diff --git a/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/replication/AutoReloadConfigDecorator.java b/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/replication/AutoReloadConfigDecorator.java
index 8bf2da4..a2b66d1 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/replication/AutoReloadConfigDecorator.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/replication/AutoReloadConfigDecorator.java
@@ -113,6 +113,11 @@
   }
 
   @Override
+  public synchronized boolean isDefaultForceUpdate() {
+    return currentConfig.isDefaultForceUpdate();
+  }
+
+  @Override
   public synchronized boolean isEmpty() {
     return currentConfig.isEmpty();
   }
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/replication/ReplicationConfig.java b/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/replication/ReplicationConfig.java
index 1b971c3..5c18f75 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/replication/ReplicationConfig.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/replication/ReplicationConfig.java
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@
 
   boolean isReplicateAllOnPluginStart();
 
+  boolean isDefaultForceUpdate();
+
   boolean isEmpty();
 
   int shutdown();
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/replication/ReplicationFileBasedConfig.java b/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/replication/ReplicationFileBasedConfig.java
index 0e3894b..dd8f4f5 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/replication/ReplicationFileBasedConfig.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/replication/ReplicationFileBasedConfig.java
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@
   private List<Destination> destinations;
   private File cfgPath;
   private boolean replicateAllOnPluginStart;
+  private boolean defaultForceUpdate;
   private Injector injector;
   private final SchemaFactory<ReviewDb> database;
   private final RemoteSiteUser.Factory replicationUserFactory;
@@ -104,6 +105,9 @@
     replicateAllOnPluginStart =
         config.getBoolean("gerrit", "replicateOnStartup", true);
 
+    defaultForceUpdate =
+        config.getBoolean("gerrit", "defaultForceUpdate", false);
+
     ImmutableList.Builder<Destination> dest = ImmutableList.builder();
     for (RemoteConfig c : allRemotes(config)) {
       if (c.getURIs().isEmpty()) {
@@ -118,7 +122,8 @@
       }
 
       if (c.getPushRefSpecs().isEmpty()) {
-        c.addPushRefSpec(new RefSpec().setSourceDestination("refs/*", "refs/*"));
+        c.addPushRefSpec(new RefSpec().setSourceDestination("refs/*", "refs/*")
+            .setForceUpdate(defaultForceUpdate));
       }
 
       Destination destination =
@@ -148,6 +153,14 @@
     return replicateAllOnPluginStart;
   }
 
+  /* (non-Javadoc)
+   * @see com.googlesource.gerrit.plugins.replication.ReplicationConfig#isDefaultForceUpdate()
+   */
+  @Override
+  public boolean isDefaultForceUpdate() {
+    return defaultForceUpdate;
+  }
+
   private static List<RemoteConfig> allRemotes(FileBasedConfig cfg)
       throws ConfigInvalidException {
     Set<String> names = cfg.getSubsections("remote");
diff --git a/src/main/resources/Documentation/config.md b/src/main/resources/Documentation/config.md
index 9521375..de0b907 100644
--- a/src/main/resources/Documentation/config.md
+++ b/src/main/resources/Documentation/config.md
@@ -73,6 +73,10 @@
 	the replication plugin. When the reload takes place, pending replication
 	events based on old settings are discarded. By default, false.
 
+gerrit.defaultForceUpdate
+:	If true, the default push refspec will be set to use forced
+	update to the remote when no refspec is given.  By default, false.
+
 remote.NAME.url
 :	Address of the remote server to push to.  Multiple URLs may be
 	specified within a single remote block, listing different
@@ -141,7 +145,9 @@
 	and `refs/tags/*`, but excludes all others, including
 	`refs/changes/*`.
 
-	Defaults to `refs/*:refs/*` (push all refs) if not specified.
+	Defaults to `refs/*:refs/*` (push all refs) if not specified,
+	or `+refs/*:refs/*` (force push all refs) if not specified and
+	`gerrit.defaultForceUpdate` is true.
 
 [2]: #example_file