diff --git a/Documentation/git-clone.adoc b/Documentation/git-clone.adoc
index b6e1f8ada2..27e4d13942 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-clone.adoc
+++ b/Documentation/git-clone.adoc
@@ -348,12 +348,15 @@ or `--mirror` is given)
 	The result is Git repository can be separated from working
 	tree.
 
-`--ref-format=<ref-format>`::
+`--ref-storage-format=<format>`::
 
 Specify the given ref storage format for the repository. The valid values are:
 +
 include::ref-storage-format.adoc[]
 
+`--ref-format=<format>`::
+Deprecated alias of `--ref-storage-format=<format>`.
+
 `-j<n>`::
 `--jobs=<n>`::
 	The number of submodules fetched at the same time.
diff --git a/builtin/clone.c b/builtin/clone.c
index 5b25cca510..42cae9e0f6 100644
--- a/builtin/clone.c
+++ b/builtin/clone.c
@@ -901,7 +901,7 @@ int cmd_clone(int argc,
 	char *option_origin = NULL;
 	struct string_list option_not = STRING_LIST_INIT_NODUP;
 	const char *real_git_dir = NULL;
-	const char *ref_format = NULL;
+	const char *ref_storage_format_str = NULL;
 	const char *option_upload_pack = "git-upload-pack";
 	int option_progress = -1;
 	int option_sparse_checkout = 0;
@@ -981,8 +981,9 @@ int cmd_clone(int argc,
 			 N_("any cloned submodules will be shallow")),
 		OPT_STRING(0, "separate-git-dir", &real_git_dir, N_("gitdir"),
 			   N_("separate git dir from working tree")),
-		OPT_STRING(0, "ref-format", &ref_format, N_("format"),
-			   N_("specify the reference format to use")),
+		OPT_STRING(0, "ref-storage-format", &ref_storage_format_str, N_("format"),
+			   N_("specify the reference storage format to use")),
+		OPT_ALIAS_F(0, "ref-format", "ref-storage-format", PARSE_OPT_HIDDEN),
 		OPT_STRING_LIST('c', "config", &option_config, N_("key=value"),
 				N_("set config inside the new repository")),
 		OPT_STRING_LIST(0, "server-option", &server_options,
@@ -1027,10 +1028,10 @@ int cmd_clone(int argc,
 	if (option_single_branch == -1)
 		option_single_branch = deepen ? 1 : 0;
 
-	if (ref_format) {
-		ref_storage_format = ref_storage_format_by_name(ref_format);
+	if (ref_storage_format_str) {
+		ref_storage_format = ref_storage_format_by_name(ref_storage_format_str);
 		if (ref_storage_format == REF_STORAGE_FORMAT_UNKNOWN)
-			die(_("unknown ref storage format '%s'"), ref_format);
+			die(_("unknown ref storage format '%s'"), ref_storage_format_str);
 	}
 
 	if (option_mirror) {
diff --git a/t/t0610-reftable-basics.sh b/t/t0610-reftable-basics.sh
index 1cf96ce2c5..d325f17a14 100755
--- a/t/t0610-reftable-basics.sh
+++ b/t/t0610-reftable-basics.sh
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ test_expect_success 'clone: can clone reffiles into reftable repository' '
 	test_when_finished "rm -rf reffiles reftable" &&
 	git init --ref-storage-format=files reffiles &&
 	test_commit -C reffiles A &&
-	git clone --ref-format=reftable ./reffiles reftable &&
+	git clone --ref-storage-format=reftable ./reffiles reftable &&
 
 	git -C reffiles rev-parse HEAD >expect &&
 	git -C reftable rev-parse HEAD >actual &&
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ test_expect_success 'clone: can clone reftable into reffiles repository' '
 	test_when_finished "rm -rf reffiles reftable" &&
 	git init --ref-storage-format=reftable reftable &&
 	test_commit -C reftable A &&
-	git clone --ref-format=files ./reftable reffiles &&
+	git clone --ref-storage-format=files ./reftable reffiles &&
 
