diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/ReflogConfigTest.java b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/ReflogConfigTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..e72b7e21567baf82c700ea17b2a6816fc4a39433
--- /dev/null
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/ReflogConfigTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,122 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2009, Christian Halstrick <christian.halstrick@sap.com>
+ * Copyright (C) 2009, Christian Halstrick, Matthias Sohn, SAP AG
+ * and other copyright owners as documented in the project's IP log.
+ *
+ * This program and the accompanying materials are made available
+ * under the terms of the Eclipse Distribution License v1.0 which
+ * accompanies this distribution, is reproduced below, and is
+ * available at http://www.eclipse.org/org/documents/edl-v10.php
+ *
+ * All rights reserved.
+ *
+ * Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or
+ * without modification, are permitted provided that the following
+ * conditions are met:
+ *
+ * - Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
+ *   notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
+ *
+ * - Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above
+ *   copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following
+ *   disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials provided
+ *   with the distribution.
+ *
+ * - Neither the name of the Eclipse Foundation, Inc. nor the
+ *   names of its contributors may be used to endorse or promote
+ *   products derived from this software without specific prior
+ *   written permission.
+ *
+ * THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND
+ * CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES,
+ * INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES
+ * OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE
+ * ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT OWNER OR
+ * CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL,
+ * SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT
+ * NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES;
+ * LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER
+ * CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT,
+ * STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE)
+ * ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF
+ * ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
+ */
+
+package org.eclipse.jgit.lib;
+
+import java.io.IOException;
+
+public class ReflogConfigTest extends RepositoryTestCase {
+	public void testlogAllRefUpdates() throws Exception {
+		long commitTime = 1154236443000L;
+		int tz = -4 * 60;
+
+		// check that there are no entries in the reflog and turn off writing
+		// reflogs
+		assertTrue("there should be no entries in reflog", db.getReflogReader(
+				Constants.HEAD).getReverseEntries().size() == 0);
+		db.getConfig().setBoolean("core", null, "logallrefupdates", false);
+
+		// do one commit and check that reflog size is 0: no reflogs should be
+		// written
+		final Tree t = new Tree(db);
+		addFileToTree(t, "i-am-a-file", "and this is the data in me\n");
+		commit(t, "A Commit\n", new PersonIdent(jauthor, commitTime, tz),
+				new PersonIdent(jcommitter, commitTime, tz));
+		commitTime += 100;
+		assertTrue(
+				"Reflog for HEAD still contain no entry",
+				db.getReflogReader(Constants.HEAD).getReverseEntries().size() == 0);
+
+		// set the logAllRefUpdates parameter to true and check it
+		db.getConfig().setBoolean("core", null, "logallrefupdates", true);
+		assertTrue(db.getConfig().getCore().isLogAllRefUpdates());
+
+		// do one commit and check that reflog size is increased to 1
+		addFileToTree(t, "i-am-another-file", "and this is other data in me\n");
+		commit(t, "A Commit\n", new PersonIdent(jauthor, commitTime, tz),
+				new PersonIdent(jcommitter, commitTime, tz));
+		commitTime += 100;
+		assertTrue(
+				"Reflog for HEAD should contain one entry",
+				db.getReflogReader(Constants.HEAD).getReverseEntries().size() == 1);
+
+		// set the logAllRefUpdates parameter to false and check it
+		db.getConfig().setBoolean("core", null, "logallrefupdates", false);
+		assertFalse(db.getConfig().getCore().isLogAllRefUpdates());
+
+		// do one commit and check that reflog size is 2
+		addFileToTree(t, "i-am-anotheranother-file",
+				"and this is other other data in me\n");
+		commit(t, "A Commit\n", new PersonIdent(jauthor, commitTime, tz),
+				new PersonIdent(jcommitter, commitTime, tz));
+		assertTrue(
+				"Reflog for HEAD should contain two entries",
+				db.getReflogReader(Constants.HEAD).getReverseEntries().size() == 2);
+	}
+
+	private void addFileToTree(final Tree t, String filename, String content)
+			throws IOException {
+		FileTreeEntry f = t.addFile(filename);
+		writeTrashFile(f.getName(), content);
+		t.accept(new WriteTree(trash, db), TreeEntry.MODIFIED_ONLY);
+	}
+
+	private void commit(final Tree t, String commitMsg, PersonIdent author,
+			PersonIdent committer) throws IOException {
+		final Commit commit = new Commit(db);
+		commit.setAuthor(author);
+		commit.setCommitter(committer);
+		commit.setMessage(commitMsg);
+		commit.setTree(t);
+		ObjectWriter writer = new ObjectWriter(db);
+		commit.setCommitId(writer.writeCommit(commit));
+
+		int nl = commitMsg.indexOf('\n');
+		final RefUpdate ru = db.updateRef(Constants.HEAD);
+		ru.setNewObjectId(commit.getCommitId());
+		ru.setRefLogMessage("commit : "
+				+ ((nl == -1) ? commitMsg : commitMsg.substring(0, nl)), false);
+		ru.forceUpdate();
+	}
+}
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/CoreConfig.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/CoreConfig.java
index 4d4c3a731f00e48796247adf4c72590f5e53f779..9080ec13980b37ec6ca3835c22d9ad12eb93c188 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/CoreConfig.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/CoreConfig.java
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 /*
+ * Copyright (C) 2009, Christian Halstrick <christian.halstrick@sap.com>
  * Copyright (C) 2009, Google Inc.
  * Copyright (C) 2007, Robin Rosenberg <robin.rosenberg@dewire.com>
  * Copyright (C) 2006-2008, Shawn O. Pearce <spearce@spearce.org>
@@ -64,9 +65,12 @@ public CoreConfig parse(final Config cfg) {
 
