diff --git a/cli/src/commands/git.rs b/cli/src/commands/git.rs
index 57a5cf7e1a..506cd69c99 100644
--- a/cli/src/commands/git.rs
+++ b/cli/src/commands/git.rs
@@ -443,6 +443,7 @@ fn cmd_git_clone(
     if command.global_args().repository.is_some() {
         return Err(user_error("'--repository' cannot be used with 'git clone'"));
     }
+    let remote_name = "origin";
     let source = absolute_git_source(command.cwd(), &args.source);
     let wc_path_str = args
         .destination
@@ -466,7 +467,14 @@ fn cmd_git_clone(
     let canonical_wc_path: PathBuf = wc_path
         .canonicalize()
         .map_err(|err| user_error(format!("Failed to create {wc_path_str}: {err}")))?;
-    let clone_result = do_git_clone(ui, command, args.colocate, &source, &canonical_wc_path);
+    let clone_result = do_git_clone(
+        ui,
+        command,
+        args.colocate,
+        remote_name,
+        &source,
+        &canonical_wc_path,
+    );
     if clone_result.is_err() {
         let clean_up_dirs = || -> io::Result<()> {
             fs::remove_dir_all(canonical_wc_path.join(".jj"))?;
@@ -489,21 +497,15 @@ fn cmd_git_clone(
         }
     }
 
-    let (mut workspace_command, git_repo, stats) = clone_result?;
+    let (mut workspace_command, stats) = clone_result?;
     if let Some(default_branch) = &stats.default_branch {
         let default_branch_remote_ref = workspace_command
             .repo()
             .view()
-            .get_remote_branch(default_branch, "origin");
+            .get_remote_branch(default_branch, remote_name);
         if let Some(commit_id) = default_branch_remote_ref.target.as_normal().cloned() {
             let mut checkout_tx =
                 workspace_command.start_transaction("check out git remote's default branch");
-            if args.colocate {
-                // HEAD can't be detached without specifying a commit, so we set the new default
-                // branch instead. Otherwise, the old "unborn" default branch would move
-                // alongside the new default branch.
-                git_repo.set_head(&format!("refs/heads/{default_branch}"))?;
-            }
             if let Ok(commit) = checkout_tx.repo().store().get_commit(&commit_id) {
                 checkout_tx.check_out(&commit)?;
             }
@@ -517,9 +519,10 @@ fn do_git_clone(
     ui: &mut Ui,
     command: &CommandHelper,
     colocate: bool,
+    remote_name: &str,
     source: &str,
     wc_path: &Path,
-) -> Result<(WorkspaceCommandHelper, git2::Repository, GitFetchStats), CommandError> {
+) -> Result<(WorkspaceCommandHelper, GitFetchStats), CommandError> {
     let (workspace, repo) = if colocate {
         let git_repo = git2::Repository::init(wc_path)?;
         add_to_git_exclude(ui, &git_repo)?;
@@ -534,7 +537,6 @@ fn do_git_clone(
         wc_path.display()
     )?;
     let mut workspace_command = command.for_loaded_repo(ui, workspace, repo)?;
-    let remote_name = "origin";
     git_repo.remote(remote_name, source).unwrap();
     let mut fetch_tx = workspace_command.start_transaction("fetch from git remote into empty repo");
 
@@ -560,7 +562,7 @@ fn do_git_clone(
     })?;
     print_git_import_stats(ui, &stats.import_stats)?;
     fetch_tx.finish(ui)?;
-    Ok((workspace_command, git_repo, stats))
+    Ok((workspace_command, stats))
 }
 
 fn with_remote_callbacks<T>(ui: &mut Ui, f: impl FnOnce(git::RemoteCallbacks<'_>) -> T) -> T {