 	git -C reftable rev-parse HEAD >expect &&
 	git -C reffiles rev-parse HEAD >actual &&
diff --git a/t/t1460-refs-migrate.sh b/t/t1460-refs-migrate.sh
index bb2507f571..8aded6597e 100755
--- a/t/t1460-refs-migrate.sh
+++ b/t/t1460-refs-migrate.sh
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ do
 			test_when_finished "rm -rf repo repo.git" &&
 			git init --ref-storage-format=$from_format repo &&
 			test_commit -C repo initial &&
-			git clone --ref-format=$from_format --mirror repo repo.git &&
+			git clone --ref-storage-format=$from_format --mirror repo repo.git &&
 			test_migration repo.git "$to_format"
 		'
 
diff --git a/t/t5510-fetch.sh b/t/t5510-fetch.sh
index 359c3cf99b..300bd5396d 100755
--- a/t/t5510-fetch.sh
+++ b/t/t5510-fetch.sh
@@ -46,19 +46,19 @@ test_expect_success "clone and setup child repos" '
 	) &&
 	git clone . bundle &&
 	git clone . seven &&
-	git clone --ref-format=reftable . case_sensitive &&
+	git clone --ref-storage-format=reftable . case_sensitive &&
 	(
 		cd case_sensitive &&
 		git branch branch1 &&
 		git branch bRanch1
 	) &&
-	git clone --ref-format=reftable . case_sensitive_fd &&
+	git clone --ref-storage-format=reftable . case_sensitive_fd &&
 	(
 		cd case_sensitive_fd &&
 		git branch foo/bar &&
 		git branch Foo
 	) &&
-	git clone --ref-format=reftable . case_sensitive_df &&
+	git clone --ref-storage-format=reftable . case_sensitive_df &&
 	(
 		cd case_sensitive_df &&
 		git branch Foo/bar &&
diff --git a/t/t5601-clone.sh b/t/t5601-clone.sh
index b6167582a1..202d86bc83 100755
--- a/t/t5601-clone.sh
+++ b/t/t5601-clone.sh
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ test_expect_success 'clone --mirror does not repeat tags' '
 
 test_expect_success 'clone with files ref format' '
 	test_when_finished "rm -rf ref-storage" &&
-	git clone --ref-format=files --mirror src ref-storage &&
+	git clone --ref-storage-format=files --mirror src ref-storage &&
 	echo files >expect &&
 	git -C ref-storage rev-parse --show-ref-format >actual &&
 	test_cmp expect actual
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ test_expect_success 'clone with garbage ref format' '
 	cat >expect <<-EOF &&
 	fatal: unknown ref storage format ${SQ}garbage${SQ}
 	EOF
-	test_must_fail git clone --ref-format=garbage --mirror src ref-storage 2>err &&
+	test_must_fail git clone --ref-storage-format=garbage --mirror src ref-storage 2>err &&
 	test_cmp expect err &&
 	test_path_is_missing ref-storage
 '
diff --git a/t/t7424-submodule-mixed-ref-formats.sh b/t/t7424-submodule-mixed-ref-formats.sh
index 1ca245c732..5f31d233e9 100755
--- a/t/t7424-submodule-mixed-ref-formats.sh
+++ b/t/t7424-submodule-mixed-ref-formats.sh
@@ -63,9 +63,9 @@ test_expect_success 'recursive clone propagates ref storage format' '
 	test_ref_format upstream/submodule "$GIT_DEFAULT_REF_FORMAT" &&
 
 	# The cloned repositories should use the other ref format that we have
-	# specified via `--ref-format`. The option should propagate to cloned
+	# specified via `--ref-storage-format`. The option should propagate to cloned
 	# submodules.
-	git clone --ref-format=$OTHER_FORMAT --recurse-submodules \
+	git clone --ref-storage-format=$OTHER_FORMAT --recurse-submodules \
 		upstream downstream &&
 	test_ref_format downstream "$OTHER_FORMAT" &&
 	test_ref_format downstream/submodule "$OTHER_FORMAT"