diff --git a/remote-testsvn.c b/remote-testsvn.c
index 3af708c5b6..cde39b94fb 100644
--- a/remote-testsvn.c
+++ b/remote-testsvn.c
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 static const char *url;
 static int dump_from_file;
 static const char *private_ref;
-static const char *remote_ref = "refs/heads/master";
+static char *remote_ref;
 static const char *marksfilename, *notes_ref;
 struct rev_note { unsigned int rev_nr; };
 
@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ int cmd_main(int argc, const char **argv)
 			private_ref_sb = STRBUF_INIT, marksfilename_sb = STRBUF_INIT,
 			notes_ref_sb = STRBUF_INIT;
 	static struct remote *remote;
-	const char *url_in;
+	const char *url_in, *remote_ref_short;
 
 	setup_git_directory();
 	if (argc < 2 || argc > 3) {
@@ -294,6 +294,9 @@ int cmd_main(int argc, const char **argv)
 		return 1;
 	}
 
+	remote_ref_short = git_default_branch_name();
+	remote_ref = xstrfmt("refs/heads/%s", remote_ref_short);
+
 	remote = remote_get(argv[1]);
 	url_in = (argc == 3) ? argv[2] : remote->url[0];
 
@@ -306,7 +309,8 @@ int cmd_main(int argc, const char **argv)
 		url = url_sb.buf;
 	}
 
-	strbuf_addf(&private_ref_sb, "refs/svn/%s/master", remote->name);
+	strbuf_addf(&private_ref_sb, "refs/svn/%s/%s",
+		    remote->name, remote_ref_short);
 	private_ref = private_ref_sb.buf;
 
 	strbuf_addf(&notes_ref_sb, "refs/notes/%s/revs", remote->name);
diff --git a/t/t9020-remote-svn.sh b/t/t9020-remote-svn.sh
index 6fca08e5e3..0f97bafb00 100755
--- a/t/t9020-remote-svn.sh
+++ b/t/t9020-remote-svn.sh
@@ -84,6 +84,12 @@ test_expect_success REMOTE_SVN 'incremental imports must lead to the same head'
 	test_cmp master.good .git/refs/remotes/svnsim/master
 '
 
+test_expect_success REMOTE_SVN 'respects configured default initial branch' '
+	git -c init.defaultBranch=trunk remote add -f trunk \
+		"testsvn::file://$TEST_DIRECTORY/t9154/svn.dump" &&
+	git rev-parse --verify refs/remotes/trunk/trunk
+'
+
 test_debug 'git branch -a'
 
 test_done