diff --git a/gerrit-reviewdb/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/reviewdb/client/RefNames.java b/gerrit-reviewdb/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/reviewdb/client/RefNames.java
index 5d2a1fd026..0940a7fa65 100644
--- a/gerrit-reviewdb/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/reviewdb/client/RefNames.java
+++ b/gerrit-reviewdb/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/reviewdb/client/RefNames.java
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ package com.google.gerrit.reviewdb.client;
 
 /** Constants and utilities for Gerrit-specific ref names. */
 public class RefNames {
+  public static final String HEAD = "HEAD";
+
   public static final String REFS = "refs/";
 
   public static final String REFS_HEADS = "refs/heads/";
@@ -60,7 +62,8 @@ public class RefNames {
   public static final String EDIT_PREFIX = "edit-";
 
   public static String fullName(String ref) {
-    return ref.startsWith(REFS) ? ref : REFS_HEADS + ref;
+    return (ref.startsWith(REFS) || ref.equals(HEAD)) ?
+        ref : REFS_HEADS + ref;
   }
 
   public static final String shortName(String ref) {
diff --git a/gerrit-reviewdb/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/reviewdb/client/RefNamesTest.java b/gerrit-reviewdb/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/reviewdb/client/RefNamesTest.java
index b0981a73f6..bd8b8e00b1 100644
--- a/gerrit-reviewdb/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/reviewdb/client/RefNamesTest.java
+++ b/gerrit-reviewdb/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/reviewdb/client/RefNamesTest.java
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ public class RefNamesTest {
     assertThat(RefNames.fullName("refs/heads/master")).isEqualTo("refs/heads/master");
     assertThat(RefNames.fullName("master")).isEqualTo("refs/heads/master");
     assertThat(RefNames.fullName("refs/tags/v1.0")).isEqualTo("refs/tags/v1.0");
+    assertThat(RefNames.fullName("HEAD")).isEqualTo("HEAD");
   }
 
   @Test