupCommands := [][]string{
+		// Preconditions
+		{"config", "user.email", "gitalytest@example.com"},
+		{"remote", "add", remoteName, mirrorPath},
+		{"fetch", remoteName},
+
+		// Delete a branch and a tag to ensure they're kept around in the mirror
+		{"branch", "-D", "not-merged-branch"},
+		{"tag", "-d", "v2.0.0"},
+	}
+
+	for _, args := range setupCommands {
+		gitArgs := []string{"-C", testRepoPath}
+		gitArgs = append(gitArgs, args...)
+		testhelper.MustRunCommand(t, nil, "git", gitArgs...)
+	}
+
+	ctx, cancel := testhelper.Context()
+	defer cancel()
+
+	firstRequest := &gitalypb.UpdateRemoteMirrorRequest{
+		Repository:        testRepo,
+		RefName:           remoteName,
+		KeepDivergentRefs: true,
+	}
+
+	stream, err := client.UpdateRemoteMirror(ctx)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NoError(t, stream.Send(firstRequest))
+
+	_, err = stream.CloseAndRecv()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	mirrorRefs := string(testhelper.MustRunCommand(t, nil, "git", "-C", mirrorPath, "for-each-ref"))
+
+	require.Contains(t, mirrorRefs, "refs/heads/not-merged-branch")
+	require.Contains(t, mirrorRefs, "refs/tags/v2.0.0")
+}
+
 func TestFailedUpdateRemoteMirrorRequestDueToValidation(t *testing.T) {
 	server, serverSocketPath := runRemoteServiceServer(t)
 	defer server.Stop()
diff --git a/proto/go/gitalypb/remote.pb.go b/proto/go/gitalypb/remote.pb.go
index 8ec9bdc30974ed081f735ea0afa7a70b8dbd4196..35119836a6d47901b4e78353bc26db27ce4dec86 100644
--- a/proto/go/gitalypb/remote.pb.go
+++ b/proto/go/gitalypb/remote.pb.go
@@ -297,6 +297,7 @@ type UpdateRemoteMirrorRequest struct {
 	OnlyBranchesMatching [][]byte    `protobuf:"bytes,3,rep,name=only_branches_matching,json=onlyBranchesMatching,proto3" json:"only_branches_matching,omitempty"`
 	SshKey               string      `protobuf:"bytes,4,opt,name=ssh_key,json=sshKey,proto3" json:"ssh_key,omitempty"`
 	KnownHosts           string      `protobuf:"bytes,5,opt,name=known_hosts,json=knownHosts,proto3" json:"known_hosts,omitempty"`
+	KeepDivergentRefs    bool        `protobuf:"varint,6,opt,name=keep_divergent_refs,json=keepDivergentRefs,proto3" json:"keep_divergent_refs,omitempty"`
 	XXX_NoUnkeyedLiteral struct{}    `json:"-"`
 	XXX_unrecognized     []byte      `json:"-"`
 	XXX_sizecache        int32       `json:"-"`
@@ -362,6 +363,13 @@ func (m *UpdateRemoteMirrorRequest) GetKnownHosts() string {
 	return ""
 }
 
+func (m *UpdateRemoteMirrorRequest) GetKeepDivergentRefs() bool {
+	if m != nil {
+		return m.KeepDivergentRefs
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
 type UpdateRemoteMirrorResponse struct {
 	XXX_NoUnkeyedLiteral struct{} `json:"-"`
 	XXX_unrecognized     []byte   `json:"-"`
@@ -713,53 +721,55 @@ func init() {
 func init() { proto.RegisterFile("remote.proto", fileDescriptor_eefc82927d57d89b) }
 
 var fileDescriptor_eefc82927d57d89b = []byte{
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+	0xa0, 0x71, 0x65, 0x2b, 0x50, 0x27, 0xc3, 0xc9, 0xd2, 0x7a, 0x6a, 0xbb, 0x6b, 0x34, 0x96, 0x12,
+	0xca, 0xa1, 0xb7, 0x50, 0x4d, 0x4d, 0x32, 0xd2, 0x32, 0xc7, 0x5b, 0x78, 0x6d, 0xaf, 0x19, 0xfd,
+	0xc4, 0xdf, 0xbe, 0x72, 0xb8, 0xff, 0x91, 0xeb, 0xf9, 0x76, 0xbf, 0x3b, 0x20, 0x93, 0x9e, 0xf8,
+	0xdc, 0x23, 0x74, 0xd4, 0x13, 0xd6, 0xbd, 0xf8, 0x4f, 0xa1, 0x37, 0x22, 0xf2, 0x1d, 0xf6, 0xfb,
+	0xc5, 0x18, 0xba, 0xff, 0x27, 0x00, 0x00, 0xff, 0xff, 0x84, 0x8d, 0xa5, 0xca, 0x62, 0x08, 0x00,
+	0x00,
 }
 