 	private final int packIndexVersion;
 
+	private final boolean logAllRefUpdates;
+
 	private CoreConfig(final Config rc) {
 		compression = rc.getInt("core", "compression", DEFAULT_COMPRESSION);
 		packIndexVersion = rc.getInt("pack", "indexversion", 2);
+		logAllRefUpdates = rc.getBoolean("core", "logallrefupdates", true);
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -84,4 +88,11 @@ public int getCompression() {
 	public int getPackIndexVersion() {
 		return packIndexVersion;
 	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @return whether to log all refUpdates
+	 */
+	public boolean isLogAllRefUpdates() {
+		return logAllRefUpdates;
+	}
 }
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/RefLogWriter.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/RefLogWriter.java
index d41bbb644bad5bd831d81145a55e0189b4831168..63307a3bcf303754fac086f50a7d4953819f4537 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/RefLogWriter.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/RefLogWriter.java
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 /*
+ * Copyright (C) 2009, Christian Halstrick <christian.halstrick@sap.com>
  * Copyright (C) 2007, Dave Watson <dwatson@mimvista.com>
  * Copyright (C) 2009, Google Inc.
  * Copyright (C) 2007-2009, Robin Rosenberg <robin.rosenberg@dewire.com>
@@ -119,16 +120,18 @@ private static void appendOneRecord(final ObjectId oldId,
 		final byte[] rec = Constants.encode(r.toString());
 		final File logdir = new File(db.getDirectory(), Constants.LOGS);
 		final File reflog = new File(logdir, refName);
-		final File refdir = reflog.getParentFile();
+		if (reflog.exists() || db.getConfig().getCore().isLogAllRefUpdates()) {
+			final File refdir = reflog.getParentFile();
 
-		if (!refdir.exists() && !refdir.mkdirs())
-			throw new IOException("Cannot create directory " + refdir);
+			if (!refdir.exists() && !refdir.mkdirs())
+				throw new IOException("Cannot create directory " + refdir);
 
-		final FileOutputStream out = new FileOutputStream(reflog, true);
-		try {
-			out.write(rec);
-		} finally {
-			out.close();
+			final FileOutputStream out = new FileOutputStream(reflog, true);
+			try {
+				out.write(rec);
+			} finally {
+				out.close();
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/Repository.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/Repository.java
index 181ca580f6dd73c3126f61232ca4d34f71655099..52f9ff393401d74d4a3788513e7934b7b08862d3 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/Repository.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/Repository.java
@@ -193,6 +193,7 @@ public void create(boolean bare) throws IOException {
 		cfg.setBoolean("core", null, "filemode", true);
 		if (bare)
 			cfg.setBoolean("core", null, "bare", true);
+		cfg.setBoolean("core", null, "logallrefupdates", !bare);
 		cfg.save();
 	}