diff --git a/github-plugin/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/github/git/GitCloneStep.java b/github-plugin/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/github/git/GitCloneStep.java
index 02dfe87..8923b52 100644
--- a/github-plugin/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/github/git/GitCloneStep.java
+++ b/github-plugin/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/github/git/GitCloneStep.java
@@ -20,11 +20,15 @@
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.registration.DynamicSet;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.ResourceConflictException;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.RestApiException;
+import com.google.gerrit.server.IdentifiedUser;
+import com.google.gerrit.server.account.AccountState;
+import com.google.gerrit.server.extensions.events.GitReferenceUpdated;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.git.GitRepositoryManager;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.project.ProjectCache;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.util.ManualRequestContext;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.util.OneOffRequestContext;
 import com.google.inject.Inject;
+import com.google.inject.Provider;
 import com.google.inject.assistedinject.Assisted;
 import com.googlesource.gerrit.plugins.github.GitHubConfig;
 import java.io.File;
@@ -33,7 +37,9 @@
 import org.eclipse.jgit.api.FetchCommand;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.api.Git;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.api.errors.GitAPIException;
+import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.ObjectId;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.ProgressMonitor;
+import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.Ref;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.Repository;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.RepositoryCache;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
@@ -52,6 +58,8 @@
   private final DynamicSet<ProjectDeletedListener> deletedListeners;
   private final ProjectCache projectCache;
   private final GitRepositoryManager repoManager;
+  private final GitReferenceUpdated referenceUpdated;
+  private final Provider<IdentifiedUser> identifiedUser;
 
   public interface Factory {
     GitCloneStep create(
@@ -67,6 +75,8 @@
       DynamicSet<ProjectDeletedListener> deletedListeners,
       ProjectCache projectCache,
       GitRepositoryManager repoManager,
+      GitReferenceUpdated referenceUpdated,
+      Provider<IdentifiedUser> identifiedUser,
       @Assisted("organisation") String organisation,
       @Assisted("name") String repository)
       throws GitException {
@@ -83,6 +93,8 @@
     this.deletedListeners = deletedListeners;
     this.projectCache = projectCache;
     this.repoManager = repoManager;
+    this.referenceUpdated = referenceUpdated;
+    this.identifiedUser = identifiedUser;
   }
 
   private static File prepareTargetGitDirectory(File gitDir, String organisation, String repository)
@@ -95,10 +107,11 @@
     return repositoryDir;
   }
 
-  private void createNewProject() throws GitException {
+  private String createNewProject() throws GitException {
     String projectName = organisation + "/" + repository;
     try (ManualRequestContext requestContext = context.openAs(config.importAccountId)) {
       gerritApi.projects().create(projectName).get();
+      return projectName;
     } catch (ResourceConflictException e) {
       throw new GitDestinationAlreadyExistsException(projectName);
     } catch (RestApiException e) {
@@ -108,7 +121,7 @@
 
   @Override
   public void doImport(ProgressMonitor progress) throws GitException {
-    createNewProject();
+    Project.NameKey projectName = Project.nameKey(createNewProject());
     String sourceUri = getSourceUri();
     try (Git git = Git.open(destinationDirectory)) {
       FetchCommand fetch = git.fetch().setRefSpecs("refs/*:refs/*").setRemote(sourceUri);
@@ -118,6 +131,11 @@
       }
       LOG.info(sourceUri + "| Clone into " + destinationDirectory);
       fetch.call();
+      AccountState accountState = identifiedUser.get().state();
+      for (Ref ref : git.getRepository().getRefDatabase().getRefs()) {
+        referenceUpdated.fire(
+            projectName, ref.getName(), ObjectId.zeroId(), ref.getObjectId(), accountState);
+      }
     } catch (IOException | GitAPIException e) {
       LOG.error("Unable to fetch from {} into {}", sourceUri, destinationDirectory, e);
       throw new GitCloneFailedException(sourceUri, e);