 // Reference imports to suppress errors if they are not otherwise used.
diff --git a/proto/remote.proto b/proto/remote.proto
index f4fd61f3e10278da32b493a91e2c784d3b483949..2f7970c89a75f64f7f2ad3ba13500bf39fb4e282 100644
--- a/proto/remote.proto
+++ b/proto/remote.proto
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ message UpdateRemoteMirrorRequest {
   repeated bytes only_branches_matching = 3;
   string ssh_key = 4;
   string known_hosts = 5;
+  bool keep_divergent_refs = 6;
 }
 
 message UpdateRemoteMirrorResponse {}
diff --git a/ruby/lib/gitaly_server/remote_service.rb b/ruby/lib/gitaly_server/remote_service.rb
index 39cc6e60e00a5a6cab598bb1beb10137dba6e3f6..fa62ec09253ca7e86953260ea741cde14ab86b93 100644
--- a/ruby/lib/gitaly_server/remote_service.rb
+++ b/ruby/lib/gitaly_server/remote_service.rb
@@ -24,16 +24,16 @@ module GitalyServer
     def update_remote_mirror(call)
       request_enum = call.each_remote_read
       first_request = request_enum.next
-      repo = Gitlab::Git::Repository.from_gitaly(first_request.repository, call)
-      only_branches_matching = first_request.only_branches_matching.to_a
 
+      only_branches_matching = first_request.only_branches_matching.to_a
       only_branches_matching += request_enum.flat_map(&:only_branches_matching)
 
       remote_mirror = Gitlab::Git::RemoteMirror.new(
-        repo,
+        Gitlab::Git::Repository.from_gitaly(first_request.repository, call),
         first_request.ref_name,
+        ssh_auth: Gitlab::Git::SshAuth.from_gitaly(first_request),
         only_branches_matching: only_branches_matching,
-        ssh_auth: Gitlab::Git::SshAuth.from_gitaly(first_request)
+        keep_divergent_refs: first_request.keep_divergent_refs
       )
 
       remote_mirror.update
diff --git a/ruby/lib/gitlab/git/remote_mirror.rb b/ruby/lib/gitlab/git/remote_mirror.rb
index f1f110dfb305b0c4a3e9eaeffe74305def4f2f1f..9311a8b2568a9810a0d238d0175e5492f34878c8 100644
--- a/ruby/lib/gitlab/git/remote_mirror.rb
+++ b/ruby/lib/gitlab/git/remote_mirror.rb
@@ -3,11 +3,12 @@ module Gitlab
     class RemoteMirror
       attr_reader :repository, :remote_name, :ssh_auth, :only_branches_matching
 
-      def initialize(repository, remote_name, ssh_auth:, only_branches_matching: [])
+      def initialize(repository, remote_name, ssh_auth:, only_branches_matching:, keep_divergent_refs:)
         @repository = repository
         @remote_name = remote_name
         @ssh_auth = ssh_auth
         @only_branches_matching = only_branches_matching
+        @keep_divergent_refs = keep_divergent_refs
       end
 
       def update
@@ -81,6 +82,8 @@ module Gitlab
       end
 
       def delete_refs(local_refs, remote_refs, env:)
+        return if @keep_divergent_refs
+
         refs = refs_to_delete(local_refs, remote_refs)
 
         return unless refs.present?
@@ -96,7 +99,7 @@ module Gitlab
 
           remote_ref_id = remote_ref.dereferenced_target.try(:id)
 
-          remote_ref_id && repository.ancestor?(remote_ref_id, default_branch_id)
+          repository.ancestor?(remote_ref_id, default_branch_id)
         end
       end
 
diff --git a/ruby/proto/gitaly/remote_pb.rb b/ruby/proto/gitaly/remote_pb.rb
index 48c51650e519ae2ea6da637ccc814ab16c82156c..770f5e4e88d84db6b6f9813600ea3b60661f70c2 100644
--- a/ruby/proto/gitaly/remote_pb.rb
+++ b/ruby/proto/gitaly/remote_pb.rb
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ Google::Protobuf::DescriptorPool.generated_pool.build do
     repeated :only_branches_matching, :bytes, 3
     optional :ssh_key, :string, 4
     optional :known_hosts, :string, 5
+    optional :keep_divergent_refs, :bool, 6
   end
   add_message "gitaly.UpdateRemoteMirrorResponse" do
   end
diff --git a/ruby/spec/lib/gitlab/git/remote_mirror_spec.rb b/ruby/spec/lib/gitlab/git/remote_mirror_spec.rb
index 34503d0b087b747e443832bed293fc9557634cb0..2b7bc06051839e3fc82259ca87913d11e5bb800d 100644
--- a/ruby/spec/lib/gitlab/git/remote_mirror_spec.rb
+++ b/ruby/spec/lib/gitlab/git/remote_mirror_spec.rb
@@ -18,7 +18,8 @@ describe Gitlab::Git::RemoteMirror do
       repository,
       ref_name,
       ssh_auth: ssh_auth,
-      only_branches_matching: []
+      only_branches_matching: [],
+      keep_divergent_refs: false
     )
   end
 
@@ -33,7 +34,8 @@ describe Gitlab::Git::RemoteMirror do
           repository,
           ref_name,
           ssh_auth: ssh_auth,
-          only_branches_matching: ['master', '*-stable']
+          only_branches_matching: ['master', '*-stable'],
+          keep_divergent_refs: false
         )
       end