diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/api/CheckoutCommandTest.java b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/api/CheckoutCommandTest.java
index 21fbe0a..6e9f851 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/api/CheckoutCommandTest.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/api/CheckoutCommandTest.java
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertFalse;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertNotNull;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertNull;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertSame;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
 import static org.junit.Assert.fail;
 
@@ -239,4 +240,20 @@ public void testCheckoutRemoteTrackingWithoutLocalBranch() {
 			fail(e.getMessage());
 		}
 	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testDetachedHeadOnCheckout() throws JGitInternalException,
+			RefAlreadyExistsException, RefNotFoundException,
+			InvalidRefNameException, IOException {
+		CheckoutCommand co = git.checkout();
+		co.setName("master").call();
+
+		String commitId = db.getRef(Constants.MASTER).getObjectId().name();
+		co = git.checkout();
+		co.setName(commitId).call();
+
+		Ref head = db.getRef(Constants.HEAD);
+		assertFalse(head.isSymbolic());
+		assertSame(head, head.getTarget());
+	}
 }
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/RefUpdate.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/RefUpdate.java
index e6f8933..24af944 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/RefUpdate.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/RefUpdate.java
@@ -168,6 +168,17 @@ public static enum Result {
 	private final Ref ref;
 
 	/**
+	 * Is this RefUpdate detaching a symbolic ref?
+	 *
+	 * We need this info since this.ref will normally be peeled of in case of
+	 * detaching a symbolic ref (HEAD for example).
+	 *
+	 * Without this flag we cannot decide whether the ref has to be updated or
+	 * not in case when it was a symbolic ref and the newValue == oldValue.
+	 */
+	private boolean detachingSymbolicRef;
+
+	/**
 	 * Construct a new update operation for the reference.
 	 * <p>
 	 * {@code ref.getObjectId()} will be used to seed {@link #getOldObjectId()},
@@ -254,6 +265,13 @@ public ObjectId getNewObjectId() {
 	}
 
 	/**
+	 * Tells this RefUpdate that it is actually detaching a symbolic ref.
+	 */
+	public void setDetachingSymbolicRef() {
+		detachingSymbolicRef = true;
+	}
+
+	/**
 	 * Set the new value the ref will update to.
 	 *
 	 * @param id
@@ -596,7 +614,7 @@ private Result updateImpl(final RevWalk walk, final Store store)
 
 			newObj = safeParse(walk, newValue);
 			oldObj = safeParse(walk, oldValue);
-			if (newObj == oldObj)
+			if (newObj == oldObj && !detachingSymbolicRef)
 				return store.execute(Result.NO_CHANGE);
 
 			if (newObj instanceof RevCommit && oldObj instanceof RevCommit) {
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/storage/file/RefDirectory.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/storage/file/RefDirectory.java
index e8ce2c5..c3402df 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/storage/file/RefDirectory.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/storage/file/RefDirectory.java
@@ -491,15 +491,22 @@ void storedSymbolicRef(RefDirectoryUpdate u, long modified, String target) {
 
 	public RefDirectoryUpdate newUpdate(String name, boolean detach)
 			throws IOException {
+		boolean detachingSymbolicRef = false;
 		final RefList<Ref> packed = getPackedRefs();
 		Ref ref = readRef(name, packed);
 		if (ref != null)
 			ref = resolve(ref, 0, null, null, packed);
 		if (ref == null)
 			ref = new ObjectIdRef.Unpeeled(NEW, name, null);
-		else if (detach && ref.isSymbolic())
-			ref = new ObjectIdRef.Unpeeled(LOOSE, name, ref.getObjectId());
-		return new RefDirectoryUpdate(this, ref);
+		else {
+			detachingSymbolicRef = detach && ref.isSymbolic();
+			if (detachingSymbolicRef)
+				ref = new ObjectIdRef.Unpeeled(LOOSE, name, ref.getObjectId());
+		}
+		RefDirectoryUpdate refDirUpdate = new RefDirectoryUpdate(this, ref);
+		if (detachingSymbolicRef)
+			refDirUpdate.setDetachingSymbolicRef();
+		return refDirUpdate;
 	}
 
 	@Override